Child & Adolescent Anxiety Treatment in NYC | Soe Thein, MD
Anxiety Treatment for Children & Adolescents in Tribeca, New York City
Anxiety is the most common mental health concern in children and adolescents. It is also one of the most treatable, when it is understood correctly.
Dr. Soe Thein is a double board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and a psychoanalytic candidate at Columbia University. He offers integrative psychiatric care for anxious children and teenagers in Tribeca, New York City, combining depth-oriented psychotherapy with medication management when indicated.
When Anxiety Becomes a Disorder
Anxiety is a normal part of childhood. Every child experiences fear. The clinical question is not whether anxiety is present — it is whether the anxiety is:
Disproportionate to the actual situation
Persistent beyond the expected developmental window
Impairing the child's functioning at home, school, or with peers
Causing significant distress to the child or family
When anxiety crosses those thresholds, it meets criteria for a diagnosable anxiety disorder. The most common in children and adolescents are Separation Anxiety Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia, Panic Disorder, and OCD.
What Treatment Involves
Comprehensive evaluation. Before recommending any treatment, Dr. Thein conducts a thorough psychiatric evaluation of the child, including history, developmental context, school functioning, and family dynamics. For younger children, this includes dedicated parent sessions.
Individual therapy. For most anxious children, individual therapy is the first-line treatment. Depending on the child's age and presentation, this may involve talk therapy, play therapy, or a combination of both.
Parent guidance. Parents are not bystanders in a child's anxiety. They are part of the system. Regular parent guidance sessions help caregivers understand what is driving the anxiety and how to respond in ways that support rather than inadvertently reinforce it.
Medication when indicated. For moderate to severe anxiety, medication can be an important part of treatment. SSRIs are the best-studied pharmacological treatment for childhood anxiety disorders. As a psychiatrist, Dr. Thein can integrate medication and therapy within a single treatment relationship, so medication decisions are always informed by what is happening clinically.
What Anxiety Looks Like Across Development
Anxiety does not look the same at every age. A four-year-old's fear of monsters and a sixteen-year-old's dread of social judgment are both forms of anxiety — but they arise from different developmental pressures and require different clinical approaches.
Understanding where a child is developmentally is the first step in understanding what their anxiety means.
What Sets Dr. Thein Apart
Prompt Response
Every message, question is answered within 24 hours.
Direct Access
No being put on hold or passed around multiple times to reach your psychiatrist. You will have my direct line to text.
Collaborative
No more disjointed care. Dr. Thein will collaborate with different members of your care team (teachers, parents, therapists, etc) so you can achieve your goal.