26 Depression Resources for Kids, Teens, and Parents

It’s hard to know what to do when your child is feeling depressed — how to find out what’s going on, where to turn, who to go to for help. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed, wanting to support them but not quite sure how.

Below are some resources that may be helpful to kids and teens experiencing depression and their parents.

Associations

Anxiety and Depression Association of America — Anxiety and Depression in Children

Depression and Bipolar Association of America

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry - Depression Resource Center

National Alliance on Mental Illness - Guide to What Families Need to Know About Adolescent Depression

Organizations

Many of these organizations are dedicated to the transforming the lives of children and teens living with depression, providing education, guides, and support.

Child Mind Institute — Depression: Helpful guides, Ask An Expert, and Stories of How Kids and Teens Coped with Depression

National Institute of Mental Health — Teen Depression

Balanced Mind Parent Network: Information for parents raising children with mood disorders to answers, support, and stability

HealthLink BC - Depression in Children and Teens

The Whole Child: Great guides which are developmentally categorized by age group

Teen Mental Health.org - Depression

The Jed Foundation: accessible resources to support mental health and reduce stigma in teens and young adults. started by parents who lost their youngest son Jed to suicide.

Families for Depression Awareness

Research Studies and Clinical Trials

NIMH Research Studies (Enrolling Nationally): Studies to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illness

Hotlines and Crisis Resources

If you are experiencing a life threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255: Provides 24/7 free and confidential support

National Safe Place: Provides access to immediate help and supportive resources for young people in crisis through a network of qualified agencies, trained volunteers and businesses

Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386: Crisis Intervention and suicide prevention for LGBT youth

PRS CrisisLink Hotline and Textline : 703-527-4077 or Text "CONNECT" to 855-11: Free confidential line open 24/7 serving Northern Virginia and Washington DC, staffed with crisis line workers who care and can connect you to referrals

Books

• Conquer Negative Thinking for Teens: A Workbook to Break the Nine Thought Habits That Are Holding You Back by Mary Alvord and Anne McGrath

• Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills for Helping You Manage Mood Swings, Control Angry Outbursts, and ... with Others (Instant Help Book for Teens) by Sheri van Dijk

• How To Get Unstuck From The Negative Muck: A Kid's Guide To Getting Rid Of Negative Thinking by Lake Sullivan PhD

• Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by John Gottman, Joan Declaire

• How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

• How to Talk so Teens Will Listen and Listen so Teens Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

• The Highly Sensitive Child: Helping Our Children Thrive When The World Overwhelms Themby Elaine Aron

Helpful Articles

Can Preschoolers Be Depressed? (NY Times)

A Teenager’s Guide to Depression by HelpGuide.org

What resources have you found helpful for your child or teen? If you have any other resources that might be helpful for others, let us know in the comments below!

---

child and teen depression treatment in mclean, falls church, arlington, and vienna

Victoria Chialy Smith, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist providing individual therapy to children, teens, and adults. Our practice provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness based therapies, and other premier evidence-based treatments, and serves the Falls Church, McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, Arlington, Alexandria, and the greater Washington DC region. Call, email, or schedule an appointment with us online today. We’re happy to help!

28 Anxiety Resources for Adults

We all experience anxiety, but sometimes it can become overwhelming and begin to interfere with your daily functioning and quality of life. It can be difficult to find resources to help. Here, we list websites, books, organizations, apps, and videos for valuable information and support.

Organizations

These organizations provide invaluable information on anxiety and how to cope with them. They also provide listings of resources you may find helpful.

Anxiety and Depression Association of America

https://adaa.org/

American Psychological Association

http://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety/index.aspx

National Institute of Mental Health

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

National Alliance on Mental Illness

https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Anxiety-Disorders

Websites

These websites provide helpful information, handouts, and resources on anxiety and learning to cope with it.

Anxiety BC

https://www.anxietybc.com/

Anxiety.org

https://www.anxiety.org/

Anxiety Boss

https://anxietyboss.com/

PsychCentral

https://psychcentral.com/disorders/anxiety/

Blogs and Community

Websites and forums featuring individuals writing about their journeys toward overcoming anxiety.

The Mighty - Anxiety

https://themighty.com/topic/anxiety/

Thought Catalog - Anxiety

https://thoughtcatalog.com/tag/anxiety/

Healthy Place: Anxiety Schmanxiety

https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/anxiety-schmanxiety

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Director’s Messages.

Offers the latest news on mental health research and a nice overview

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/index.shtml

Psych Central: Fearless: Breaking Anxiety Down

https://blogs.psychcentral.com/fearless/

Reddit/Anxiety

https://www.reddit.com/r/Anxiety/

Mindfulness Exercises for Anxiety (Online)

Mindfulness Exercises

https://mindfulwaythroughanxiety.com/exercises/

22 Mindfulness Exercises for Adults

https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/mindfulness-exercises-techniques-activities/

Anxiety Apps

Headspace

https://www.headspace.com/how-it-works

Breathe2Relax

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/breathe2relax/id425720246?mt=8

Calm

https://www.calm.com/

Books for Anxiety

These books are often recommended to patients by psychologists who treat anxiety, and are written by clinical experts in the field.

The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook

Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life by Steven Hayes and Spencer Smith

ACT Made Simple: An Easy to Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Russ Harris and Steven Hayes

The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety by John Forsyth and Georg Eifert

Mastery of Your Anxiety by Michelle Craske and David Barlow

Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic by David Barlow

Videos

15 Best TED Talks for Anxiety, Stress, and Fear

Clinical Trials

Opportunities to participate in clinical trials and NIH funded studies to better understand anxiety and develop effective treatments.

National Institute of Mental Health - Clinical Trials

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/trials/anxiety-disorders.shtml

What resources have you found helpful in managing your anxiety? If you have any other resources that might be helpful for others, let us know in the comments below!

---

Anxiety treatment in mclean, falls church, arlington, and vienna

Victoria Chialy Smith, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist providing individual therapy to children, teens, and adults. Our practice provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness based therapies, and other premier evidence-based treatments, and serves the Falls Church, McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, Arlington, Alexandria, and the greater Washington DC region. Call, email, or schedule an appointment with us online today. We’re happy to help!

How to Find the Right Psychologist for You

How does one find a psychologist? Not only an effective one, but one who truly cares and connects with you?

I recently wrestled with this question as I helped a family member find a psychologist for their care. Although I myself am a clinical psychologist, the experience on this other end of things was rather eye opening. I was surprised to learn that many psychologists in private practice can and do accept insurance and that they were sometimes of a similar quality of the ones who charged more. In other words, price charged did not necessarily predict quality, and the effectiveness of the practicing psychologist seemed to be based on the particular individual.

I was also surprised to discover how difficult to find a provider who cared — and how much it meant to finally find one who truly did and what a difference it made in our lives.

With that, I’ve decided to write a guide based on my professional and personal experiences as a clinical psychologist as to how to find the right psychologist for you.

1. Develop an Understanding of What You are Looking For

At the start of your search, it can help to reflect on the particular issues you are currently struggling with. This can inform the type of psychologist you are looking for, including what treatments they may specialize in.

For example, if you are struggling with feelings of sadness or hopelessness, try looking for a psychologist with clinical interest or specialization in working with patients struggling with similar symptoms, such as depression.

Once you understand what your needs are, it can help to develop an understanding of psychological treatment options and the current evidence-base underlying them. It can be tough to understand what’s out there, but fortunately, there are websites that psychologists committed to high quality treatments have developed, to help consumers understand their options.

For example, the Society of Clinical Psychology, has developed this helpful resource on Effective Treatments for Psychological Conditions describing research evidence for psychological treatments. If you click on ‘Browse Diagnoses’, and then ‘Depression’, you’ll see that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the leading treatments for depression.

If you are looking for a psychologist for your child, find a psychologist with focused training and expertise in working with children. Clinical Child Psychologists often have years of specialized experience in working with children, parents, and the family system.

This information on treatment approaches can help inform your search for a therapist, as you would now understand that you are looking for a clinician who specializes in CBT for Depression, or a child psychologist who specializes in these domains.

Here, it’s important to note that this information isn’t the only factor involved in finding a clinician — instead, it’s just one initial piece of the puzzle.

2. Consider What Your Preferences Are

Would you prefer working with a male or female psychologist?

Are you open to cash only practices or do you prefer to go to providers who accept your insurance?

How far are you willing to drive to see your therapist?

What setting do you prefer? A community clinic, hospital, or independent practice?

These factors all inform your search and will help you identify potential clinicians to work with.

If cost is an issue, are you willing to seek care from predoctoral clinicians currently in training? These predoctoral clinicians are often supervised by the clinicians with years of experience, a passion for mental health care, and a commitment to their work and training the next generation of psychologists. In addition, it is also a source of highly affordable psychological testing and evaluation services.

Some local training clinics in the Washington DC metropolitan area include:

• The University of Maryland Psychology Clinic in College Park, MD

• The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Psychology Training Clinic in Baltimore, MD

• George Mason University Center for Psychological Services in Fairfax, VA

• American University Psychotherapy Training Clinic in Washington, DC

3. Begin Developing a List of Potential Licensed Clinicians. Ask around.

Do you have any health care providers that you currently respect and enjoy seeing, whose care seems comprehensive and genuine? If so, ask them if there are any psychologists they would recommend. Often times, providers in the same community know of other providers who are well known for their clinical skill and effectiveness.

You can also ask family members and friends for any potential referrals. This is a great method as you can get their firsthand experience and perspective, which can be invaluable in your search.

4. Search Online for Clinicians in Your Community

There are a number of websites online where you can search through listings of psychologists in your area and region. Using your understanding of your goals for therapy (e.g., current symptoms, available evidence-based treatments), and preferences (e.g., payment, child vs adult specialization, distance from your home), you can search through the following websites.

There are so many therapists that it can be overwhelming to look through directories. But as you look through, try looking at their personal statements to see if you connect with it, or to look at their education, training, and work experiences, as these would deeply inform their therapeutic approach and style.

Below, I have listed national websites of providers, as well as ones specific to the Northern Virginia region.

• Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist

• Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies: Find a CBT Therapist Directory

• Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Find a Therapist

• American Psychological Association Psychologist Locator

• National Register’s Find a Psychologist

• GoodTherapy.org Find a Therapist

It’s important to note that these directories often do not lists psychologists who work in hospitals and who see patients on an outpatient psychology basis. The care at these centers is often covered by insurance, and can be highly evidence-based and state-of-the-art, with specialty clinics. Many of these clinicians are highly dedicated to their work and to their patients, training top psychologists around the country. Check out the below links if you are interested in pursuing care through this route.

• Children’s National Health System Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

• Kennedy Krieger Institute Behavioral Psychology Outpatient Programs

• Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics

• Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders Clinic

• Georgetown University Hospital Women’s Mental Health Clinic

If you are interested in using your insurance to pay for therapy, you can search through insurance databases and cross reference with information from the directories listed above.

5. Contact Potential Therapists

Finding a psychologist to work with takes time. Compatibility is important and provides the foundation for therapy, so it is natural to spend time speaking and meeting with different therapists.

Sometimes you can call a therapist and get a sense of how you might like working with them on the phone. During this time, you can ask them if they use evidence-based therapies, and what their policies for fees and scheduling are, and if they are accepting new patients.

6. Meet Your Therapist

If you enjoyed speaking with a psychologist over the phone, schedule a time to meet with them. Often the first session is a time when you both are getting to know each other. The psychologist will likely ask you questions to get a better understanding of what brings you to therapy. Based on their assessment, they will be able to determine whether they can help you or not, and help you develop goals for therapy together.

Above all, finding a therapist is a highly personal process. Finding a match is dependent on so many factors, including style, personality, values, preferences. This is also where the magic and art of therapy come in. Because at the end of the day, therapy is so much more than a manual, a given approach, or educational background. It’s a relationship. It’s an alliance. It’s a partnership. One that can make all the difference in helping to support you or your child through challenges and difficult times to hope again.

So good luck on your search! If you have any additional thoughts or ideas on helpful ways to find the right psychologist, please comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

—

cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt) in mclean, falls church, arlington, and vienna

Victoria Chialy Smith, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist providing individual therapy to children, teens, and adults. Our practice provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness based therapies, and other premier evidence-based treatments, and serves the Falls Church, McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, Arlington, Alexandria, and the greater Washington DC region. Call, email, or schedule an appointment with us online today. We’re happy to help!