The Anxiety Adults Don’t Always See

Available with English captions and subtitles in Spanish.

Anxiety and OCD in children and teens often exist beneath the surface—shaping emotions, behaviors, relationships, and daily experiences in ways adults may not immediately recognize.

Through lived-experience insight and emotionally grounded reflection, Kyle explores what fear, intrusive thoughts, emotional overwhelm, compulsive behaviors, and anxiety can feel like internally for young people while helping caregivers, educators, and professionals better understand how supportive adults can respond more effectively.

Why This Training Matters

Many children and teens experiencing anxiety or OCD are misunderstood long before they receive meaningful support. Anxiety-related distress may appear through avoidance, perfectionism, irritability, emotional shutdown, reassurance seeking, compulsive behaviors, or overwhelming fear that adults do not immediately recognize as emotional suffering.

This lived-experience session explores childhood anxiety and OCD through the emotional realities young people may struggle to communicate openly.

By blending emotional insight with practical understanding, the session encourages adults to respond with greater empathy, clarity, and confidence while supporting children and teens navigating anxiety- and OCD-related challenges.

Who This Training Is Designed For

This training is especially valuable for caregivers, educators, school professionals, and youth-serving adults seeking deeper understanding of childhood anxiety, OCD, and their emotional impact on young people.

The session emphasizes emotional insight, practical interpretation, and supportive communication strategies while remaining accessible to broad audiences. Mental health professionals and clinicians may also find value in the lived-experience perspective and emotionally informed framing explored throughout the session.

What You’ll Learn

  • How anxiety and OCD may affect children and teens emotionally, socially, and behaviorally
  • What these internal experiences may feel like for young people beneath the behaviors adults observe
  • Why anxiety- and OCD-related behaviors are commonly misunderstood
  • Practical ways adults can respond with greater empathy, emotional safety, and support
  • How validation and supportive communication can help young people feel less isolated

Key Takeaways

  • Childhood anxiety and OCD often present in ways adults may not initially recognize.
  • Behaviors like reassurance seeking, perfectionism, avoidance, or emotional withdrawal may reflect overwhelming fear or intrusive thoughts rather than intentional defiance.
  • Emotional safety, validation, and supportive communication can significantly impact how young people experience anxiety and OCD.
  • Lived experience offers powerful insight into emotional realities children and teens may struggle to articulate themselves.
  • Better understanding anxiety and OCD can help adults respond more compassionately and effectively in everyday situations.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this training, viewers should be able to:

  • Recognize emotional and behavioral signs commonly associated with childhood anxiety and OCD
  • Describe how fear, compulsive patterns, and avoidance may affect young people emotionally and socially
  • Identify how adults commonly misread the behavioral signs of anxiety and OCD in young people
  • Apply empathy-informed communication and support strategies when interacting with anxious youth

Who Should Watch

This training may be especially valuable for:

  • Parents & Caregivers
  • Educators & School Professionals
  • Mental Health Professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, therapists, social workers, nurses)
  • Pediatric & Health Care Professionals
  • School Support Teams
  • Youth Program Leaders
  • Community Mental Health Advocates

Greater understanding can change the way children experience support, safety, and connection. Explore this emotionally grounded session to gain practical insight into childhood anxiety and OCD while learning how empathy, validation, and emotionally informed support can make a meaningful difference for young people and families.

Kyle’s Story

As he shares his experiences, Kyle answers questions about his life:

  • What are your earliest memories of what you now know to be OCD or anxiety?
  • What were you thinking about your challenges back then? Did you just assume that everybody had them?
  • Do you have a sense now as an adult how your parents processed this at the time?
  • Do you remember whether you tried to hide your OCD behaviors from your friends?
  • What can you share with us about your early school years regarding anxiety and OCD?
  • What would you tell your younger self knowing what you now know?
  • How did your anxiety manifest itself during your teen years?
  • What can you tell us about your fixation with working and how that factored into all the challenges?
  • Do you have a sense of what kept you from reaching out for help?
  • What did the process of getting a diagnosis look like for you?
  • How did you process receiving labels for your challenges?
  • Did the diagnosis help you connect dots regarding your younger self?
  • Were you open with your friends and family about your diagnosis?
  • What did treatment look like for you?
  • How did you stay motivated to do the work of OCD treatment?
  • What did recovery look like for you?
  • What was your life like in graduate school?
  • The topic of your dissertation was mental health storytelling. What did you learn through your research?
  • What does life look like for you today?
  • How does sharing your story affect your own recovery?
  • What would you like parents and other adults to know from your experience?
  • What message would you like to give clinicians about treatment and recovery, based on your own journey?
  • What message of hope do you want to share with anyone in our audience who might themselves be struggling with a mental health challenge?

The information discussed is intended to be educational and should not be used as a substitute for guidance provided by your health care provider. Please consult with your treatment team before making any changes to your care plan.

Read more about Kyle’s story

Topics Covered During This Training

Dr. Lisa Coyne answers questions about childhood anxiety and OCD:

  • Why is it important to use the term “OCD” properly?
  • Do you have any tips for managing self-care?
  • What are some thoughts that came up for you while watching Kyle share his story?
  • Do you agree with the notion that someone with OCD should have the goal of learning to navigate the disorder, rather than being “cured” of it?
  • What are some of the most common treatments for anxiety and OCD?
  • What should clinicians keep in mind when using exposure therapy with a young autistic person?
  • How young can a child be accurately diagnosed with OCD or anxiety?
  • What should we know about PANS and PANDAS?
  • What does it mean if a person is more bothered by OCD symptoms during more stressful times?
  • What should we know about selective mutism and how it’s treated?
  • How can parents and caretakers take care of their own mental health when supporting children with anxiety and OCD?

Helpful Links

You may also find this information useful:

Organizations and Support Resources

Articles and Videos

Books

About Kyle Elliot

Kyle Elliot, EdD, is a successful career coach, professional speaker, and writer who—as a child and teen—struggled with anxiety and OCD. Fortunately, he got the professional help he needed and has learned to navigate his mental health challenges. He has also committed himself to sharing his lived experience to raise awareness and help others.

About Lisa Coyne

Lisa W. Coyne, PhD, is a senior clinical consultant at McLean Hospital and an assistant professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry, part-time, at Harvard Medical School. She is a licensed clinical psychologist, an internationally recognized acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) trainer, and the author of numerous books for parents, children, and teens.

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