Anxiety Institute McLean OCD & Anxiety Therapy

Designed for adolescents and young adults struggling with moderate to severe anxiety or OCD, Anxiety Institute’s outpatient program in McLean, VA provides comprehensive, continuous care for expedited and enduring recovery.

Clients in our Intensive Outpatient Program typically need more support than weekly therapy on its own. Withdrawal from family, friends, school and favorite activities are common, as well as excessive technology use (social media, gaming) as an unhealthy coping strategy. Our concentrated intensive outpatient program occurs Monday through Friday, over a 6-12 week time frame, depending on severity of symptoms. Each day consists of four hours of targeted individual and group work in our McLean clinic.

Learn more about our Intensive Outpatient Program.

Compassionate and focused individual therapy sessions with a personally assigned anxiety specialist.

Utilizing proven methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure response prevention (ERP), we customize treatment plans supplemented by innovative technologies like bio-feedback, virtual reality, EMDR therapy, and Cognitive Processing therapy as part of a comprehensive treatment strategy.

Learn more about our Individual Therapy.

Empowering parents to help their anxious child develop resilience, independence, and competence. Solution-based Coaching Services for parents of children with anxiety.

Parents and caregivers will learn to shift their approach from accommodating their child’s anxiety to parenting using constructive strategies and effective support techniques. Parents master skills to break the cycle of accommodation and avoidance, improve family dynamics, and foster a more independent, resilient child. Informed by evidence-based practices of the SPACE* treatment model from The Yale Child Study Center, the program is customized for your family’s specific needs.

Our McLean clinic treats teens, adolescents, and young adults with:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Panic Disorder
• PTSD and Trauma-Related Disorders
• ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
• Phobias and School Avoidance
• Body Dysmorphic Disorder
• Trichotillomania and OCD-spectrum conditions
• Co-occurring depression and ADHD

Our McLean clinicians use the most effective, research-backed treatments available for teen and adolescent anxiety:

• CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): Helps teens identify and shift the thought patterns driving anxiety
• ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention): The gold-standard treatment for OCD and anxiety disorders
• ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy): Builds psychological flexibility and long-term resilience
• EMDR: Particularly effective therapies for trauma and PTSD
• DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy): Supports emotional regulation and distress tolerance
• Parent coaching: Grounded in the SPACE model (Yale Child Study Center), integrated at every stage of treatment

Conditions We Treat

We provide specialized therapy and treatment for teens, adolescents, and young adults dealing with:

• Anxiety Disorders: Including GAD, social anxiety, panic disorder, phobias, and school avoidance
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) & related conditions
• Trauma & PTSD
• ARFID
• Co-occurring depression and ADHD

Our results:

• 96% of clients report reduced anxiety or depression following treatment
• 90% successfully reintegrate into school or work after completing our IOP

We offer specialized care for individuals struggling with OCD, anxiety, and related disorders. Our services include both Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) and Outpatient Therapy, customized to meet our clients’ unique clinical needs.

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) Clients

Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) serves individuals ages 12–26, including younger teens (12–15), older teens (16–18), and college students and recent graduates (19–26). We work with bright, high-functioning adolescents and young adults who struggle with OCD and anxiety-related challenges such as avoidance and procrastination. Common diagnoses include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, and OCD Spectrum Disorders, often accompanied by Major Depressive Disorder and ADHD.

Outpatient Therapy Clients

Our Outpatient Therapy provides flexible, individualized treatment for clients across life stages. We offer Outpatient Therapy to children as young as 8, adolescents and adults. Whether navigating anxiety, OCD, or related challenges, we support clients to help develop emotional resilience and confront fears, reducing anxiety responses.

An Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is designed for adolescents and young adults whose anxiety or OCD significantly interferes with daily functioning, whether it’s attending school, maintaining social connections, or engaging in everyday activities.

These individuals may need more support than traditional outpatient therapy provides but do not require the level of care offered in a hospital or residential setting. Our IOP offers a structured, evidence-based path forward, helping clients build the skills and confidence while continuing to live at home with family support.

An Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) offers a higher level of care for teens and young adults facing significant anxiety, OCD, or other mental health disorders.

More structured than traditional outpatient therapy, an IOP provides frequent, targeted sessions—typically several times per week—while allowing clients to remain at home.

At Anxiety Institute, our IOP creates a safe and supportive environment where clients can build emotional resilience, confront fears, reduce anxiety responses and build confidence. Treatment includes a comprehensive range of services, including individual and group therapy, family therapy, parent coaching, wellness programming, and additional evidence-based supports tailored to each client’s needs.

Our personalized outpatient treatment for anxiety and OCD occurs Monday through Friday, over a 6 to 12-week time frame, depending on the severity of symptoms.

Each day consists of four hours of targeted individual and group therapy. Each client is assigned a dedicated anxiety specialist who provides one-on-one therapy as part of their treatment plan. This individualized support is complemented by group therapy and family work to ensure well-rounded care.

Clients can also choose to work with their existing psychiatrist or receive care from our integrated psychiatric team, ensuring a seamless and coordinated treatment experience.

Our IOP Treatments

While in Anxiety Institute’s IOP, you’ll undergo these treatments, depending on your personalized plan:

• Individual and Outpatient Group Therapy Sessions
  Therapies include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure response prevention (ERP), and may integrate dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing and emotion-focused therapy.
• Parent Support, Education, and Family Therapy
  Parents and their children learn new skills together, improving family dynamics and breaking the cycle of accommodation and avoidance. Parent coaching the SPACE program is also available.
• Supportive Advanced Treatments
  We use innovative technologies including virtual reality, biofeedback, and EMDR therapy.
• Recovery Tracking
  We provide a quantitative measure of progress over time.
• Wellness Program
  To strengthen the mind-body connection, restore physical wellness, build group cohesion, social confidence and manage technology consumption. Daily wellness activities may include mindfulness, music therapy, art therapy, yoga therapy, and fitness training.
• Integrated Psychiatric Services*
  Collaborative care with your existing psychiatrist or our staff psychiatrist. Psychiatric Services currently available in Greenwich, CT and Madison, NJ.

Our clinical team is deeply trained in evidence-based modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure response prevention (ERP), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). We offer both intensive outpatient and specialized outpatient programs tailored to each client’s needs.

What sets us apart is our immersive and integrative model that goes far beyond traditional outpatient care. Each treatment plan combines individual therapy, group sessions, parent coaching, and skills-based education to promote rapid, measurable progress. We also integrate cutting-edge tools such as virtual reality and biofeedback, alongside holistic wellness programming to support both emotional and physical health.

Unlike traditional programs, our Intensive Outpatient Program provides four hours of targeted individual and group therapy each day, with a lead clinician dedicated to a maximum of three clients—ensuring highly personalized and focused care. Our singular focus, specialized expertise, and family-inclusive approach create an environment where real and lasting change is not only possible, but expected.

More on Our Approach

Anxiety Institute is a private pay practice and is considered out-of-network with insurance providers. We choose not to contract with insurance companies to provide care that is truly individualized, without restrictions imposed by insurance policies. This allows for more flexible, confidential, and comprehensive treatment planning.

While we do not accept insurance, Anxiety Institute partners with a dedicated insurance advocate who can handle the authorization and claim submissions on your behalf.

To learn more about our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) or to schedule a consultation, contact us today.

Our team will guide you through the intake process and determine the best treatment path for you or your child.

Call us at (844) 881-1846.