Dr. Debra Kissen on Teen Anxiety, Technology, and Letting Go of Control

Clinical psychologist Dr. Debra Kissen, CEO and founder of Light on Anxiety, discusses her background and how a panic attack in college helped shape her focus on evidence-based treatment for anxiety, panic, OCD, and intrusive thoughts. She describes her earlier perfectionism and people-pleasing, her preference for practical approaches over open-ended psychodynamic therapy, and how working closely with anxious clients has left her inspired by human resilience and transformation. The conversation explores how smartphones, social media, and constant stimulation wire teen brains toward immediacy and reduce tolerance for uncertainty.

Dr. Kissen explains how CBT—especially exposure-based therapy—targets core fears and reduces compulsions and safety beh ...