CBT Therapy for Children, Teenagers & Young Adults

If your child, teenager or young adult struggles with anxiety, low mood, obsessive thoughts and compulsions, body image issues, trauma or other emotional difficulties then CBT therapy for children, adolescents or adults can be an effective treatment. Do their difficulties stem from identifiable, unhelpful thought patterns? CBT is most effective for children who have the cognitive maturity to recognise the connection between their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. If your child exhibits “all-or-nothing” thinking or avoids activities due to fear then CBT provides practical tools like exposure therapy and cognitive restructuring to build resilience. 

CBT helps children, young people and adults understand and change their thought patterns, beliefs and assumptions, build coping skills, change unhelpful behaviours and learn healthier ways to manage feelings. Our Clinical Psychologists are all trained and highly experienced in CBT and can help you and your child to overcome difficulties and learn skills for life in maintaining positive emotional health.

CBT sessions are structured talking therapy appointments where children and young people work with a CBT trained Clinical Psychologist. Together, we will explore how unhelpful thoughts, feelings and behaviours link together to impact your child or adolescents mental health and learn CBT techniques to change thinking patterns and styles and behavioural patterns to improve problems like anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, body image issues and other emotional health problems. CBT is an active therapy, your child or adolescent will work with their Clinical Psychologist in a collaborative, interactive and practical way. They will be encouraged to practice new CBT skills between sessions, helping them build emotional resilience and see positive changes in real life. Sessions may also involve creative or play-based approaches to keep younger children engaged.

CBT is highly effective for treating anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety, social phobia, specific phobias (such as specific phobia of vomit or a fear of dogs) and separation anxiety. It is excellent in combination with Exposure and Response Prevention at treating OCD and Body Dysmorphia. It is helpful for low self-esteem. It is also a frontline treatment for depression, helping children challenge negative self-beliefs and increase positive activities. Trauma Focused CBT is used to treat PTSD and trauma. Additionally, CBT is frequently used to manage ADHD, focusing on emotion regulation and coping strategies. It is particularly helpful for behavioral issues rooted in specific triggers or distorted thinking patterns

Parents and carers play a vital role in the therapeutic process. While CBT sessions focus on the child, our Clinical Psychologists will negotiate with you and your child or adolescent at the start of therapy about what form parental involvement can take. We encourage parents to join at the end of each therapy session so that they can act as co-therapists between sessions, supporting their child with the between-session therapy work. It is also beneficial so that family members learn how to support new skills at home and encourage positive actions. This helps children apply CBT techniques in everyday situations. At CY&A Psychology, our Clinical Psychologists delivering CBT provide guidance so parents feel confident in supporting their child’s mental wellbeing throughout treatment.

Yes. CBT stands as one of the most effective psychological therapies for low mood and depression and also for low self esteem in young people. It helps children challenge the negative thoughts that fuel low mood and poor self-image and replace them with more balanced and realistic perspectives. By breaking the cycle between self-critical beliefs and social withdrawal, it encourages a more balanced and compassionate perspective.

Young people develop new coping skills. Overall, CBT helps children and young people improve their emotional health and navigate life’s challenges with greater resilience.