Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Many children and teens come to therapy feeling stuck in patterns of worry, overwhelm, or self-criticism that they don’t quite know how to change. For families, it can be hard to know how to help when emotions feel intense or everyday challenges start to feel bigger than they should.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers a structured, practical way to help young people understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We use CBT flexibly and individually — so it fits the child in front of us, not the other way around.
When CBT Can Help
CBT may be helpful for children and teens experiencing:
Anxiety, worry, or overthinking
Negative self-talk or low confidence
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Emotional overwhelm or difficulty calming down
School-related stress or avoidance
Rigid or “stuck” thinking patterns
Behavioral challenges connected to anxiety or stress
Difficulty managing big emotions in daily life
Our Focus
We often use CBT to help children and teens notice unhelpful thought patterns and build practical, flexible ways to respond to challenges in their everyday lives.
We use CBT as a tool to help children and teens understand how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. CBT can be adapted to many ages and developmental stages, and we find that families are successfully able to support its structure at home. Here are some of the things we focus on:
How CBT Works at Our Practice
Learning to recognize unhelpful thinking patterns
Practicing more balanced, flexible thinking
Building coping strategies for anxiety and stress
Strengthening emotional regulation skills
Developing problem-solving skills for everyday situations
Practicing strategies in and outside of sessions
When appropriate, therapy may also incorporate specialized CBT approaches such as Exposure Therapy for anxiety or Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) for OCD
Additional CBT Approaches
Our therapists tailor CBT to each child's unique needs. For some children, this may include:
Exposure Therapy
Exposure Therapy can be an effective treatment for anxiety. It’s a gradual, supportive approach that helps children and teens face fears step by step, building confidence while reducing anxiety.
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT)
iCPT is a specialized approach for treating OCD. It that helps children and teens understand and respond differently to obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
Considering CBT for Anxiety or Emotional Challenges?
CBT can help children and teens better understand patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior while developing practical coping tools for everyday life. Our therapists tailor CBT strategies to each child’s age, personality, and emotional needs.