Understanding Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

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Why are we always hearing about cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)? 
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most well-supported treatments for depression and anxiety amongst children, teens and even adults. This type of therapy is widespread, as its name has made its way into our everyday language and popular culture. But, what really is it? When your child is receiving CBT for anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression or a related disorder, what are they doing? What’s the special sauce that makes this treatment so effective? 

What is CBT?
CBT is a structured, goal-directed type of therapy that is typically a shorter duration than other forms of psychotherapy. CBT operates under the notion that our thoughts, feelings,and behaviors are all interconnected.  With this in mind, CBT experts believe that when we make adjustments in our thinking patterns it affects how we feel, the decisions we make, and the actions we take. Basically, CBT believes that certain maladaptive thinking patterns (e.g, I just failed a math test. I’m no good at school, I’m so bad at math) are major culprits in the struggles seen in anxiety, ADHD, and depression, amongst other disorders. In addition to challenging negative thoughts, CBT can involve changing behaviors to be more adaptive, which will in turn alter thought patterns and emotional state.

Why CBT over another form of therapy?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an evidence-based treatment for specific disorders, which means there are decades of research which document its ability to considerably reduce anxiety and depression. CBT is well-equipped to manage struggles related to ADHD, separation anxiety, social anxiety, specific phobias, and major depression. Another advantage of CBT is that your child does not have to have a diagnosed mental health condition to reap in the benefits. It’s been found to treat difficulties that do not require a diagnosis, such as low self-esteem, managing anger as well as trouble with fear or worry. 

What does CBT focus on, what’s involved?
In CBT your child will learn about the connections between what we think, how we feel and our behaviors that follow. Within this, the therapist assists in having your child re-evaluate their thinking patterns and responses to events. Here’s an example as to how CBT can restructure common thinking patterns:

Automatic Response:

CBT Response:

This example is just the beginning in understanding how our thinking and interpretations of events can impact how we feel and how we act. 

Lastly, another major component of cognitive-behavioral therapy is homework. Homework is essential to the cognitive behavioral approach because it encourages the generalization of the skills learned in therapy. We want our children to be able to manage their feelings and re-evaluate situations inside and outside of therapy, and completing homework assignments is the first step in this process! 

If your child needs support in managing their emotions and behaviors, please reach out to our team for a consultation.