What CBT is:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that helps teens identify how problematic thought patterns contribute to emotions and behaviors. The goal of CBT with teens is to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop more adaptive ways of thinking and behaving. CBT with teens is a very active, present-focused therapy in which adolescents or teens are taught to identify their thoughts and then catch and correct any potential errors they make in the ways they talk to themselves. In addition, CBT has a strong focus on helping people engage in behaviors that are likely to help them create newer and healthier beliefs about themselves.
Therapeutic Components:
- Structure: CBT with teens is a present oriented, structured, and goal-driven type of talk therapy. Sessions are structured around tracking and changing thought patterns.
- Theory: CBT with teens is anchored in the theory of cognitive-behaviorism. This means that it teaches different ways to think about situations as a way to change emotions and behaviors.
- Intervention: CBT interventions with teens involve observing unhelpful thought patterns, actively working to find more adaptive thought patterns, and practicing behaviors that align with new thought patterns (both in and between sessions!).
- Modalities: The TAP Clinic offers CBT for teens and adolescents with an individual therapist.
How are parents included in treatment?
We know from research and experience that CBT treatment with teens is most effective when parents understand changes that their teens are making and help support them at home! We also know that many teens benefit from having a private space to process their emotions and take ownership over their treatment. Parental involvement in individual therapy may look like periodic check-ins at the start or end of session and/or brief overviews of skills learned during the session.
Oftentimes, families can also get stuck in the negative thinking cycle because it can feel like there are no other choices than to provide reassurance or try to help teens fix negative thinking patterns. We typically recommend that parents also receive parenting support through our Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) program. BPT helps parents make changes at home that will help support and strengthen the work that their teens are doing in CBT therapy.
It’s also not uncommon for teens or adolescents to refuse or to not be ready to engage in CBT treatment due to a number of factors (e.g., motivation, time commitment). When teens are not willing or ready to be involved in treatment, we recommend that parents become involved in our BPT program, which has been shown to be effective on its own to improve and treat negative thinking patterns in teens.