CBT Therapy For Kids & Teens
A lot of kids and teens today are struggling to cope, or getting stuck coping in really ineffective ways. Finding good treatment options is hard, especially if you are looking for therapies that focus on active skill-building. Since its founding, Dallas CBT has offered high-quality Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies for kids and teens struggling with anxious, obsessive and compulsive, and depressive symptoms.
Over the past several years, we’ve expanded our ability to serve children and adolescents in the DFW community with the addition of excellent Dallas therapists from a variety of training backgrounds. We’ll work with you to determine which of our therapists will be a good fit for your child’s needs, and will refer you out to one of our trusted community resources if we cannot find the right fit here.
Potential Signs of OCD and related disorders in children & adolescents
- Frequent repetitive behaviors, “stuck” thoughts, movements/actions that have to be done “just right”
- Frequent, and often desperate, reassurance-seeking from loved ones
- Despite frequent reassurance, may need more of it over time
- Often gets “hooked” or “stuck” on a thought or action
- Having to do, say, move, place, or think things in a “just right” way
- Avoidance of anxiety-provoking situations, or situations where they may become “stuck”
Potential Signs of Depression in children & adolescents
- Lots of kids do not present with the stereotypical down mood; in those kids, the biggest sign of depression is often anger or irritability
- Loss of interest in things they normally like(d) doing
- Down, sad affect
- Crying spells
- Social and emotional isolation
Potential Signs of Anxiety in children & adolescents
- Frequently “on edge”
- Often endorses physical ailments (e.g., upset stomach) with no clear medical cause
- Often worries more than seems reasonable; requires a lot of reassurance
- Often avoids important and/or stressful situations
- Often fatigued
- Trouble sleeping on their own past early childhood
Who We See
The bulk of the children we see in individual therapy are ages 8 and up. We see the parents of children 3 and up for parent training tailored to your child’s presenting problem. Anything beyond those, we will consider on a case by case basis.
We’re always happy to schedule an initial intake appointment to discuss treatment options and, at the worst, will give you good treatment recommendations and work to get you referrals to other providers within the community.
Our Therapists’ Approach
The approach to different disorders varies quite a bit, but there are several common factors for good and effective treatments. Our therapists work with our clients to build the individual skills necessary to 1) identify, and 2) communicate what they are going through while 3) helping them get better reinforcement and structure from their environments. The ways we go about it will vary, and might include individual therapy with your kid, parent training for you, or couples therapy in instances where couples conflict is affecting the child.
We offer CBT-based individual treatments for kids and adolescents tailored to each child’s presenting problems. We focus on helping them learn and implement skills to help manage aggressive and/or impulsive behaviors, regulate their emotions more effectively, and improve their relationships with others. Generally, an individualized program may last 12 to 20 sessions, though more limited treatment goals can be addressed in a briefer form of therapy.
Parent training helps parents get out of the ineffective cycle that they are so often stuck in with their children. This often means working with parents on supporting their kids without enabling avoidance or withdrawal patterns and improving their ability to model and coach appropriate coping.