Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that focuses on a person’s interconnected thoughts, feelings and behavior and how they affect one another. Research has shown CBT to be effective in treating social anxiety disorder (SAD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), severe trauma, depression, and challenging behavioral issues. For young people who may be struggling with social anxiety, studies indicate that CBT is the most effective treatment for people with SAD, more so than medication alone or even a combination of the two. CBT is one of the most exciting therapeutic models currently available for helping young people learn the cognitive tools necessary for taking ownership of their mental health.
Goal-setting is a fundamental aspect of CBT, which can be particularly useful for teenagers and young adults learning how to navigate newfound independence.
CBT effectively provides a toolbox where a young person can learn the internal skill sets needed for maintaining a healthy emotional balance ~ essentially learning how to ‘be your own therapist’ ~ because long-term therapy isn’t always the right course of treatment.
Here are some key elements of CBT:
- Therapist and child or adolescent develop therapy goals together, often in close collaboration with parents. These goals will be reviewed regularly and all progress tracked throughout the course of treatment.
- Treatment plans are short-term — typically 15 – 20 sessions total. At the end of the treatment, the therapist and client review the progress made, and determine together whether or not a follow-up treatment plan is necessary.
- Clients actively participate in-treatment, and out of session. Homework assignments* are often included in therapy process because the skills that are taught in-session require practice and feedback.
- Treatment is goal-oriented, step-by-step and designed to resolve present-day problems.
Jennifer Conn has extensive training in CBT, and has researched the most effective applications for children as young as 6 years old, teenagers and young adults.