Many children and teens struggle with anxious thoughts and worries, depression, or anger management issues that can interfere with their enjoyment of daily life and their ability to succeed at school.  The most evidenced-based approach to treat these issues is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).  Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a short-term treatment (8-12 sessions) that can be highly effective for many disorders including childhood anxiety, depression, and explosive anger disorders.  As the name suggests, CBT focuses on the way people think ("cognitive") and act ("behavioural"). The concept behind CBT is that our thoughts about a situation affect how we feel (emotionally and physically) and how we behave in that situation.  

 

CBT aims to teach children and teens positive behavioral coping such as relaxation, deep breathing, and visualization skills to help manage negative emotions.  It also teaches them positive cognitive coping skills such as challenging negative thought patterns and developing healthier approaches to thinking about day-to-day experiences.  CBT interventions involve the use of talking therapy, worksheets and activities to provide behavioural and cognitive interventions. These include problem-solving skills, anger management, stress management, communication and assertiveness training, and social skills training. Numerous studies show that CBT is as effective or more effective than medication in the treatment of depression, anxiety, obsessions and other fears, without the negative side effects of medications.