Cognitive Behavior Therapy

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Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Children

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy. It is a form of therapy that is structured, has a limited number of sessions, and helps the patient become aware of negative thinking. It allows you to view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a better effective way.

Is CBT effective for Children?

Cognitive Behavior Therapy shows effectiveness in treating children and young adults with many conditions including but not limited to; depression, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, school phobia, eating disorders, self-harm, and conduct problems.

Children are unable to cope with some adverse outcomes because of their underdeveloped capacity. This can be detrimental in several ways, causing anxiety and depression. Indications are that Cognitive Behavior Therapy can help very young children, even those under the age of 7. Cognitive Behavior Therapy identifies negative thoughts and replaces them by using positive behavioral skills to create and maintain positive moods and healthy relationships.

What can CBT treat?

● Eating Disorders

Through ongoing cognitive restructuring, CBT addresses distorted thoughts and self-images.

● Oppositional Defiant Disorder

When a child exhibits repetitive problem behaviors such as physical aggression, destructiveness, defiance, resentment, and troublesome behaviors such as outbreaks of anger and aggression, this behavior is identified as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Cognitive Behavior Therapy has methods by which a child can learn to communicate and solve problems in a controlled manner.

● Deliberate Self-Harm

CBT shows promise in treating self-harm and suicide. Behaviors such as head-banging, self-poisoning, and cutting are proving to be responsive to Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), an alternate form of Cognitive Behavior Therapy that focuses on tolerating distress, regulating emotions, and mindfulness.

● Low Self-Esteem

Low self-esteem is associated with other psychiatric diagnoses such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, self-harm, bedwetting, and substance abuse. Again CBT shows excellent effectiveness in improving confidence and self-esteem, especially among adolescents.

● Bedwetting

While this is common in younger children, many children between the ages of 12 – 15 suffer from bedwetting, known clinically Nocturnal Enuresis. Children and adolescents treated with CBT were more likely to be dry for 3 consecutive weeks than those who received no treatment.

● Bullying

Bullying is common and widespread, despite efforts by schools to stop it. Victims of bullying typically suffer from anxiety, depression, and self-harm. CBT was found to remarkably reduce self-reported anxiety and depression associated with being bullied, with intervention gains being maintained at a 3-month follow-up.

● Substance Misuse

Teenage years are the critical years for the initiation of substance use. Teenagers use drugs to cope with challenges. CBT with motivational enhancement therapy is effective in treating substance abuse.

Summary

Mind institute has licensed and experienced Cognitive Behavior Therapy therapists. CBT can help your child change his/her thinking and behavior to achieve lasting improvement in mood, functioning, and sense of well-being through the use of a variety of cognitive and behavioral techniques. Some of these techniques and modalities are; dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, Gestalt therapy, compassion-focused therapy, mindfulness, solution-focused therapy, motivational interviewing, positive psychology, interpersonal psychotherapy, and when it comes to personality disorders, psychodynamic psychotherapy. CBT’s basic cognitive model is; how we perceive a situation is more closely connected to how we react to it rather than the situation itself. Call us today!

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