Children grow quickly, and learning how thoughts shape feelings and behaviour can be a powerful life skill. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps children and teens recognise unhelpful thinking patterns, practise healthier coping strategies, and feel more in control of their emotions and actions. In child-focused CBT, therapists adapt methods to a child’s developmental stage, often involving parents more heavily for younger children and working collaboratively with both parents and the young person as they mature. CBT can support a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, low self-esteem, bullying experiences, self-harm, trauma-related difficulties, and more, using practical tools such as gradual exposure, cognitive restructuring, and modelling.
Read moreCognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Children Self-Discovery
At a time when cognitive, emotional, and social development is rapid, enabling children to be aware that their thoughts can influence their behaviour and emotions is one of the critical lessons we can pass on.
Reframing unproductive, maladaptive thinking and the assumptions that underpin it is essential for navigating the personal and emotional challenges of growing up.
