CBT is a talking therapy that can help children and young people manage their problems by changing the way they think and behave.
It's most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression but can be useful for other mental and physical health problems.
How CBT works
CBT is based on the concept that a person’s thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap them in a vicious cycle.
CBT aims to help the child/young person deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts.
They’re shown how to change these negative patterns to improve the way they feel.
Unlike some other talking treatments, CBT deals with current problems, rather than focusing on issues from the past. It looks for practical ways to improve the child/young person’s state of mind on a daily basis.
