Anxiety-Focused
Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy (CBT) for
Children
Understanding Anxiety-Focused Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a proven method that
helps children manage anxiety by:
Learning to handle anxious feelings.
Changing unhelpful or untrue thoughts about fears or
worries.
Facing and managing situations that cause anxiety.
CBT also educates parents or caregivers about how anxiety
works, what keeps it going, and how they can support children
in using new coping skills.
Is CBT Right for Your Child?
CBT is the most evidence-based treatment for children
diagnosed with an anxiety disorder by a mental health
professional. Anxiety disorders involve excessive fears or
worries that disrupt daily life. Examples include:
Separation Anxiety: Extreme fear of being apart from a
parent.
Generalized Anxiety: Constant worry about many different
things.
Social Anxiety: Fear of humiliation in social settings.
Phobias: Unrealistic fears of specific things or situations
(e.g., snakes, flying).
Panic: Intense fear of dying or having a heart attack due to
anxiety symptoms.
Does CBT Work?
Research shows CBT effectively reduces anxiety across various
types of disorders, genders, and cultural backgrounds. It
consistently outperforms general talk therapy.
What Happens During CBT for Anxiety?
CBT involves structured steps to help children and their
families learn and practice new skills:
1. Education
Understand anxiety symptoms and why they persist.
Learn the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Discover how facing fears helps overcome them.
Recognize that practice and effort lead to improvement.
2. Exposure
Gradually and safely face fears in a step-by-step approach.
Start with controlled practice during therapy sessions and
progress to real-world situations.
3. Emotion Regulation
Learn to recognize anxiety symptoms.
Use calming strategies to manage emotions constructively.
4. Correcting Unhelpful Beliefs
Identify and challenge inaccurate thoughts like “Danger is
everywhere” or “Something bad will happen.”
Replace them with more accurate, helpful perspectives.
5. Parental Support
Parents learn to support their child’s use of coping skills.
Avoid unintentionally reinforcing avoidance behaviors.
What to Expect
CBT is a structured intervention involving:
Learning new ways to think and act in the face of anxiety.
Practicing skills regularly between sessions.
Duration of CBT
Typically, CBT takes 12-15 sessions. The number may vary
depending on individual needs, but it always involves
practicing ways to face fears and worries.
Learning new ways to think and act in the face of anxiety.
Practicing skills regularly between sessions.
Key Takeaways
Typically, CBT takes 12-15 sessions. The number may vary
depending on individual needs, but it always involves
practicing ways to face fears and worries.
CBT is a collaborative effort between the child, parents,
and therapist.
Facing fears is central to overcoming anxiety.
Progress is gradual but effective with consistent practice.
If you think CBT could benefit your child, consult a qualified
mental health professional to explore this evidence-based
approach.
