Child & Adolescents

Therapy for adolescents can come in different types that can treat a range of concerns that adolescents might experience. Ultimately, the goal is to help teens cope with the problems they may be experiencing and function better in different areas of their lives.

The teen years are an essential period of development. Experts suggest that mental health struggles are not uncommon during these years, with one in three high school students reporting symptoms of depression such as sadness and hopelessness. Just as with adults, therapy can be a helpful resource for teens to address some of these common concerns.

If parents have brought in a bright child who’s nonetheless struggling academically, for example, a therapist might assess whether the child has attention problems or an undetected learning disability. Test results can help your therapist diagnose a condition or provide more information about the way you think, feel, and behave.

There are many types of therapy for adolescents & teens, so it's important to learn to explore your options and how each works to make an informed decision about what you think you need. Common types of therapy for teens include:

· Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

· Family therapy

· Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

· Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

· Interpersonal therapy (IPT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, often referred to as CBT, is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on making connections between thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. Psychotherapists who use CBT help people identify and change dysfunctional patterns.

CBT is often used with adolescents. It can be effective in treating a wide range of issues including eating disorders, substance use/abuse, anxiety and depression.

Basic Principles

CBT is based on the idea that there is a clear link between thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. A teen who thinks they are socially awkward, for example, may then experience anxiety and avoid social interactions.

CBT works by helping teens learn to identify their automatic negative thoughts and replace them with more helpful, realistic ones.

Benefits of CBT

CBT helps teens learn how to interpret their environment differently. Compared to other therapeutic approaches CBT is generally short-term. Sometimes, only a handful of sessions are needed.

The approach is also very problem-focused which means it deals with issues in the present. Treatment providers aren't likely to rehash a teen's childhood or look for hidden meaning in their behavior. Instead, sessions focus on helping the teen with problems going on now.

This type of therapy can provide benefits such as:

· Change negative thought patterns

· Identify positive responses to stress

· Improve communication with others

· Improve self-esteem

· Interrupt thoughts that lead to addictive or other self-destructive behaviors

· Reduce fears and phobias

What To Expect

During CBT, your teen will work on identifying negative thoughts, which can be a challenging process. Their therapist will work with them to develop new ways of thinking and learn new coping skills.

Your teen may be assigned “homework” to do outside of their therapy sessions, which may involve practicing many of the skills they are working on during therapy. CBT tends to be highly structured, which can be helpful for teens who want to be able to clearly understand goals and expectations.

Family Therapy

Family therapy is an approach that helps teens by addressing the interpersonal and family issues that affect their mental well-being. For teens who are dealing with problems with the home environment or family conflicts, this type of therapy can help both the child and the family as a whole.

Basic Principles

Family therapy works by improving emotional awareness and understanding of their role in the family. By working with their therapist and with the rest of the family, individuals are able to learn more effective ways of communicating with one another.

It can also help parents and caregivers learn strategies such as listening to and validating their child’s emotions.

How It Works

Family therapists utilize a number of techniques in order to help teens and their families. Their approach may include:

· Behavioral strategies such as role-playing and modeling effective communication

· Psychodynamic strategies such as talking about experiences to gain insight

· Structural strategies to address how family routines and dynamics play a role in how each member of the family functions

Benefits of Family Therapy

This type of therapy can help teens and families in a variety of ways. Some of these benefits include:

· Improving communication

· Reducing conflict

· Improving the home environment

· Creating empathy

· Building family cohesion

· Developing healthy boundaries

Family participation and support can also help improve treatment outcomes. Research has also found that teens with families that participate in family therapy are less likely to drop out of treatment.

This approach can be helpful in addressing behavioral issues and coping with life changes such as moving, divorce, or the death of a loved one.

What To Expect

Family therapy can be short-term or last longer depending on the situation a teen or family is facing. Some sessions may focus only on your teen, but in most cases, it will involve all of the members of the family.

During your sessions, you will talk about the issues you are facing and explore other factors that may also contribute to issues including peer influences, stress, trauma, or underlying mental health conditions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy often referred to as ACT, is an approach that can help teens learn to identify, understand, and accept their emotions. Teens commonly face challenging or strong emotions, so gaining an understanding of these feelings can help them find ways to manage them effectively.

Basic Principles

The basic principle underlying this approach is that learning how to accept one’s emotions can help improve one’s psychological flexibility. This skill involves being able to regulate emotions in the short term and set aside feelings until you can address them in an effective and acceptable way.

How It Works

This type of therapy utilizes six key strategies to help adolescents understand their emotions:

· Acceptance: Instead of avoiding negative emotions, teens are encouraged to observe and accept them without trying to change or deny them.

· Cognitive defusion: The focus of this step is to change how they react to their feelings or thoughts. By changing this reaction, the emotion then has less power over them.

· Being present: This strategy focuses on being mindful and aware of what is happening without judging or trying to change the experience.

· Self as context: The focus of this technique is to help see their thoughts as something separate from their behaviors.

· Values: ACT works to help teens identify the values that are important to them.

· Committed action: This type of therapy also helps teens find ways to commit to behaviors that will help them stick to their values and achieve their goals.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy also known as DBT, is a form of CBT that was originally developed to treat borderline bipolar disorder (BPD). It has since been adapted to treat other mental health conditions including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidal behaviors.

Basic Principles

The key strategies used in DBT include:

· Mindfulness, which involves learning how to focus on the present moment without worrying about the past or future

· Distress tolerance, which involves using techniques such as distraction or self-soothing to better tolerate distressing emotions or situations

· Interpersonal effectiveness, which focuses on helping teens develop positive, healthy relationships

· Emotional regulation, which helps teens identify and label emotions and explore ways to cope with their feelings effectively

How It Works

Adolescents who are treated with DBT learn behavioral skills in individual or group therapy settings. They also receive individual therapy where they address personal challenges in their life and adapt and practice the new skills they have learned.

During treatment, adolescents can also receive phone coaching from their therapist when they are facing challenges in their daily life.

Benefits of DBT

DBT can help adolescents achieve greater self-acceptance, gain new skills, and learn to better tolerate distress. Research suggests that DBT can be helpful for treating a range of conditions in both adults and children.

A 2020 study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that DBT was an effective treatment for reducing suicide attempts among adolescents who were at a high risk for suicide.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

Interpersonal Therapy is an approach to treatment that focuses on how interpersonal relationships and social interactions affect mental health and well-being. One form of this therapy, known as interpersonal psychotherapy for adolescents (IPT-A) has been specifically adapted to treat depression in teens between the ages of 12 and 18.

Basic Principles

The key idea behind IPT is that improving relationships can help relieve symptoms of depression. It helps with difficulties in relationships by addressing interpersonal deficits that make it difficult for teens to form and maintain quality relationships.

Keep In Mind

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), getting an early diagnosis and intervention is essential for the well-being of children with mental health conditions. The CDC suggests that 15.1% of adolescents between 12 and 17 have had a depressive episode and 36.7% struggle with persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.

If your teen is struggling with a mental health problem or a behavioral issue, talk to their doctor. A physician can rule out any possible medical issues that may be contributing to the issue can refer you to a therapist.

A mental health professional will likely want to interview you and your teen to understand the current issue better. Then, sessions may include your teen only, or the therapist may wish you or other family members to attend. Online therapy (also known as telehealth) is another treatment option that can also be effective for teens.

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