Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a way to help children reconsider their thought patterns around pain or anxiety. This form of psychotherapy helps children become a “detective” for their thoughts. By noticing and changing unhelpful thought patterns, your child gains skills to help reduce pain and improve activity.

When your child experiences pain or anxiety, their thoughts and feelings may spike anxiety. These thoughts may snowball into worsening pain, poor moods, inactivity, anxiety or depression. CBT helps your child stop the snowball before it rolls out of control.

With so much information constantly entering our brains, we develop shortcuts in our thinking to process everything. But sometimes those shortcuts lead us to stressful or unhelpful conclusions. Through CBT, therapists talk with your child to help them identify unhelpful mental shortcuts and create improved paths of thinking.

CBT is often combined with medication. It is used to treat:

Chronic pain
Anxiety disorders
Depression
Nausea
Dizziness

How does cognitive behavioral therapy work?

CBT is short-term talk therapy typically delivered in six or more hour-long sessions. Together, parents and children meet with the psychologist to begin therapy. CBT may eventually include only your child and therapist, depending on your child’s age. However, it’s important for parents to stay engaged in the process because you play a role in helping to coach and reinforce these new skills at home.

During CBT, a psychologist talks with your child about their pain or related anxiety, depression or nausea in order to understand your child’s thinking pattern. The therapist provides your child with new approaches to situations and feelings so your child can slow down automatic thoughts and change unhelpful thought patterns.

The aim of CBT is to improve problem-solving abilities and give your child the skills to cope when future challenges arise. Ultimately, the goal is for your child to no longer need CBT and eventually manage these challenges on their own. Some children may be able to stop taking medications for anxiety and depression following successful CBT. It’s possible that as your child grows, they may need additional CBT to continue forming healthy thought and behavior patterns.

Key Points to Remember

Pain can cause other physical symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, nausea and dizziness, which are addressed through CBT.
The mind and body are connected. While we often think of them as separate, our brain controls our bodies. The reverse is also true: our physical symptoms can affect our mood and thoughts. Through CBT, your child uses their mind to stop the snowball effect of worsening symptoms.
Parents should expect to be involved in their child’s cognitive behavioral therapy.