If your teen is experiencing distressing emotions and dysfunctional behaviors, we’d love to support you in getting them back to feeling like themselves. Contact our admissions team today to schedule a CBT session for your teen.
Evidence-Based CBT for Teens at Clearfork Academy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic process that intends to help teens make realistic connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The goal of a CBT therapist is to help teens identify negative thoughts and change their dysfunctional patterns of thinking, which in turn influence their feelings and behaviors.
At Clearfork Academy, our therapists are licensed and trained in CBT tailored for youth. We help teens develop positive coping strategies, set goals, and connect with others to build a support system that supports their future success, happiness, and health.
What We Treat With CBT
For teens, CBT can help treat a wide range of mental health disorders. There are some changes that are made to tailor the treatment to this population, but it still remains highly useful.
At Clearfork Academy, we provide comprehensive treatment for several disorders including:
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression and mood disorders
- Substance abuse disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma
- Self-Harm
- Suicidal ideation
What Are the Benefits of Teen CBT at Clearfork?
CBT helps teens tackle mental health challenges by teaching them how to interpret their circumstances differently. It does this by using a problem-focused approach, meaning only their present issues are dealt with. You won’t find CBT therapists convincing your teen to rehash their childhood or identify hidden meanings in their behavior. An upside to this approach is that it makes CBT a short-term treatment with long-lasting positive effects.
At Clearfork, our CBT provides teens with several benefits, including:
- CBT activities for teens are designed to be more engaging and interactive, so they can be more involved in their sessions.
- Teens learn practical solutions to overcome their struggles and unhealthy behaviors.
- Rapid results. On average, approximately 15 sessions are substantial for your teen to gain a good understanding of CBT skills.
- Emphasis on setting both short and long-term goals for in and outside of treatment
How Does CBT for Teens Work?
Our CBT therapists use a variety of tools to help teens challenge cognitive distortions, reduce destructive behavior, and heal from whatever challenge they are experiencing. Some of the tools and activities you can expect your teen to participate in in CBT include:
- Guided discovery – helps to broaden the teen’s viewpoint on why they do what they do.
- Cognitive reconstruction (thought framing) – an exercise to help a teen reframe their thoughts to be more positive in different situations.
- Cognitive journaling – a structured way of journaling where a teen records their emotions, thoughts, and actions in different situations.
- Relaxation techniques – self-soothing exercises that include mindfulness meditation techniques, paired muscle relaxation, and breathing techniques.
How Can Parents Support Their Teens While They’re In CBT?
- Help your teen follow through with CBT homework assignments. As much as CBT is effective in sessions, teens will need guidance at home to ensure they’re implementing the new skills they’re learning.
- As a parent, be mindful of your communication with your teen. You want to show your child that they’re in therapy simply because they need help, not because they’re a bad person. Recognize how you’re communicating with your teen to build healthier communication patterns. It’s beneficial as your teen is also learning to shift their own thinking patterns.
Inpatient and Outpatient CBT for Teens
Cognitive behavioral therapy is well-adapted to meet the care level that an adolescent may require. This ranges from general skills training groups to high-level clinical care. A psychiatrist will help determine which approach is best for your teen.
Residential/Inpatient Treatment
A residential CBT treatment program will require your teen to stay at our facility, and individual therapy will be prioritized. In these sessions, therapists will focus on a small selection of specific skills that your teen can benefit from to make sure that they are learned well enough to be practiced when the program ends.
Outpatient
An outpatient program is a major component of delivering traditional CBT. Valuable CBT skills can be taught in individual therapy, a group setting, or through phone coaching. Outpatient therapy is for children and adolescents who are struggling with their mental health but are stable and safe enough between sessions not to require intensive inpatient care.
FAQ about CBT for Teens
Below are some commonly-asked questions about Clearfork Academy and the typical teen experience during treatment. If you don’t see your question below, please click here to see all FAQs or reach out to us directly for more information.
Absolutely. Research has shown that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) works effectively to help teens overcome a range of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, behavioral disorders, PTSD, and behavioral issues. CBT is also effective for teens who are struggling with substance abuse and other self-harming disorders.
Yes. Just as CBT works well for adults, it can also be tailored to meet the needs of teenagers who may be affected by one or more mental health conditions.
CBT is effective because it is based on evidence sourced from broad research and clinical practice. Because of the wide range of research, it is currently the gold standard and often the first line of treatment in psychotherapy.
CBT is suitable for teens of all ages, as well as young children and young adults. As CBT focuses on how our thoughts can influence our feelings and behaviors, your teen doesn’t need to have a mental health condition to benefit from this therapy.
Downsides of CBT are:
- You need to apply the techniques you learn to benefit
- Attending CBT sessions and doing exercises at home can take up extra time for a teen attending school
- It may not be as effective for teens with learning difficulties or more dysfunctional mental illnesses
- CBT doesn’t address family dynamics that may impact wellbeing
Medication is not necessary for CBT unless your teen’s condition requires it. If your teen is already on medication for a particular disorder, they can benefit from CBT to help make their recovery more effective.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) generally requires 30-minute to one-hour sessions weekly over a period of 3 to 5 months. If a teen is engaged in their treatment, they can typically see improvement after 6 to 12 sessions.
You can use personal referrals from friends and family whose children have benefited from CBT. Reliable online searches and trusted directories are also a great place to start if you have no personal referrals.
As CBT is psychotherapy, your insurance will cover it if your plan includes psychotherapy or behavioral medicine. Your insurance may only cover a specific amount of sessions, though.
CBT for Teenagers in Texas
If you find your teen is struggling with mental health issues or you’re not understanding why they’re choosing to indulge in concerning behaviors, you should know that they deserve help. At Clearfork Academy, we’re here to provide comprehensive teen CBT interventions to ensure that your teen gets the support they need.
