Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that has a great deal of research supporting its success in helping children, particularly with regards to anxiety. CBT for children and adolescents is designed to decrease anxiety by teaching children to change the thoughts (cognitions) and behaviours that help to keep the anxiety going. Firstly we need to help children become aware of the thoughts that worry or scare them, then replace them with more helpful thoughts. Secondly we gradually and systematically confront the situations that scare children to help them overcome their fears.
Phases of Treatment
- Learning about anxiety and how it works.
- Mapping out their specific anxiety symptoms and creating a fear ladder.
- Learning relaxation tools.
- Practising facing fears, using rewards to reinforce progress.
- Review tools and planning for future coping.
Play Therapy is a valuable tool. From centre time in Kindergarten, to the importance educators put on playdates and unstructured play time, we know that children learn through play. As a counsellor, I have found that the non-threatening nature of play and relationship building that occurs through play are an important developmentally appropriate tool that needs to be added to CBT work when working with children. It has proved invaluable in building the trust needed to ask children to take the steps towards facing and mastering their fears.
For more on the merits of play see the Association for Play Therapy: Why Play?