The Benefits of CBT for Adolescents and Teens
At its core, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is beneficial for people of all ages. But this modality tends to look a little different when used with younger clients, such as children and teens. There are certain approaches used as part of CBT for teens that helps younger clients understand the connection between their feelings and their actions. This article will explore some of the methods used in CBT for teens and explain how these enable the development of healthier behaviors.
Using visual aids
While visual aids may be used to teach adults about core CBT concepts, they are even more essential when working with teens. For the maximal effect, therapists often pair visual aids with age-appropriate analogies, which makes the process more impactful and enjoyable. Some examples of analogies that may be used in CBT for teens include:
Anxiety acts like a smoke alarm – it may sound off in response to big or small emergencies, but it’s up to us to determine what requires us to take action and what we don’t need to worry as much about. This visual aid can easily be turned into a worksheet that asks a teen to differentiate between situations that are life-threatening or dangerous and those that are less so.
Negative thoughts are like waves in the ocean – they often come on without warning, but we must keep in mind that they eventually level out and things go back to normal. This analogy allows teens to understand that all thoughts - both positive and negative - are temporary. They can also use this visual as part of guided imagery in times of distress, especially if they consider the beach a preferred location.
Mental health is like a garden – our brains need to be tended to regularly in order to grow, flourish, and be beautiful. Teens can use a worksheet with a large watering can above a garden and add their favorite healthy activities as drops of water.
Stress can be like a campfire – if the fire itself is our mental health, adding lots of little pieces of wood (small, but stressful situations) can amount to a big fire just like adding one or two big pieces of wood (majorly stressful situations). This analogy can teach teens to manage the ‘fire’ consistently over time so it burns evenly.
Our bodies are like a car’s engine – we need to make sure it doesn’t run too hot (which may happen when we feel angry, overly excited, frustrated, or annoyed) or too cold (which may happen on days we feel tired or sad). This helps teens understand what ‘too hot’ and ‘too cold’ look like for them as well as how they act when they are somewhere in between those two settings. This visual aid can be paired with discussions on what to do when you fall into one of the two extreme categories.
Getting moving during sessions
Teens may respond better to interactive sessions, which is why discussions of healthy, enjoyable activities may not be quite as impactful as diving right in. CBT for teens may involve going through a list of activities they can turn to in times of stress, anxiety, or sadness. They can place the activities in one of four categories:
An activity I have tried or participate in regularly and like
An activity I have tried and did not like
An activity I have not tried but am open to trying
An activity I have not tried and don’t think I would like
From there, teens can elaborate on some of the activities that pique their interest the most, discuss bad experiences they have had with some activities on the list, or share anything else that comes to mind. Some teens may want to try a few of the new activities during their session with their therapist. This approach can be even more beneficial if teens share their feelings in real-time. They might want to chat with their therapist about how they can continue certain activities at home by scheduling and planning.
This is also a good time for therapists to teach teens about behavioral activation. If a teen identifies an activity they are potentially open to doing, they may be able to try it in a safe space during their session and see how it goes. Of course, some wellness activities – such as those that require equipment or involve going to a specific location such as a park – may not be a good fit for your therapy session. But this approach can still get the ball rolling and help teens gain confidence in doing something new.
Practicing mood charting
Teens who enjoy drawing and organization may really connect with a CBT practice called mood charting. This involves logging their mood every 2 hours throughout the day. With a mood chart, it can be as simple as checking off a box under any of the following emotions: sad, happy, mad, tired, excited, and anxious. Many mood charts also have an ‘other’ option for more freedom along with a ‘notes’ section where they can briefly jot down events or situations that may have contributed to certain emotions. After practicing mood charting for some time, teens may be able to offer input as to other emotions they want added to the list.
This is a great activity to do with teens who are just learning to identify their emotions. By offering prompts, this takes the leg work out of thinking of the right word. However, once teens get more comfortable expressing themselves, they can utilize the ‘other’ section to choose emotions that are more fitting.
Mood charting can be a great precursor to journaling for teens who are either hesitant or struggle with knowing what to write about. Teens can refer back to their mood chart and use any of the recent emotions they logged as a springboard.
Support Your Teen with the Right Tools to Thrive
CBT can help teens better understand their emotions, develop healthy coping strategies, and build lifelong emotional resilience. At East Side CBT, our experienced therapists work with adolescents using proven, age-appropriate CBT methods tailored to their unique challenges and strengths. Schedule a consultation to learn how we can support your teen’s growth, confidence, and well-being.
References:
Autism Outreach. (n.d.). Analogies to Manage Stress. Retrieved from https://autismoutreach.ca/learningportal-mentalhealth-analogies-to-manage-stress/
The Alert Program. (n.d.). What’s All This Talk About Engines? Retrieved from https://alertprogram.com/whats-all-this-talk-about-engines/
Therapist Aid. (n.d.). Activity List. Retrieved from https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/activity-list
Therapist Aid. (n.d.). Daily Mood Chart. Retrieved from https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/daily-mood-chart
Therapist Aid. (n.d.). Thought Log (with example). Retrieved from https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/thought-log