Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Teens: What It Is and How It Works

Adolescence is a period of life filled with several transitions, new challenges, and biological sensitivities that make teens more vulnerable to developing mental health disorders or problems with substance abuse. 

Fortunately, effective treatment exists. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most commonly used approaches to treat a range of mental and behavioral health challenges in teens.  

“I’m very glad I did CBT because it encouraged me to do things that scared me in a good way—things that I wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t attended my sessions. I noticed behaviors, mindsets, and thought patterns that were having a negative effect on my mental health, and I still use the techniques I learnt in CBT to cope with these.”— Aimee, 17

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Teens? 

CBT is one of the most commonly practiced therapies that can treat several mental health disorders in teens, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder, and substance abuse. It first emerged in the 1960s, building upon earlier behavior therapies and cognitive principles, to understand how thoughts and feelings influence behavior and how those thoughts could be reframed to improve mental well-being. 

Teens with mental health challenges often get caught in negative thought loops that can cause distress, low self-esteem, and strained relationships. CBT focuses on helping youth recognize and modify negative thought patterns, set goals, and develop positive coping skills. 

When applied to teens, CBT is often tweaked to meet their unique developmental needs. Some capabilities that teens learn during CBT treatment include: 

• Cognitive restructuring 
• Problem-solving 
• Communication skills 
• Self-awareness 
• Emotional regulation 
• Goal setting
• Organization and planning tasks 
• Mindfulness and progressive muscle relaxation 

What Conditions Can CBT Help Treat in Teens? 

CBT is used for several mental health and substance abuse disorders. It is the first line of treatment for conditions such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and OCD. Although CBT is a structured modality of therapy, it recognizes there is not a one-size-fits-all approach and that each teen has individual needs.  

CBT For Teen Anxiety

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, CBT success rates for treating anxiety in teens range from 48% to 75%. Anxiety disorders in teens cause distorted and fearful thinking, restlessness, tension, and general worry. 

CBT helps teens challenge these intrusive and anxious thinking patterns by encouraging them to look for evidence that supports their thoughts [1].

CBT For Teen Depression 

CBT is one of the first treatments used to address depression in teens. According to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, teens who participated in CBT had a 76% reduction in symptoms post-treatment, and 88% decrease at 6-month follow-ups [2]. 

CBT can help with symptoms of depression, such as mood stability, self-esteem, and feelings of isolation. 

CBT In Teen Substance Use Treatment 

CBT helps teens recovering from addiction explore the underlying factors that drive their substance abuse. It can also help teens set boundaries, learn how to say no even under temptation, reduce cravings, and improve the overall ability to manage life stressors without turning to substance abuse. 

Benefits of CBT For Teens 

CBT has been proven effective by years' worth of peer-reviewed research studies. It is safe, effective, and non-invasive, ideal for most teen mental health challenges. CBT has several benefits for youth with high treatment outcomes. These include:

• Reframes negative thoughts and challenges cognitive distortions such as thinking in black or white, overgeneralization, and jumping to conclusions. 
• ‍Regulates emotions and teaches teens how to identify periods of high or intense emotions, and regulate their nervous system. 
• ‍Set goals (they can be related to or unrelated to treatment) and make a plan to achieve them. 
• ‍Boosts self-esteem by helping teens identify self-critical thoughts and challenge those thoughts with evidence. 

Is CBT Right For Your Teen? 

Whether your teen is in a high level of care, such as inpatient residential treatment, or a lower level of care, such as weekly outpatient therapy, CBT is an ideal choice to treat mental health challenges in teens. CBT may not be the right fit for teens: 

• Experiencing psychosis or struggling with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia 
• With certain personality disorders, such as Borderline or Antisocial Personality Disorder 
• With neurological conditions, or neurodivergent disorders such as Autism 
• Teens with complex trauma often require trauma-focused CBT

Evidence-Based CBT For Teens in Florida 

Lotus Behavioral Health is a residential treatment facility for teens located in Florida. Our programs are designed to support teens and their families with the tools they need to recover from substance abuse & co-occurring mental health disorders. 

Our facility offers several levels of care, including residential treatment, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient services, to meet the needs of teens and their families at all stages of recovery. 

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Sources

[1] Aimee. 2021. What I found helpful about CBT for anxiety. Young Minds. 

[2] Spirito, Anthony. 2012. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for adolescent depression. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America 

[3] Otte, Christian. 2013. Cognitive behavioral therapy in anxiety disorders: current state of the evidence. National Library of Medicine.