CBT for Young People
The great thing about CBT is that it’s pretty straight-forward! Essentially, the way you think and the things you do affect the way you feel. During our sessions, you will make discoveries about your own thoughts, feelings and reactions and we can work out helpful ways to make things feel better. In sessions, we will do lots of activities and plan things for you to do outside of sessions so that you can build your confidence, practice relaxing, solve life problems plus lots more. It’s all about living your best life and freeing yourself from stress and insecurity.
I understand that talking to a therapist might, at first, feel a bit nerve-racking (especially if it’s something you’re not used to). So, we will take things at your pace and always agree our goals together. Also, if you would like your parent/caregiver to attend your session with you then that is totally up to you.
Information for parents
Online CBT works well for most people from the age of 10 struggling with anxiety, low mood, low-self-esteem etc. Of course, every young person is different so it’s helpful to consider whether your child can generally express their thoughts through talking and can engage in simple reading, writing and drawing activities suited for their age.
Safeguarding and confidentiality
When I work with young people, my goal is always to offer them the same level of respect as an adult client. Therefore, should your child prefer to do so, I can keep the content of the sessions largely confidential, affording them the opportunity to talk more freely. That being said, parents and caregivers make excellent co-therapists and there is lots that you can do at home to support your child’s journey through therapy so I will usually work with young people to agree how much their parents need to know so they can support the process and I will regularly feedback to parents/caregivers within these set boundaries. Some young people also find it helpful for their parents to be made aware of what goes on in therapy as it takes the pressure off trying to explain things themselves. I therefore encourage establishing an open working relationship with parents/caregivers wherever possible.
Furthermore, I make all my younger clients aware that if I have concerns for their safety (or the safety of someone else), then I have a responsibility to pass along this information to the relevant people. I will always explain to the young person when and why I have had to do this.
CBT for Adults
As mentioned, CBT is a solution focused and pragmatic approach to working through difficulties. In our sessions, we work as a team to help you gain insight into your problems, identifying the viscous cycles that maintain problems and identify solutions that are helpful and meaningful to you.
Calmer Insights 