CBT Techniques for Children’s Anxiety And Depression
It’s not always easy to tell when a child is having a tough time emotionally. Sometimes it shows up as crankiness, pulling away from friends, or saying their tummy hurts. You might notice your child isn’t enjoying the things they used to, or they seem more anxious or down than usual.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone and there are supportive ways to help.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a gentle, practical approach that helps kids understand their feelings, build emotional tools, and feel more confident handling day-to-day stress. CBT gives them real strategies they can use at home, at school, and in friendships.
What Does CBT Look Like For Kids?
CBT for kids is designed to be playful, engaging, and age appropriate. It isn’t just talking, it often includes games, drawing, storytelling, or role-play. These activities help kids explore their thoughts and feelings in ways that make sense to them.
Therapists may also involve parents by offering tools and tips you can use at home to support your child. This creates consistency and helps your child feel supported both inside and outside of therapy.
How CBT Supports Emotional Growth
CBT helps your child become more aware of their thoughts and teaches them that they have the power to respond in new, healthy ways. Some key CBT strategies include:
Noticing unhelpful thoughts
Your child learns how to spot tricky thoughts that can bring them down, like “I’m not good at anything” or “Nobody wants to play with me.”Challenging and changing the story
Therapists guide kids to look at those thoughts from a new angle, replacing them with more balanced, kind ideas.Reconnecting with fun
If your child has stopped doing activities they used to enjoy, CBT can help them slowly get back into those moments of joy and confidence.Calming tools
From deep breathing to grounding exercises, your child learns simple techniques to manage stress and overwhelming feelings.Solving problems step by step
CBT breaks big challenges into smaller, doable steps—so things feel less scary and more manageable.
These tools can boost self-esteem, reduce stress, and help your child feel more like themselves again.
Signs CBT Might Help Your Child
It’s normal for kids to have ups and downs, but sometimes those feelings can linger and affect daily life. Here are a few signs that CBT might be a helpful next step:
Avoiding friends or activities they once loved
Feeling nervous a lot of the time
Trouble sleeping, or changes in appetite
Frequent tummy aches or headaches
Saying negative things about themselves
Difficulty concentrating or finishing schoolwork
If these signs have been going on for more than a couple of weeks, or seem to be getting in the way, it might be time to check in with a therapist.
A Supportive Step Forward
If you’ve been noticing changes in your child’s mood or behaviour, you don’t have to go through this alone. CBT is a gentle and effective way to support your child’s growth, confidence, and emotional well-being.
At Healing Voices Psychotherapy, our therapists are trained to work with children and families using CBT in a warm, playful, and supportive environment.
Want To Learn More About CBT?
If you’d like to chat more about how CBT could help your child, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact us today to book a free 15-minute consultation with one of our child and youth therapists today. Together, we’ll find the right support for your family.
