Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in Phoenix, AZ provides effective, long-lasting mental health benefits for teenagers. Programs featuring CBT for teens can be the answer parents are looking for when their teenager needs help managing conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, addiction, and more.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a term for a type of psychotherapeutic treatment commonly used by many people. It helps teach people to identify negative and destructive thought patterns they have that end up providing a negative influence on both their emotions and behaviors. From there, they learn to change these patterns and replace them with positive ones related to how they think, feel, and behave.
CBT, including CBT for teens, can include a number of different types of therapy and approaches to improving one’s mental health. The practice can be used during treatment sessions with a therapist, as well as applied after treatment ends. An individual who has learned the elements of CBT during formal treatment can continue to use it both as part of aftercare and for the rest of their lives. By the time they have completed cognitive behavioral therapy for teens, they will have the skills to view their thoughts realistically and not jump to conclusions or unhealthy behaviors. They can identify and replace negative, unhelpful thoughts with positive ones that move them forward in terms of better mental health and staying sober.
CBT can be used as part of several types of therapy approaches for teens. While each type has its own specifics, they all relate to changing a person’s negative and damaging thought patterns. The different types of cognitive behavioral therapy used here in Phoenix, AZ include the following:
Cognitive therapy: Focuses mostly on changing thought patterns and resulting behaviors.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): Puts a spotlight on the person learning to regulate their emotions and employ mindfulness.
Multimodal therapy: Addresses seven modalities: behavior, affect, imagery, cognition, sensation, interpersonal factors, and drug or biological factors.
Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT): Focuses on identifying and changing irrational beliefs and thought patterns.
Our Phoenix, AZ based cognitive behavioral therapy proves useful for a variety of diagnoses. It can help with the treatment of several mental health disorders. These include:
CBT for teens can not only help with those conditions but also with addiction to drugs and alcohol. This can prove helpful because about half of those who deal with a mental health disorder also struggle with a substance use disorder.
In addition to mental illness and addiction, CBT can help alleviate chronic pain, grief, and insomnia. It has been shown to improve a person’s self-esteem and aid in dealing with stress and relationship difficulties.
Our cognitive behavioral therapy in Phoenix, AZ involves several steps used over the course of multiple therapy sessions. The first is to learn to identify negative thoughts and feelings when they occur. Someone new to therapy may not understand the difference between negative and positive thoughts and feelings and how they end up impacting their behavioral choices. From there, teenagers learn to change their thinking in order to set themselves up for positive outcomes.
Another part of our cognitive behavioral therapy in Phoenix, Arizona is teaching adolescents to set realistic and healthy goals. They learn to work with their limitations but also to overcome challenges they may have thought were insurmountable. They learn to tackle each step in pursuit of achieving their ultimate goals.
CBT also teaches young people how to problem-solve. Whether a problem is small and temporary or bigger and long-term, possessing the skills to solve their problems builds self-esteem. It also helps reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and physical illness. Additionally, the individual is less likely to turn to drugs or alcohol to avoid dealing with a problem.
CBT teaches individuals new skills so that they can learn to put unhealthy coping skills in the past. This proves especially important when the young person deals with addiction. They learn to use healthy responses to events like stress or anxiety, rather than reach for drugs or alcohol.
Another benefit that comes with CBT is learning to self-monitor. While teens initially need their therapist to help them keep track of their thinking and how they act, eventually they learn to identify this on their own. This is known as diary work and allows the person to track their behaviors, feelings, and action, and then report them to their therapist. Eventually, they will be able to cope with things like their mental illness symptoms and sobriety without needing to check in with a CBT therapist.
Have you heard about cognitive behavioral therapy for teens but aren’t sure what it might mean for your child? CBT for teens helps young people understand the connection between their thoughts and emotions, and how they affect their behavior. Learning this skill sets them up to make better choices and improve their self-esteem. This becomes a game-changer when it comes to helping teenagers enjoy better mental health.
Our friendly admissions staff at Zenith Behavioral Health in Phoenix, AZ can provide more information about our cognitive behavioral therapy program, as well as answer any questions about your insurance coverage. Visit our admissions page today and help your child start changing his life.
Our team is ready 24/7 to help you or your loved one begin your recovery & take advantage of what life has to offer.
Has your child’s life become ruled by addiction or mental health challenges, and are you ready to help them take back the reins? Our adolescent mental health treatment center in Phoenix, AZ, can help you. Call (602) 847-9887 or fill out the confidential callback form below and learn how we can help your child live a life free from addiction and mental health challenges.
Zenith Behavioral Health in Phoenix, Arizona, offers residential mental health and addiction treatment for adolescents.