Search Results for: cognitive behavioral

For families experiencing extreme stress relative to behavior issues, behavioral family intervention offers a long-term, therapeutic approach. Many parent training programs offered through social service agencies, educational programs and private counselors utilize aspects of behavioral family intervention to treat everything from severely disruptive behavior to mental health issues. Some clients utilize these programs for years, while others attend a few sessions to acquire the tools to do a more self-directed program.

Social anxiety can be mild or severe, but it makes childhood and adolescence more difficult, preventing kids from developing into confident, connected adults. While psychiatric medications are one option, natural or non-drug therapies can also treat social anxiety and social phobia. Non-medical treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, biofeedback and relaxation techniques. Help your child or teen learn to cope with social anxiety, reduce stress and thrive.

While we often think of depression as an illness affecting adults and adolescents, children can also experience depression. Treatment options for children include inpatient or outpatient therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy and antidepressant medication, as well as treatment for other psychiatric disorders that may contribute to depression. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment are essential in cases of childhood depression.

The behaviors associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder can seem strange to people who don’t have it. You might wonder, for example, why your child washes her hands repeatedly, even when they are clean, why your child must count to 10 every time she enters a certain room or why she checks to make sure she closed her door over and over again. People with OCD have an anxiety disorder that manifests itself in thoughts they can’t get rid of. These thoughts lead the OCD sufferer to have strong urges to engage in rituals to banish or ward off the thoughts. The problem with these thoughts and rituals is that they interfere with daily life. Children as young as 5 can have OCD, but the good news is that advances in treatment are being made all the time.

Like adults, children can suffer from a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety. Diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders in children and teens can be especially challenging, but is critical. Untreated mental disorders in childhood do not resolve on their own and can cause difficulties at home and in school.