CBT for children
Helping your child make sense of big feelings
When worries, fears, or big emotions get in the way of your child’s day, it is hard to know how to help. Cognitive behavioral therapy for children gives them kid-friendly tools to understand their feelings and respond to them, in language and activities that make sense at their age. At Therapy for Every Body, our child therapists use CBT with kids in San Jose, Santa Clara, Fremont, Oakland, and Morgan Hill, and through telehealth across California.
CBT for kids might be a good fit if any of this sounds like your child
CBT helps children see the connection between their thoughts, their feelings, and what they do, and it gives them practical tools to manage worries and big emotions. It is structured and concrete, made playful and age-appropriate, which many kids respond well to. As a parent, you may recognize the signs that your child could use these tools.
Worries or fears take over and get in the way of school, sleep, or everyday activities.
Big emotions come on fast, and your child has few ways to calm them.
Anxious thoughts seem to spiral, and reassurance from you only helps for a moment.
Your child gets stuck in negative thinking about themselves or what they can do.
Specific fears, separation, the dark, social situations, are making daily life harder.
You want your child to have real, practical skills they can use on their own.
You know your child best, and noticing that they could use support is exactly the right instinct. CBT can give your child tools that grow with them, and you do not have to figure this out alone.
How CBT for children can help
CBT is one of the most researched approaches in therapy, and child-friendly versions adapt it for how kids actually think and learn. Instead of worksheets and abstract talk, it uses stories, games, drawing, and concrete examples to help a child notice their thoughts and feelings and practice new ways of responding. It is especially effective for anxiety, worries, and fears, and the skills tend to keep helping long after therapy ends.
Our child therapists are trained in adapting CBT for children and shape it to your child’s age and temperament. They also draw on related approaches when it helps, including play-based methods that make the work feel natural, somatic and body-based tools to help kids settle big feelings, mindfulness practices made playful and concrete, and EMDR adapted for children when a distressing experience needs gentle processing. We bring you in as a partner, because what your child practices at home with you is a big part of what makes it work.
What therapy can help your child do
Notice the link between worried thoughts and how they feel.
Build practical, repeatable skills to calm worries and big emotions.
Face fears gradually, at a pace that feels safe.
Talk to themselves more kindly and flexibly.
Feel more confident and more in charge of their own feelings.
What to expect from our therapists
Children need to feel safe and at ease before they can engage, so fit matters enormously. Our team brings a range of backgrounds, lived experiences, and specialties in working with kids, so you can find someone your child connects with and someone you trust as a parent.
When you work with us, you can expect:
Therapists trained in child-friendly CBT, along with play-based work, somatic therapy, mindfulness, and EMDR adapted for children.
A warm, concrete style that makes skills feel doable rather than like schoolwork.
Parents included as partners, with tools to support your child between sessions.
Affirming, family-friendly care for all identities, races, body sizes, abilities, and family shapes.
In-person sessions in San Jose, Santa Clara, Fremont, Oakland, and Morgan Hill.
Telehealth throughout California, plus a free 15-minute consultation to see if it feels right.
We work with children, teens, and families across the Bay Area and online, and we are honored when a family trusts us with their child.
What our clients say
“I loved that the skills came home with us. Our therapist taught us how to support him too, so we were all speaking the same language.”
CBT for children in person near you and online
In-person and online sessions are both real ways to support your child, not lesser versions of each other. Some children focus best in an office, others do well from the comfort of home. We help you figure out what fits.
Telehealth · California
Online therapy works for adults anywhere in California. For many people, starting from home lowers the barrier. There is no commute after a long day, no waiting room, just a private hour that fits into the life you are already living.
Common questions about CBT for children
What does CBT for kids actually look like?
It uses stories, games, drawing, and concrete examples rather than abstract talk, so it fits how children think. The therapist helps your child notice the link between thoughts and feelings and practice new ways of responding, in a way that feels engaging rather than like schoolwork. Many families in San Jose and Santa Clara find their kids take to it more easily than they expected.
What ages is child CBT for?
CBT can be adapted for a wide range of ages, generally working well from around age six or seven, when children can start to connect thoughts and feelings, on up through the teen years. For younger children, therapists often lean more on play-based approaches. We match the method to your child.
What can CBT help my child with?
It is especially effective for anxiety, worries, and specific fears, and it also helps with low mood, anger, and negative self-talk. If your child is stuck in worried or unhelpful thinking, CBT gives them practical tools to work with it.
How is CBT different from play therapy?
Both help children, and our therapists often blend them. Play therapy uses play as the main language, especially for younger kids and for processing difficult experiences. CBT is more structured and skills-focused, teaching kids concrete tools to manage thoughts and feelings. We can help you figure out which fits your child during your consultation.
Do you accept insurance?
We accept several insurance plans and can walk you through coverage and options during your free consultation, so the cost is clear before you start.
Can my child do CBT online?
Yes. We offer telehealth throughout California, and CBT works well remotely because it is so practical. Therapists adapt the activities for video, and practicing skills from home can make them even easier for your child to use in real life.
Your Child Can Feel More in Charge of Big Feelings
When worries or big emotions have been running your child’s days, it can be hard to imagine things feeling easier. You do not have to take that on faith. CBT gives your child concrete tools, built one at a time, and the first step is just a conversation about what they need.
We’re here when you’re ready.