Cognitive Therapies & Your Family

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Cognitive Therapies & Your Family

A Black American tween girl and a Caucasian male therapist sit together on a sofa, looking at a paper. They are smiling and laughing together.

What are cognitive therapies?

Many families use cognitive therapies to help with challenging behavior, big emotions or negative thoughts. Therapists who practice cognitive therapies believe that thoughts drive our emotions and behavior. In therapy, professionals help people find and change thoughts that cause problems.

There are different types of cognitive therapies. Some common types are:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Exposure Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Reasons why some families choose cognitive therapies

Cognitive therapies can teach coping and problem-solving skills that are useful in the future.
Cognitive therapies are covered by most major insurance policies for concerns ranging from anxiety and depression to eating disorders and trauma.
CBT, a popular cognitive therapy, is evidence-based and one of the most well-studied treatment options available.
CBT is effective in both in-person and virtual sessions, giving busy families flexibility with treatment.
Depending on your goals, cognitive therapies can be short-term treatments. Some people may see improvement after 5-10 sessions.

You can find cognitive therapy providers in our directory by selecting “Child Counseling” (children) or “Caregiver Centered Care” (adults) in the first column. You can also contact one of our Family Resource Specialists for help.

Reasons why some families choose other therapies

Because cognitive therapies focus on thoughts, they may not work with younger children or people who struggle with abstract ideas. Families who want to change behavior in young children sometimes use behavioral therapies or parent training instead.
While some cognitive therapies are focused on helping people to accept change, some children may not be able to change. Families may choose to work with other professionals (speech- language pathologists, occupational therapists, etc.) to improve symptoms or choose family-oriented therapies to recognize and support differences in their child.
Because cognitive therapies focus on one person’s thoughts, it may not be helpful when families need to change together. Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) can help families to problem-solve and come up with solutions together.
Cognitive therapies are often structured, gradual treatments and may not be effective for people who want to explore deeper meaning. Some families choose psychodynamic therapies to gain deeper meaning or use less structure.

You can find other professionals in our directory too – or ask a Family Resource Specialist for help.

To learn more:

Connecting for Kids (CFK) encourages families to learn as much as they can before choosing therapies. In addition to working with your child’s primary care provider, families should:

Ask adults who share a diagnosis with your child.

The CFK community includes many parents and caregivers with disabilities.

To meet other parents/caregivers, join a Facebook group or attend a Share & Support Group program.
Learn from other disabled adults using the Voices section in our Disability & Inclusion guide.

Ask other parents or caregivers whose children receive cognitive therapies.

The CFK community includes many families who use cognitive therapies with their children.

To meet other parents/caregivers, join a Facebook group or attend a Share & Support Group program.

Ask a cognitive therapist.

Before starting with any new professional, it’s a good idea to learn about their practice. These questions can help you to find a good fit for your family.

Explore resources.

CFK Podcast: When is The Worry Too Much?
VeryWell Mind: What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Choosing your path:

It’s normal and natural to have strong feelings about the choices we make for our children. We want what’s best for them and we tend to agree with people who make similar decisions.

Our strong feelings can also mean that we struggle to listen to people who make choices that are different from our own. We encourage you to listen to different voices so you can learn more. And remember, no matter what you decide, your voice is an important part of the CFK community.

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Website supported by a grant from Parker.

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Phone: 1-440-570-5908
Email: info@connectingforkids.org

Post Office Box:

30628 Detroit Rd. #252
Westlake, Ohio 44145