Updated November 7, 2026
Therapy for children looks different from therapy for adults. It often involves parents, uses play and activities, and is tailored to the child's age and the problem being treated.
CBT helps children notice the links between their thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and learn practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. It has strong research support for anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. For anxiety, CBT usually includes gradual, planned practice facing feared situations. Sessions are structured and often include practice at home.
TF-CBT is a version of CBT designed for children and teens who have experienced trauma, such as abuse, violence or a serious accident. It teaches coping skills, helps the child process the trauma at a manageable pace, and includes a caregiver throughout. See children and traumatic events.
For young children with frequent tantrums, defiance or aggressive behavior, some of the best-supported treatments work mainly through parents. In PCIT, a therapist coaches the parent, often through an earpiece, while they play with their child, building warmth and consistent discipline. Other behavioral parent training programs teach similar skills in groups or individual sessions.
Young children often express feelings through play more easily than through words. In play therapy, a therapist uses toys, art, sand trays and games to help a child communicate and work through difficulties. Approaches vary, so it is reasonable to ask a play therapist how they work and what goals they set.
Family therapy treats the family as a whole. It can help with communication problems, conflict, adjustment to divorce or blended families, and a child's emotional or behavioral problems, as well as supporting recovery from conditions such as eating disorders. See family therapy: what to expect.
DBT was adapted for adolescents who have intense emotions, self-harm or suicidal thoughts. It teaches skills in mindfulness, tolerating distress, managing emotions and handling relationships, usually through individual sessions plus a skills group that includes parents.
This short-term approach for depression focuses on relationships and life changes, helping teenagers handle conflict, transitions and loss.
Medication is not therapy, but for some conditions, such as ADHD, or moderate to severe anxiety or depression, a doctor may recommend it alongside therapy. Prescribing is done by physicians, including pediatricians and child and adolescent psychiatrists, and by some nurse practitioners.
Ask any therapist what approach they would use for your child's specific problem, why, and what research supports it. A good therapist will explain their plan, set goals with you, and check progress over time. See how to choose a child therapist.
This guide is general information, not medical or psychological advice. For questions about your child, talk with a pediatrician or a licensed mental health professional. In a crisis in the US, call or text 988 or call 911; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.