Diagram of the Cognitive Triangle showing the interaction between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT is a treatment focused on teaching helpful tools to: increase awareness of our thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and behaviors; understand the connections between them; and learn tools and strategies to effectively manage unhealthy patterns related to our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and behaviors.  CBT is evidence-based, practical, engaging, active, goal-oriented, and collabortative.  Research has shown that it is highly impactful for anxiety, OCD, phobias, depression and other challenges.

An important goal of CBT is to help you, your child, and/or your teen learn tools to manage your/their own challenges, “to be their own therapist.” 

A key feature of CBT involves practice exercises or “home practice” outside of the therapy sessions, to practice new tools and coping skills in your actual day to day life.

Discover What CBT Tools Can Teach You:

  • Calm your mind and relax your body

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    Challenge or ignore unhelpful thoughts

  • Woman in a dark hooded cloak with a soft red blurred background.

    Face fears instead of avoiding them

  • Smiling person with freckles and short blonde hair wearing a gray shirt outdoors.

    Connect thoughts, emotions, and actions for better responses

  • Child smiling with chalkboard background filled with math and science equations, light bulb illustration above head symbolizing ideas.

    Solve problems to manage life’s stressors and challenges

Creative, Engaging CBT Tailored for Young Minds

  • Child painting a figure with a red watercolor brush on white paper.

    Expert-Led, Creative CBT Tailored to Youth and Families

    At the CBT Tools for Life Center, we are a team of highly trained professionals passionate about providing CBT to children, teens, and young adults. We use evidence-based tools and creative, engaging strategies to teach these skills, tailored to each individual’s age, developmental stage, and temperament. Our methods include discussion, whiteboards, art supplies, puppets, videos, and more, making learning meaningful and fun. Additionally, we work with parents, teaching them CBT techniques to support their children and apply these tools effectively in daily life.

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    Integrating Evidence-Based Therapies for Comprehensive Care

    In addition to offering high-quality CBT, we integrate other evidence-based modalities such as Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Habit Reversal Training (HRT), Comprehensive Behavioral Treatment for Tics (CBIT), and Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). By combining these approaches, we deliver flexible and personalized care, drawing on a range of researched methods to achieve the most impactful treatment outcomes and foster meaningful growth and change.

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    Empowering Professionals with CBT Tools and Training

    We also train and consult with mental health professionals seeking to enhance their skills in delivering CBT to children, teens, and young adults. For non-mental health professionals working with children, we provide teachable tools to address mental health challenges effectively in their roles. Additionally, we offer free evidence-based CBT resources to the global community, ensuring accessible and practical tools for anyone to utilize in managing mental health needs.

Compassionate, Collaborative, Committed

We pride ourselves on being Compassionate, Collaborative, and Committed. Our compassionate, strengths-based approach creates an inclusive and respectful environment for all. We collaborate closely with parents, professionals, and educators to support the children and youth in our care and empower those who care for them. We are deeply committed to our mission of providing every child, adolescent, young adult and professional dedicated care and thoughtfully teaching evidence-based, specific tools they need for lasting success.

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    Compassionate

    We approach children, youth, parents, and professionals with compassion, warmth, caring, and a strengths-based, positive perspective. We are authentically, deeply passionate about supporting the mental health and well-being of young people. We are committed to maintaining a center that is inclusive, promoting a welcoming, culturally-attuned, diverse, equitable, and discrimination-free environment where we strive toward everyone feeling respected and valued.

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  • Two women having a business discussion in an office with a laptop and notebook.

    Collaborative

    We believe in the power of collaboration, whether working with children and youth or other professionals.  With children and teens, we work closely with other important adults and professionals involved in their lives. This includes participating in meetings including Student Study Team (SST) meetings, 504 Team meetings and Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs), and partnering with pediatricians and other key team members. When offering consultation to professionals, we are respectful of their strengths and expertise, and work collaboratively toward helping them reach their goals.

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  • Happy family posing in a park, child sitting on father's shoulders, mother standing in front; lush green trees and grass in the background.

    Committed

    We are highly committed to our principles, values, and mission for our center.  We’re deeply committed to enhancing the mental health and well-being of children, teens, and young adults. We’re committed to training and guiding experienced and new professionals who support children and youth, and providing access, education, outreach and dissemination of resources to the community.  We’re committed to providing evidence-based tools, treatment, and consultation guided by strong science.  We’re committed to maintaining a center that is caring, ethical, responsible, dedicated, and contributing to the field of child and youth mental health.

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