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Stop Bullying on the Spot

When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time.

Parents, school staff, and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.

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StopBullying.gov provides information from various government agencies on bullying, cyberbullying, prevention and response.

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10 THERAPIST (AND CHILD)-APPROVED ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT KIDS WITH ANXIETY

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10 THERAPIST (AND CHILD)-APPROVED ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT KIDS WITH ANXIETY

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We're all on edge because of the coronavirus. Our daily lives have been disrupted, we aren't sure what tomorrow may bring, and for many of us the nonstop news and social media coverage isn't helping.

Our experts say that dealing with your own anxiety can be the most powerful way to make sure your kids feel secure. If you or your children are feeling worried, learning how to deal with that anxiety in a healthy way can help the whole family be more resilient, both now and when the pandemic is finally over.

"The treatment for anxiety isn't to make the fear go away, it's to manage the fear and tolerate uncertainty," explains Jerry Bubrick, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. "So for the kids who've been in treatment for this, it's almost like they have an immune response or they're vaccinated against uncertainty. They've been training for this and now they're able to put their skills in place and for many of them the coronavirus is not affecting them as much as those of us who aren't used to dealing with uncertainty on a daily level."

Many parents are having a harder time dealing with COVID-19 than their children, and some of the anxiety that kids are experiencing may be inadvertently passed on by worried parents.

As parents, we need to be modeling for our kids how to react to stressful times by coping with anxiety in healthy ways. "I think we have to be mindful of the present and stay focused on what is actually happening and not let ourselves go to worst case scenarios," Dr. Bubrick recommends. "If we're showing our kids catastrophic thinking and head-in-your-hands worry, and crying and fear, then they're going to learn that's the way to handle the times now."

Be smart about what you're reading. While we should make sure we are informed about how best to keep our families safe, we should also be thoughtful about what we are reading online to make sure it's actually helpful. It is easy to inadvertently get sucked into reading every update as it comes in, or clicking on, in Dr. Bubrick's words, "the doomsday apocalypse kind of stories, which I would consider to be 'mental health fake news.'"

Consider putting a limit on the number of articles you read, or for how long you will read about the coronavirus each day. If you're consuming media that is making you anxious - take a break. Being informed is one thing; being overexposed is another.

Focus on what you're doing right now. Though we're getting more information about the virus daily, we don't know what will happen, something that's a massive anxiety trigger for almost everyone. It can be tempting to get caught up in imagining what the future might look like, but Dr. Bubrick recommends trying to stay focused on what's happening now rather that what might happen later on. "Focus on making sure you're in the moment, and dealing with things in the present."

Stop yourself if notice that you are getting carried away with "what ifs." It will help if you can set aside time to regularly practice mindfulness, which is a tool to help people stay grounded and calm. Parents can practice mindfulness alone or with children. You can't control the future, but you can take charge of the present.

Rely on routines. Establishing a routine that involves exercise, regular meals and healthy amounts of sleep is also crucial to regulating our moods and our worries. It can be hard to accept that our old routines are no longer possible because of COVID-19 precautions, but looking for ways to be flexible and start a new routine can help you feel less anxious and more productive. Remind yourself that life is still continuing, and ground yourself by doing things like making agendas and setting goals.

When kids are feeling anxious, it may or may not be clear to parents. "We shouldn't be looking for just one thing," says Dr. Bubrick. "We should be ready to handle a variety of different expressions of anxiety." Anxiety could look like:

Kids may not always be able to express how they are feeling. For younger children, Dr. Bubrick suggests using a feelings chart instead of saying "Tell me how anxious you are." With a feelings chart, which you can find on the internet, you can ask kids to point to the feeling they are having now. Parents can also use a traffic light chart to help kids share how intense their feeling is - a red light means they feel overwhelmed, a yellow light is medium and a green light is okay.

For kids who are more able to articulate how they are feeling, Dr. Bubrick says it is better to ask what psychologists call "forced choice questions." "If you ask a vague question you're going to get a vague answer," he says. "So instead of asking 'How was your day?' which is pretty vague, maybe ask, "Did your anxiety get in the way of you having a good day today?" he suggests.

If you're wondering about a teenager, Dr. Bubrick recommends talking about yourself first. "You can say something like, "I saw this article today and it made me wonder about this and that. Did you see something like that? What's your reaction to it?'"

Structure their day. As parents we often think that setting boundaries for a child is a way to make our lives easier, but in fact kids thrive on them, too. It is easy for children to get bored or fretful if they are facing a day without structure, and anxiety can thrive under those circumstances.

Make sure that you are structuring their days when they are cooped up at home. Alternate chores or schoolwork with more fun activities and periods of free time. As restrictions lift and summer sets in, be sure to incorporate safe, socially distant outdoor activities as well. Make sure kids are still getting the chance to exercise and socialize with friends via video chats and social media if they are on it.

Avoid giving too much reassurance. For kids of all ages, Dr. Bubrick recommends avoiding getting into a cycle of providing too much reassurance. Kids can come to rely on the reassurance and want to hear it more and more often - and when a parent isn't able to give them complete reassurance their anxiety can worsen.

Instead, remind kids of the things they are doing to take care of themselves (like washing their hands and staying indoors) and encourage them to focus on being in the moment. They can practice mindfulness activities alone or with you.

Model calm yourself. Don't share your worries with your children, and if you are feeling anxious, find a way to ground yourself. "After this crisis is over, your kids are going to walk away from this having learned things," says Dr. Bubrick. "What will they have learned from you in the way you handled this? Will they look back and say 'Wow, I'm really impressed with how Mom and Dad held it together?' Or are they going to walk away and think the world is a scary place?"

Look for the positive. Finally, Dr. Bubrick recommends looking for the silver linings. "I spoke to a family this morning on Skype and they said, 'You know, our kids are all together for the first time in months and they're playing games together and they're laughing together and we're spending time together.' So there are silver linings, you just have to look for them."

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Anxiety and Coping With the Coronavirus - Child Mind Institute

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Tips to help parents cope with anxiety during coronavirus.

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If you're a mental health professional working with children, you will probably agree that many of the calls you receive from parents have something to do with anxiety or stress. Child therapists have the amazingly important yet challenging task of educating and supporting kids in a therapeutic setting that is both productive and fun. When working with children as young as preschool age, it can be a very daunting task to keep things fresh and exciting week after week! So, how do we help children develop the coping skills they need while keeping them engaged (and not glancing at their watch)? Here are ten therapist (and child!)-approved, fun activities that address anxiety-based disorders and promote relaxation and stress reduction in children:

1 | Worry or "Reminder" stones

This activity is one that children will ask you to do again and again, and it will actually provide them with some comfort in their time spent away from you or their loved ones. Buy oven bake clay at your local craft store and have the children choose up to three colors that make them feel calm or happy. As they roll the colors into a ball and then gently push their thumb print into it, talk to the child about what this stone symbolizes for them; perhaps include a reminder to breathe, a positive thought, or a favorite mantra such as, "I can get through this". After it is baked for 30 mins at 250 degrees, it can be kept in their pocket and used in difficult moments as a reminder that they are safe an in control. Parents can even involve themselves in this activity and make a worry stone as a transitional object for kiddies who are having trouble separating. (Note: Most of the time, the stones are made in therapy, but baked at home).

2 | Calm down jars

Another fun activity that kids love to do is make "calm down jars". Throw some warm water, glitter glue and glitter in a glass (or even better, plastic) jar and have your kiddies shake up it up to watch the glitter slowly float to the bottom. It is incredibly soothing and relaxing to watch and kids can use it at home after a difficult or stressful moment. Encourage them to do some deep breathing as they watch as well incorporate some mindfulness. Smaller versions of the calm down jars can be made by using small plastic baby oil bottles and can be kept in the car or in Mom's purse for a quick relaxation tool on the go.

3 | Bibliotherapy

A great way to keep kids engaged while teaching them some important coping skills is to read age appropriate books on the topic with them. My favorite book to read with my anxious kiddos was written by yours truly and is called There's a Bully in My Brain. Children love that the main character, Justin, worries about the same things they do, and they are actually provided with some concrete and realistic cognitive behavioral strategies to use when they are experiencing anxious moments. As an added bonus, there are printable sheets at the end of the book for therapists to use as a tool in continuing the conversation about the physical sensations we feel in our body when anxious, and the benefit of breathing as a coping tool. Kids can also fill in what the bully in their own brain tells them as well as what they can say back to stand up to it. ( There's a Bully in My Brain is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.)

4 | Positive mantra bracelet

Making positive mantra bracelets is a simple but fun way to get kids talking about positive thinking and, more specifically, which mantras best apply to them and their worries. Start by opening up a discussion about the things they worry about most, and help them come up with three or four mantras they can repeat to themselves in an anxious moment, such as "I am safe", "Mom will always come back," or "My best is good enough". Assign each mantra to a different color bead, and have them string them onto a pipe cleaner or lanyard to be worn on their wrist as a daily reminder to think positive thoughts and breathe. The soft pipe cleaner and smooth, sliding beads also function as an awesome yet discreet fidget for our tactile seeking little ones.

5 | Worry box

Very often kids can feel as though they are controlled by their anxious thoughts and feel helpless in stopping them. Their parents will report that their child cannot stop talking about certain topics, and they often feel frustrated that they don't have enough time in their day to address their child's concerns. A great activity for kids struggling with Generalized Anxiety Disorder is creating a "worry box". This activity can be as simple or as elaborate as you would like. Children decorate a box however they like--with modge podge, glitter, markers, stickers, etc. As they are crafting their box, therapists can explain that the box will be a spot in which they keep their worries when they don't have the time to think about them. They write their worry on a piece of paper and place it in a box to be addressed at a later time. It gives kids a sense of control over their anxiety, and parents can set aside a certain time of day to talk to kids about their fears. When they no longer feel as though they need to address a certain worry that is in the box, the piece of paper can be ripped up and thrown in the garbage, which is a therapeutic activity in itself.

6 | Butterflies in the belly

This butterfly in my belly activity is an adorable and non-threatening way to open up discussions with kids about their worries or fears. The therapist draws and cuts out butterflies of all different sizes in advance and traces the child's head and torso on a large piece of oak tag. (For children with a history of physical and sexual abuse/trauma, it may be best to have an outline of a person traced out before the session starts). Talk to the child about the physical sensations they feel in their body when they feel worried, such as butterflies in their belly. Ask them to write down different things they stress about on the butterflies and use the various sizes for big or little worries. End with a discussion about what calm down strategies to use when the "butterflies in their belly" show up and write them down in a butterfly net to symbolize "catching the butterflies".

7 | Create a journal

Many of the kids we work with have a hard time expressing themselves verbally or do not have a parent or loved one they trust to talk to about their feelings. It's important to explain to these children that they do not have to talk about their worries or stress if these topics make them uncomfortable, but they do have to find an different outlet for expressing themselves. Have these children decorate a journal that is personal to them using stickers, markers, or even magazine cut-outs of positive phrases, and encourage them to journal when they first sit down with you as well as during times between sessions..

8 | Stress balls

Stress balls are a true fan favorite, and you'll be hard pressed to find a child who does not enjoy this activity. Fill a balloon with flour, rice, orbeez, or play dough using a small funnel, tie the end, and make sure to double wrap it into another balloon for extra security (Mom and Dad will thank you!). Stress balls make for a great fidget for our nervous kids and serve as a great distraction when working with kids with Trichotillomania.

9 | Slime

Slime is all the rage lately and a quick google search will produce hundreds of recipe variations. The cool part about making slime is that kids find the process super fun, but it is also an awesome therapeutic tool for our sensory seeking kids. Add some lavender oil into the slime as an additional bonus to calm them as they play. Just a few minutes of running the slime through their fingers can bring a child's baseline level of anxiety down a few notches.

10 | Put them all together and make a calm down "toolbox"

Our job as therapists is to provide children with the tools they need, and eventually get them to a point where they can regulate their own emotions in challenging moments. A great way to support and empower our kids to self soothe is to help them make a calm down "toolbox" with many of the items that have been mentioned in this article. It is important to explain that what may help to calm us down one day may not work the next, and using an analogy like "you wouldn't pick up a hammer to fix a leaky faucet" may help them to understand why we need many "tools" in our tool box. Have a realistic conversation with them about what helps them calm down when they are feeling anxious, and place those items in the box. Aside from their worry stone, journal, calm down jar, positive mantra bracelet, stress ball, and slime, kids may include bubbles for breathing, a photo album filled with happy memories, a stuffed animal, gum, an iPod for music, or coloring books and crayons. You can also make a list or key ring of strategy ideas that may not "fit" into the box, such as taking a bath or going for a walk.

Summary

Whatever activities you choose for your sessions, remember that the single most important part about your job is to create a safe and loving therapeutic space built on trust and free of judgement. Providing this environment for children can be life changing for them, and although they may not remember making a stress ball, they will always remember how you made them feel! Have fun!

About the Author

Kristin O'Rourke is a licensed clinical social worker and author of There's a Bully in My Brain, with over fifteen years of experience supporting children and families with anxiety disorders and behavioral issues. She is the owner of In-Home LCSW, PLLC, a private group practice that provides home and office based counseling services to children and families in New York and New Jersey. Find her on Facebook at In-Home LCSW, PLLC, on Instagram @inhomelcsw or on her website at www.inhomelcsw.com

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10 Therapist (and Child)-Approved Activities to Support Kids with Anxiety - Family Therapy Basics

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If you're a mental health professional working with children, you will probably agree that many of the calls you receive from parents have something to do with anxiety or stress. Child therapists have the amazingly important yet challenging task of educating and supporting kids in a therapeutic sett

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US Department of Health and Human Services

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Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)

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Someone who witnesses bullying, either in person or online, is a bystander. Friends, students, peers, teachers, school staff, parents, coaches, and other youth-serving adults can be bystanders. With cyberbullying, even strangers can be bystanders.

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We're all on edge because of the coronavirus. Our daily lives have been disrupted, we aren't sure what tomorrow may bring, and for many of us the nonstop news and social media coverage isn't helping.

Our experts say that dealing with your own anxiety can be the most powerful way to make sure your kids feel secure. If you or your children are feeling worried, learning how to deal with that anxiety in a healthy way can help the whole family be more resilient, both now and when the pandemic is finally over.

"The treatment for anxiety isn't to make the fear go away, it's to manage the fear and tolerate uncertainty," explains Jerry Bubrick, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. "So for the kids who've been in treatment for this, it's almost like they have an immune response or they're vaccinated against uncertainty. They've been training for this and now they're able to put their skills in place and for many of them the coronavirus is not affecting them as much as those of us who aren't used to dealing with uncertainty on a daily level."

Many parents are having a harder time dealing with COVID-19 than their children, and some of the anxiety that kids are experiencing may be inadvertently passed on by worried parents.

As parents, we need to be modeling for our kids how to react to stressful times by coping with anxiety in healthy ways. "I think we have to be mindful of the present and stay focused on what is actually happening and not let ourselves go to worst case scenarios," Dr. Bubrick recommends. "If we're showing our kids catastrophic thinking and head-in-your-hands worry, and crying and fear, then they're going to learn that's the way to handle the times now."

Be smart about what you're reading. While we should make sure we are informed about how best to keep our families safe, we should also be thoughtful about what we are reading online to make sure it's actually helpful. It is easy to inadvertently get sucked into reading every update as it comes in, or clicking on, in Dr. Bubrick's words, "the doomsday apocalypse kind of stories, which I would consider to be 'mental health fake news.'"

Consider putting a limit on the number of articles you read, or for how long you will read about the coronavirus each day. If you're consuming media that is making you anxious - take a break. Being informed is one thing; being overexposed is another.

Focus on what you're doing right now. Though we're getting more information about the virus daily, we don't know what will happen, something that's a massive anxiety trigger for almost everyone. It can be tempting to get caught up in imagining what the future might look like, but Dr. Bubrick recommends trying to stay focused on what's happening now rather that what might happen later on. "Focus on making sure you're in the moment, and dealing with things in the present."

Stop yourself if notice that you are getting carried away with "what ifs." It will help if you can set aside time to regularly practice mindfulness, which is a tool to help people stay grounded and calm. Parents can practice mindfulness alone or with children. You can't control the future, but you can take charge of the present.

Rely on routines. Establishing a routine that involves exercise, regular meals and healthy amounts of sleep is also crucial to regulating our moods and our worries. It can be hard to accept that our old routines are no longer possible because of COVID-19 precautions, but looking for ways to be flexible and start a new routine can help you feel less anxious and more productive. Remind yourself that life is still continuing, and ground yourself by doing things like making agendas and setting goals.

When kids are feeling anxious, it may or may not be clear to parents. "We shouldn't be looking for just one thing," says Dr. Bubrick. "We should be ready to handle a variety of different expressions of anxiety." Anxiety could look like:

Kids may not always be able to express how they are feeling. For younger children, Dr. Bubrick suggests using a feelings chart instead of saying "Tell me how anxious you are." With a feelings chart, which you can find on the internet, you can ask kids to point to the feeling they are having now. Parents can also use a traffic light chart to help kids share how intense their feeling is - a red light means they feel overwhelmed, a yellow light is medium and a green light is okay.

For kids who are more able to articulate how they are feeling, Dr. Bubrick says it is better to ask what psychologists call "forced choice questions." "If you ask a vague question you're going to get a vague answer," he says. "So instead of asking 'How was your day?' which is pretty vague, maybe ask, "Did your anxiety get in the way of you having a good day today?" he suggests.

If you're wondering about a teenager, Dr. Bubrick recommends talking about yourself first. "You can say something like, "I saw this article today and it made me wonder about this and that. Did you see something like that? What's your reaction to it?'"

Structure their day. As parents we often think that setting boundaries for a child is a way to make our lives easier, but in fact kids thrive on them, too. It is easy for children to get bored or fretful if they are facing a day without structure, and anxiety can thrive under those circumstances.

Make sure that you are structuring their days when they are cooped up at home. Alternate chores or schoolwork with more fun activities and periods of free time. As restrictions lift and summer sets in, be sure to incorporate safe, socially distant outdoor activities as well. Make sure kids are still getting the chance to exercise and socialize with friends via video chats and social media if they are on it.

Avoid giving too much reassurance. For kids of all ages, Dr. Bubrick recommends avoiding getting into a cycle of providing too much reassurance. Kids can come to rely on the reassurance and want to hear it more and more often - and when a parent isn't able to give them complete reassurance their anxiety can worsen.

Instead, remind kids of the things they are doing to take care of themselves (like washing their hands and staying indoors) and encourage them to focus on being in the moment. They can practice mindfulness activities alone or with you.

Model calm yourself. Don't share your worries with your children, and if you are feeling anxious, find a way to ground yourself. "After this crisis is over, your kids are going to walk away from this having learned things," says Dr. Bubrick. "What will they have learned from you in the way you handled this? Will they look back and say 'Wow, I'm really impressed with how Mom and Dad held it together?' Or are they going to walk away and think the world is a scary place?"

Look for the positive. Finally, Dr. Bubrick recommends looking for the silver linings. "I spoke to a family this morning on Skype and they said, 'You know, our kids are all together for the first time in months and they're playing games together and they're laughing together and we're spending time together.' So there are silver linings, you just have to look for them."

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Anxiety and Coping With the Coronavirus - Child Mind Institute

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Tips to help parents cope with anxiety during coronavirus.

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Fight Flight Freeze – A Guide to Anxiety for Kids

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What about What Iffing?

The animation above is pulled straight from the GoZen! Anxiety Relief program. You'll find it outlines a strategy for constantly asking "what if" questions about future worries. Watch it with your child and then:
Download the Key Learning Points and Reflection Questions
Free printable PDF. Review it with your child after watching the video.
Next Steps
Unlock All GoZen! Videos (for Professionals)
Did you love the video? Get 34 more videos, interactive scenario questions, worksheets, and bonus videos to teach a child research-based coping skills. Dive right into one of our programs for parents and kids or practitioners by clicking on a link below. Remember, we've shared just the tip of the iceberg of the GoZen! Anxiety Relief Programs. As part of the GoZen! family, we vow to over-deliver on our promises and exceed your expectations.

Unlock All GoZen! Videos (for Families) OR

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What about What Iffing? The animation above is pulled straight from the GoZen! Anxiety Relief program. You'll find it outlines a strategy for constantly asking "what if" questions about future worries. Watch it with your child and then: Download the Key Learning Points and Reflection QuestionsFree printable PDF. Review it...

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Counselors Corner News Letter Five Essential Steps to Help Children Cope with Stress

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Specific Strategies for supporting students with anxiety-related symptoms 

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Specific Strategies for supporting students with anxiety-related symptoms 

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strategies for anxiety related symptoms for students

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(Optimus Course)

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How to deal with Emotions  Group counseling session with Year 11, 12 and 13

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How to deal with Emotions  Group counseling session with Year 11, 12 and 13

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How to deal with emotions group counseling

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Helping Pupil to manage Stress ( Optimus Course)

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Helping Pupil to manage Stress ( Optimus Course)

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Helping Pupils to Manage Stress - Ms.Loveena

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I find these group counseling sessions to be really helpful. They help in many ways, for instance by providing a strategy of how you can over come depression or anxiety. And it's a platform where you can speak freely without being judged because everyone has their own story to tell and by sharing what we're going through, it encourages each and everyone of us in someway :)

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Group counseling sessions really help me be aware of how I’m feeling and speaking openly about my opinions or problems with the class and together finding ways to formulate a solution. Group sessions help regulate the amount of tension and workload from my everyday life and ease some of these problems through communication in a non-judgmental group.

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It was a great counselling session,it really helped me out in different ways. It was a place to vent, talk about my experiences and gain support.I appreciated the cohesiveness and bravery of everyone because they shared their thoughts and experiences while respecting each other.There were many things I had hidden from myself and the section helped me understand my experiences. I was able to understand my emotions rather than letting them take control and steer me towards unhealthy choices. I felt helpless before the section and now I feel empowered. All thanks to miss loveena :)

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Children Abuse Poster

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Emotions and Uncontrolled emotions

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strategies for anxiety related symptoms for students

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Strategies for depression related symptoms. for students

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Tools, tips and videos for student mental health

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Tools, tips and videos for student mental health

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https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/student-life/tools-tips-and-videos/

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notOK is a free app developed by a struggling teenager (and her teen brother) for teenagers. The app features a large, red button that can be activated to let close friends, family and their support network know help is needed.

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How it Started

After developing POTS, a condition that causes her to faint, then 15-year-old Hannah Lucas, was terrified of being alone. What would happen to her if she fainted and no one was around?

Hannah's fears quickly spiraled into anxiety and deep depression, which led to self harm. By the end of her freshman year of high school, she missed 196 classes due to her condition.

It was during one of Hannah's lowest moments, alone in her room and contemplating self harm, when the idea for the notOK App™ was born. What if there was a button she could press and someone would immediately know she was not okay?

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After developing POTS, a condition that causes her to faint, then 15-year-old Hannah Lucas, was terrified of being alone. What would happen to her if she fainted and no one was around? Hannah's fears quickly spiraled into anxiety and deep depression, which led to self harm.

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Calm Harm is a free app to help teenagers manage the urge to self-harm. Available on Google Play & App Store.

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Think of this app as the cheerleader in your pocket, encouraging you to take charge of your life, ride out intense emotions, and face challenging situations.

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CHILL ZONE

Listen to audio recordings of guided relaxation and mindfulness meditations to help you get, and stay, in a more relaxed and mindful headspace.

FACING FEARS

Overcome your fears by gradually facing them in small manageable steps.

CBT-BASED TOOLS

Interactive cognitive-based tools to help you reorient your thinking, and behavioural strategies to help you take action and make lasting positive change.

QUICK RELIEF

When you need anxiety help fast, use these quick and easy tools to help you take a breath, ground yourself, shift your thinking, and take steps to cope.

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Is anxiety getting in the way of your life? MindShift™ CBT uses scientifically proven strategies based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of your anxiety.

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Use the positive and negative habit tracker to maintain your good habits, and break those that are counterproductive. We particularly love the “Get Grounded” page, which contains over 100 different questions to pinpoint what you’re feeling, and the “Thinking Patterns” page, which teaches you how to stop negative internal monologues.

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Psycom.net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1996

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If you suffer from an anxiety disorder or depression, even the simplest activity, like going to school, work, or the grocery store, may at times feel overwhelming. But you don't have to resign yourself to dealing with this distress every day. With the help of an approach called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), you can gain better control of your situation.

Many people who are coping with a variety of mental health diagnoses find using CBT helps them manage their fears, improving their quality of life and functioning. Unlike psychoanalysis, a common form of therapy that analyzes people's behaviors and patterns to gain deeper understanding of motivations and reactions, CBT takes a more proactive approach to actually change disordered or negative ways of thinking.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

CBT is a structured, action-oriented type of psychological treatment that was created in the 1960s by Dr. Aaron Beck, founder of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. In recent years, a growing number of clinicians are adopting this technique to teach people to "reset" their thoughts and reactions.

Nina F. Rifkind, LCSW, ACS, an Anxiety, Phobia, and OCD Specialist and Owner of Wellspring Counseling in New Jersey, specializes in using structured CBT. She knows from her own experiences working with patients just how powerful CBT can be. "CBT is an approach that focuses on identifying and restructuring negative patterns of thought and behavior that can cause distress and perpetuate anxiety and depression," Rifkind says.

Who Should Use Cognitive Behavior Therapy?

The American Psychological Association's website says that CBT can be effective in addressing a range of disorders, including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol or drug abuse, relationship issues, and other serious forms of mental illness. Rifkind also points out that CBT is appropriate to use with varying populations including children and adolescents, using age-appropriate language and explanations. Often CBT is used in conjunction with other behavioral health approaches; the treatment protocol is personalized for an individual's specific diagnosis and needs.

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Looking at the Specifics of CBT

"Let's say an adolescent is having panic attacks in school. We need do our best to help the child identify the thoughts that trigger his or her physical symptoms of panic," Rifkind says. When a person is in the midst of a panic attack, adrenalin is rushing through the body, making it difficult to think clearly and logically. "Perhaps a child is afraid of being trapped in the classroom and feels dizzy and sweaty, and notices the heart and head are pounding," she says.

Once the child is not in that anxiety-provoking situation, then he can use CBT as a framework to challenge his fear of being trapped and to show that it isn't rational. "Once the person is outside of the situation, we need to challenge the catastrophic thinking by asking, 'Have you ever been trapped in the classroom before, and if so, did anything bad ever happen?'" The key in CBT is to counter catastrophic thinking with evidence of past experiences, and realistic probabilities, Rifkind stresses. She also points out that the behavioral part of CBT is to address the avoidant behavior. "We gradually reintroduce things [the person is afraid of] and pair them with new [more accurate] thoughts," she says.

Setting Concrete Goals

Rifkind says she has patients who are afraid to leave the house, afraid to take the subway, afraid to have sleepovers, go to the movies, and a host of activities they may avoid because of anxiety. All of these, and so many other anxiety-based issues can and do respond to CBT.

For patients with anxiety disorders, Rifkind says she typically begins the therapeutic process by defining the individual's goal, which may be to drive long distances on the highway or attend a large social event. Then she constructs a hierarchy of steps to achieve that goal, beginning with the first step that the person is willing to try toward reaching the desired results. These steps make up "homework" that the patient completes in between sessions, repeating each step in the hierarchy until she feels comfortable moving to the next. "I also give people a scale to rate their level of distress as they begin exposure to their feared situation," she says. For example, if a patient is afraid to drive on the highway, Rifkind might ask her to drive for one exit and rate her level of discomfort. If the rating is an eight, the patient may repeat this one-exit drive twice a day until the distress level drops to a two, at which point she will increase her distance on the highway to two exits, and do the same when the distress level drops again.

"We build on these steps over time, as the patient gradually becomes desensitized to the fear, until she's able to accomplish her goals," Rifkind explains. Often, the issue that brings someone to treatment may not represent the entire spectrum of her anxiety. It may be a starting point, though, and once the patient tackles this, then CBT may be adapted to address other issues over time. Regardless of the specific issue being treated, the tools built with CBT may be applied to a wide range of circumstances, helping patients use these skills to cope in many situations. "Once people begin to see that the treatment works, it builds their confidence and motivates them to push themselves further toward their goals," she says.

What to Expect in Results

Using a structured treatment like CBT to address anxiety and depression can help the symptoms subside or even go into remission, Rifkind stresses. CBT also teaches people skills that will last them far beyond the end of treatment. "As mental health issues can wax and wane over a lifetime, people will use the skills they learn with CBT to cope when the stresses of life that can cause a flare in symptoms," she adds. The duration of therapy depends on the individual, but many patients go once weekly and find relief within weeks. Many also feel their issues are under control in six months or less.

How to Find a Qualified CBT Provider

If you, or a family member, are in need of CBT, you'll want to find a qualified therapist in your area. Rifkind recommends finding a provider who specializes in CBT and is experienced in treating the specifics issues you face.

She encourages people to utilize provider directories on the websites of well-respected national behavioral health organizations. A few she suggests include the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the International OCD Association, and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. "When people are looking for a therapist for the first time, I usually suggest they make appointments with more than person to make sure that they find a therapist who is a good fit for them. Feeling comfortable and connected with your therapist is critical to the process," Rifkind adds.

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Shaul's award-winning films have been screened at festivals across the globe, including Sundance. He is a regular contributor to TIME and National Geographic. His work has also appeared in numerous other major international publications. When traditional treatments alone weren't providing relief for Jeff's severe and persistent anxiety and depression, he looked for a more holistic path.