Help for Children and Teens
Belmont Psychological Services is one of the few groups in the area with clinicians who provide a full range of psychological services to children of all ages. Our expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders in children is recognized throughout Southern California and we collaborate regularly with pediatricians to ensure that the children we treat receive the highest standard of care.
All of our child therapists have specialized training in the application of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of mental health problems in children and adolescents. You may have heard that CBT is the treatment of choice for adults with mental health problems. But what you may not know is that CBT is also the treatment of choice for the majority of the problems and disorders that children experience. And while the conceptual framework of CBT remains the same, the application of CBT to children requires extensive training.
CBT, at its core, is about learning and practicing new skills that allow us to think, feel and act differently. The skills we learn in CBT help us to feel good and make our life experience better. And as it turns out, children can be the most brilliant participants in CBT! They are often far more open to the idea of learning a new skill or trying out a new behavior than adults. But children require a different clinical approach because they learn differently. As such, it is essential that therapists be specifically trained to provide CBT for children.
Treatment of children is a unique specialty within the field of psychology. Although many clinicians may advertise themselves as child therapists, few have actually been trained in evidence based interventions to work with this vulnerable population. Children may be unable to determine whether or not they are receiving appropriate mental health treatment. At Belmont Psych, there will be no guessing about your child's treatment. We work closely with parents and track children's progress through the use of standardized measures to make sure that your child is getting better and meeting treatment goals. And for older kids and teens who may desire greater confidentiality in their treatment, the use of objective tests and measurements to track progress allows parents to obtain regular updates on treatment progress while respecting the teen's privacy.
All of our child therapists have specialized training in the application of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of mental health problems in children and adolescents. You may have heard that CBT is the treatment of choice for adults with mental health problems. But what you may not know is that CBT is also the treatment of choice for the majority of the problems and disorders that children experience. And while the conceptual framework of CBT remains the same, the application of CBT to children requires extensive training.
CBT, at its core, is about learning and practicing new skills that allow us to think, feel and act differently. The skills we learn in CBT help us to feel good and make our life experience better. And as it turns out, children can be the most brilliant participants in CBT! They are often far more open to the idea of learning a new skill or trying out a new behavior than adults. But children require a different clinical approach because they learn differently. As such, it is essential that therapists be specifically trained to provide CBT for children.
Treatment of children is a unique specialty within the field of psychology. Although many clinicians may advertise themselves as child therapists, few have actually been trained in evidence based interventions to work with this vulnerable population. Children may be unable to determine whether or not they are receiving appropriate mental health treatment. At Belmont Psych, there will be no guessing about your child's treatment. We work closely with parents and track children's progress through the use of standardized measures to make sure that your child is getting better and meeting treatment goals. And for older kids and teens who may desire greater confidentiality in their treatment, the use of objective tests and measurements to track progress allows parents to obtain regular updates on treatment progress while respecting the teen's privacy.
Therapy is More Than a Conversation
Some critics of psychotherapy have likened the role of the therapist to a friend who is paid to sit and chit chat with clients about their lives or just listen while people complain. And while some therapists do perhaps provide little more than emotional support, the role of the Cognitive Behavior Therapist is different. CBT involves providing a great deal of education, helping clients to remember and use that education, teaching concrete skills, and tracking progress to confirm that patients are benefitting. It is our hope that by reviewing the information provided on this website, that anyone who is interested in our services, or in any therapist's services for that matter, is able to appreciate the difference it makes to work with well-trained Cognitive Behavior Therapists.
Please call us at 562-799-6700 or email us at [email protected] to schedule an appointment today.
Please call us at 562-799-6700 or email us at [email protected] to schedule an appointment today.
