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Seven ways to support children and young people who are worried

This guide identifies seven ways you can use CBT to help children and young people who may be experiencing anxiety.

Clinicians at Anna Freud have developed seven ways that we consider to be best practice in responding to children and young people’s fears.

This resource is informed by a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) approach to managing anxiety. CBT is one of the therapeutic approaches which is most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression. It is recognised by the NHS NICE guidelines as a suitable evidence-based treatment.

CBT is a talking therapy which can help people to manage their feelings or problems by changing the way that people think and behave. It offers a practical approach which aims to help people tackle problems that can feel overwhelming by breaking them down into smaller parts and by challenging negative thinking and/or behavioural patterns in order to improve the way that they feel.

This document is not intended as a substitute for therapy but to outline some of the principles that can be easily adopted to support children and young people.

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