What Do Evidence-Based Psychotherapies for Children Look LIke?

Adults who have been in psychotherapy as children may have had a lot of different experiences, but most of them had to do with talking—often a rather general “free association” kind of talking, or play with toys or drawings. A few others may recall more hands-on work, sometimes painful or frightening for the child. But evidence-based treatments for children, the ones supported by empirical research into outcomes of treatment, are more directed, and do not involve intentional pain or fear.

Here are links to some youtube clips of evidence-based treatments, made by developmental psychopathology graduate students under the supervision of their professor, Dr. Cynthia Hartung of the University of Wyoming.

Modular Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Childhood Anxiety

by Lauren Zimmerman & Angeline Bottera

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TcTNz4IvXE

Multifamily Psychoeducational Psychotherapy for Childhood Bipolar Spectrum Disorders

by Kandice Perry & Katy Richardson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBDPMohZqeY&t=3s

Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Children & Adolescents

by Kati Lear & Sarah Steinmetz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTcjMPoxUTM

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adolescent Depression

by Brooke Merrow & Kendal Binion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXJy0X0OZtI

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

by Christopher Shelton & Ryan Kozina

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVG4SWEZCT4

Coping Cat to Treat Anxiety in Children and Adolescents

by Andrea Slosser & Shira Kern

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE5QpJ_FaJ8

Parent Management Training for Childhood Behavior Problems

by Adam Ripley & Alejandra Reyna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMl8cKe9DD0

Most of these include actors’ performances of child and parent behaviors that are related to the original problem and to the therapeutic methods. You will see that most of the problems under treatment involve seriously concerning behaviors like undue aggressiveness, profound sadness, and unusual levels of disobedience and opposition to adult wishes—problems that  some unconventional therapists often problematically attribute to difficulties of attachment. Rather than trying to create or manipulate emotional attachments, evidence-based treatments usually concentrate on helping parents manage children’s behavior effectively, and on offering children tools and skills they can use to help themselves cope with anxiety or anger. They are certainly not about encouraging child disobedience or talking about parents' sex lives!