Being a teenager can feel overwhelming. Between school pressures, friendships, family expectations, and keeping up with social media, many young people struggle with their mental well-being. If you are worried about your teen, you are not alone. Many families reach out to us for help.
There has never been a more important time to nurture a teenager’s mental health than during these formative years, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support young people.
It is a form of talking therapy that helps children and adolescents recognise how their thoughts can affect emotions and behaviour. By learning coping skills and mechanisms, teens recognise when they are stuck in negative thoughts and begin to replace them with healthier patterns.
At The Talking Rooms, we understand the importance of early support. Almost all of the adults we treat tell us their mental health issues began in their teenage years. Without caring support, these difficulties often continued into adulthood and sometimes led to unhealthy behaviours, such as drinking or substance misuse. The good news is that CBT, delivered in personal sessions by our highly accredited and experienced Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapists, is a proven way to create lasting change. At The Talking Rooms, we believe that talking changes everything.
Book your free consultation today and learn how CBT therapy for teens can support your child with anxiety disorders and other mental health disorders.
Common Mental Health Struggles in Teenagers
Every teenager faces challenges, but for some, these challenges become heavy enough to affect daily life. You may notice your child withdrawing from friends, losing motivation for school, or struggling with anger or low moods. For parents, it can feel like watching them carry a backpack that gets heavier every day.
CBT gives young people the tools they need to take items out of that backpack, organise them, and carry the weight more lightly.
1. Child Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms
The concerns parents share with us are often similar. Some teenagers are coping with mental health problems like anxiety disorders or depressive episodes. We find the most common difficulties teenagers face include anger, low mood, low self-esteem, general and social anxiety, self-harming and suicidal thoughts.
Cognitive behavioural treatment helps to treat anxiety disorders in practical ways, such as teaching grounding exercises and reframing unhelpful thoughts.
2. Compulsive Disorders
CBT is also used to support obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These mental health conditions can feel enormous for both teens and families. Our CBT therapists speak the language of young people, using examples and activities they can relate to. Therapy may include role-playing to build social skills or engaging in creative activities that facilitate easier sharing.
3. Behavioural Issues and Self-Esteem
Some adolescents present with behavioural issues, destructive actions such as self-harm, or ongoing low self-esteem. Therapy CBT provides young clients with a safe space to talk about challenging emotions and practise new ways to cope with them.
A teen girl with extreme shyness might learn how to enter a classroom without feeling fear. Another young client struggling with unhealthy thought patterns may be guided to recognise stressful thought patterns and practise positive thinking instead.
By meeting young people where they are, we help them build confidence, develop ways to manage emotions and feel seen.
Chat with us today and discover how CBT for children in Glasgow can help your child manage everyday struggles with support that feels safe and personal.
The CBT Process for Children and Adolescents
It can feel daunting to reach out for therapy, but our process is simple and supportive. Here is how we guide families from the first call to lasting change.
Step One: Telephone Consultation
We arrange an initial telephone consultation with the primary caregiver and the young person. This generally takes around 15 minutes. This is a chance to talk through concerns, ask questions, and start shaping the right support.
Step Two: Assessment Session
The first session is designed to determine if the therapist is a good fit for the young person and to gain a deeper understanding of the issues the young person is facing.
Step Three: Therapy Plan
After your assessment, we will create a therapy plan in line with NICE Guidelines and tailored to your teen’s needs. The plan will give you a guide as to how many sessions are recommended. Most teenagers attend between six and twelve therapy sessions, although some may benefit from longer support.
Step Four: Weekly CBT Appointments
Once a plan is agreed upon, we match your teenager with the right therapist and agree on a weekly appointment. Each appointment will last approximately 50 minutes and usually takes place on the same day and time each week. Parents are welcome to join at the beginning of the first appointment, but afterwards, the session belongs to the teenager, giving them a safe space to open up. Our sessions are guided by positive feedback and a compassionate ear. We’re not here to judge teens, we’re here to help them.
Step Five: Practical CBT Techniques
CBT techniques are practical and always customised to each individual. A teenager with anxiety symptoms may learn life skills to manage nerves before an exam. Another young client dealing with irrational fears may work through exposure therapy step by step. Over time, teens recognise cognitive distortions, practise predicting outcomes more realistically, and begin shifting negative thought patterns into healthier behaviour patterns.
Schedule an assessment today and see how the CBT process can give your teenager positive self-awareness and self-confidence.
How CBT Sessions Help Teenagers Build Coping Skills
CBT is an effective treatment because it does more than reduce symptoms. It teaches young people lifelong skills that improve their adolescent mental health.
Through therapy, teenagers can:
- Understand how their thought process affects their emotions and behaviour
- Learn to shift negative thoughts and unhealthy thought patterns into positive thinking
- Reduce anxiety and manage irrational fears
- Build skills they can rely on during stressful moments
- Improve social skills and strengthen relationships
- Develop self-awareness and recognise cognitive distortions
- Strengthen low self-esteem and set personal goals for growth
For adolescents with depressive disorders, CBT provides a practical way forward by breaking cycles of negative thoughts and encouraging positive emotions and practices. Parents often share with us the changes they see in their children. A teenager who once avoided school due to a fear of being judged may gradually be able to cope as their confidence grows.
Learn more about CBT therapy before discovering how it can build lasting coping skills, positive emotions, and confidence for your teenager.
What Makes The Talking Rooms Different
When your child is struggling, you want more than just another mental health service.
You want reassurance that they will be seen quickly, cared for professionally, and matched with the right support.
Fast Access to CBT
We aim to offer CBT services for teens within five days of referral, much quicker than many local mental health facilities, where waiting lists can run into months.
Accredited CBT Therapists
Every therapist in our team is accredited to professional governing bodies such as BABCP, BACP, or COSCA. Our therapists are trained in cognitive behavioural therapy and cognitive behavioural treatment approaches, both of which are globally recognised.
Flexible Therapy Sessions
We provide teenage counselling in Glasgow and East Kilbride, or online for families across Scotland. Evening appointments are available for busy schedules.
Safe and Confidential
Parents can join the start of the first session, but afterwards, the time is private for your teenager. This ensures they feel safe to talk about difficult emotions or situations.
Options for Other Therapies
Sometimes CBT works best when combined with other therapy practices. Art therapy can give teens the chance to express what they cannot yet put into words. By blending psychological therapies when useful, we ensure every child receives support that feels right for them.
Sometimes the first step is simply asking, “How are you really?”
Contact us today to arrange CBT for teens and give your child the support they need.
FAQs About Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
We know parents and carers often have more questions before booking counselling for teenagers.
Here are some of the most common questions we hear.
It is £50 for a face-to-face assessment appointment at our East Kilbride or Glasgow clinic, online sessions are also available. Block bookings can be made for at least 6 sessions, which helps secure the same time each week for your teenager.
Talking therapy is a broad term. CBT is more structured, focusing on recognising negative thinking, unhelpful thoughts, and shifting behaviour patterns. Other therapeutic approaches may focus more on expression than structured techniques.
Yes. Exams can feel world-ending for many teenagers, and research shows that 85% of UK students experience exam anxiety, with one in four finding it almost unbearable. CBT helps by providing young people with practical tools, such as calming techniques, healthier study habits, and new ways to reframe negative thoughts, making pressure feel more manageable.
It is common for young people to resist mental help at first. Mental health and therapy still carry an unfortunate stigma. Our therapists for teens take the time to teach teens that CBT is a safe and supportive process. By meeting young people where they are, we help them feel comfortable enough to open up.
Why Choose The Talking Rooms
The Talking Rooms began in 2019 with a single clinic in East Kilbride. Since then, we have expanded to two main offices, along with online services that allow young people and families across Scotland to access therapy from the comfort of their own homes.
We are a team of accredited therapists and counsellors who are passionate about making therapy compassionate, approachable, and effective. Every therapist is accredited to BABCP, BACP, or COSCA, and many bring both professional expertise and lived experience, so families feel genuinely understood.
What you can expect from us:
- Specialist focus: Services for children and depressed adolescents aged 12+, as well as adults and families
- Trusted experience: Over 5,000 clients supported since 2019
- Safe and supportive values: Compassionate, non-judgmental, and flexible mental health services
Our mission is to provide mental health services that are flexible, safe, and focused on lasting change. Whether it is CBT sessions in person or online therapy that fits around family life, our aim is to meet families where they are.
At The Talking Rooms, you do not have to figure it all out alone. We will walk with you and your teenager, one step at a time, until life feels lighter again.
Book your free 15-minute consultation today and begin CBT therapy for teenagers in Glasgow, East Kilbride, or online.
I was pretty terrified when my Mum took me to my first session, I didn’t know what to expect, but the therapist I worked with was really nice and kind and really understanding. I didn’t feel judged, and I found the tools I learned really helpful. I think everyone should have a therapist.