Like many counsellors, I help parents and other caregivers learn strategies to help both themselves and their children better cope with difficult parts of life. But the truth is not everyone has access to therapists — and not all therapists treat children or use CBT — an evidence based model of therapy for a wide range of mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression. The research outlined in this article suggests that children treated by their parents who use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may receive the benefits they need. While the article for me raises questions about skill level, relationship between parent and child and so on, I think it benefits all of us to have non-therapists learn some of these skills — just like others we teach in therapy.
