In 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) presented data that told a concerning story about the mental, emotional, and neurodevelopmental health of the nation’s children.
Among youth ages 3-17 in 2022-2023, 8% of all children were diagnosed with a behavioral disorder, while 11% of all children were diagnosed with anxiety. Also, 1 in 31 8-year-old children were diagnosed with autism in 2022, up from 1 in 36 just two years earlier.
These alarming numbers point to a clear demand for professionals who can help address the challenges modern children are facing. Child psychologists treat patients with behavioral disorders, autism, and other mental, emotional, and neurodevelopmental health concerns. They use interventions such as therapy to address each child’s unique needs.
Psychologists may employ various types of child therapy, from strategies that involve the entire family to those that incorporate art and music.
What Do Child Psychologists Do?
Child psychologists are highly qualified to identify mental health disorders and assess cognitive and emotional conditions. They’re a type of clinical psychologist, which means they apply research and statistical findings to diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Their work includes:
- Assessing mental, emotional, and behavioral issues
- Using therapy and behavioral management
- Developing strategies to address challenges like bullying and addiction
- Working with other health professionals to treat children
Child Psychologist vs. Child Therapist
Child psychologists and child therapists both offer therapy to their young patients, but differences exist in the focus of these professionals’ work.
- Child psychologists are doctorate-prepared professionals who specialize in research and diagnosis as well as interventions such as therapy.
- Child therapists are master’s-prepared professionals who focus on intervention and helping children cope with their mental, emotional, and behavioral challenges and conditions.
In many cases, underlying conditions directly affect children’s challenging feelings or behaviors. They may suffer from depression, for example, or they may have autism.
Psychologists can diagnose these conditions, sometimes in partnership with other healthcare professionals, and provide therapy to help children regulate the feelings and behaviors associated with them. Therapists typically focus on treating conditions diagnosed by clinical providers.
What Is Child Therapy?
Therapy, also known as talk therapy or psychotherapy, aims to address emotional and mental health concerns. In ongoing sessions, patients discuss their feelings and challenges with therapy providers who help them develop coping skills, sort through complex emotions, and address issues such as anxiety and depression. Psychologists are among the professionals who typically provide therapy, using it as a tool to learn more about their patients’ challenges and address these concerns.
Through therapy, psychologists offer people an opportunity to share their concerns and find ways to change their feelings and behaviors.
Child therapy differs from adult therapy in that it emphasizes making children feel safe and aware of what’s happening. This type of therapy is sometimes called child-centered therapy.
Child therapy can help young patients overcome mental health conditions or manage their symptoms. Although child psychologists generally use therapy to assist patients between ages 3 and 17, infants and toddlers can also benefit from this type of assistance through parent-child sessions, where psychologists work with parents to help improve a child’s emotional development and interactions.
Through different types of child therapy, young people who face mental, emotional, and neurodevelopmental issues can learn how best to function in various settings.
Child Therapy: How It Works
With psychologists, child therapy typically follows a multistep process:
- Initial consultation: Gathering information and observing interactions related to the families and their concerns
- Diagnosing issues: Determining the conditions that therapy needs to address
- Setting goals: Working with children and parents to determine the outcomes they want to achieve
- Conducting sessions: Meeting with children (and, depending on the type of child therapy, parents and other family members) for therapy until the treatment goals are achieved
Planning the most effective therapy for a child generally requires collaboration between a psychologist and the child’s family. Together, they determine the appropriate type or types of therapy based on the professional assessment and treatment goals.
Concerns That Child Therapy Can Address
Child therapy can help patients overcome challenges and manage various mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions and concerns. The following issues are among those that child therapy can address:
- Anxiety: Excessive nervousness or stress
- Behavioral concerns: Inappropriate emotional responses and social interactions
- Depression: Persistent sadness or hopelessness
- Family issues: Divorce or conflicts with parents or siblings
- Life changes: Moving to a new school or adjusting to a new family member
- Low self-esteem: Negative thoughts about themselves and their worth
Resources: Does My Child Need Therapy?
Families can access various resources to determine whether their children may benefit from therapy:
- Blackbird Health, “How to Know If Your Child Needs Therapy”: This article provides a chart of symptoms that may indicate a need for therapy, including symptom duration and the ages when symptoms commonly manifest. This resource also answers frequently asked questions about child therapy.
- Carry On Therapy, How to Identify If Your Child Needs Therapy Services: This resource notes behaviors that can indicate mental, emotional, or neurodevelopmental concerns. It also lists changes and challenges that warrant psychological assessment.
- Cleveland Clinic, 10 Signs That Your Child May Need a Therapist: This article highlights circumstances that can suggest a child needs therapy and links to resources to help children with emergency mental health needs.
- Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress, Does My Child Need to Talk to a Therapist or Counselor?: This resource addresses common concerns that parents have about seeking therapy for their children, shares advice from a parent, and links to a quiz that can help parents assess their children’s mental and emotional health.
- Parents, “7 Signs Your Child Should See a Therapist”: Describes behaviors that indicate the need for therapy, and suggests steps to take to find assistance.
Benefits of Therapy for Children
Child therapy can help children be happier and more resilient. The following are seven common outcomes of child therapy that can improve their lives:
- Better management of emotions
- Healthier coping behaviors
- Stronger communication
- Enhanced self-esteem
- Better grades
- Greater independence
- Stronger foundation for lifelong healthy habits
Types of Child Therapy
Therapy can help treat a range of mental, emotional, and neurodevelopmental health concerns. Child psychologists use many different approaches to therapy—and they often rely on more than one type with a single patient. Below are 10 common types of child therapy.
1. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) helps children accept their thoughts and feelings while committing to act in ways that are appropriate according to their values. ACT uses techniques such as mindfulness practice, therapeutic worksheets, and role-play to help young people learn to regulate their emotions and strengthen their resilience.
Psychologists often use ACT to help children with anxiety and depression.
2. Art and Music Therapy
Art and music therapy uses creative pursuits, such as analyzing song lyrics or painting pictures, to help children show emotions and process memories. This therapy can be helpful for children dealing with traumatic memories.
3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most common types of therapy for children. This therapy involves various techniques that aim to help children change their thinking or behaviors, including:
- Breathing exercises
- Therapeutic worksheets
- Talk therapy
- Role-play
CBT can help patients overcome challenges related to conditions such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT) can help children manage triggers associated with memories.
4. Dialectical Behavior Therapy
The goal of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is to help children improve their emotional regulation. In this type of therapy, children learn to take personal responsibility for noticing and managing challenging emotions and relationships.
DBT teaches young people healthy coping skills, addressing concerns such as:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Eating disorders
- Self-harming
- Substance use disorder
- Suicidal ideation
5. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy uses guided eye movements to help patients process traumatic memories. EMDR therapy is typically an option for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other conditions associated with trauma.
6. Family Therapy
In family therapy, psychologists work with entire families to address interpersonal dynamics and improve relationships. This type of child therapy can also help caregivers effectively support their children.
Family therapy can include techniques such as talk therapy, education, and role-play. It can be helpful for children who are managing family transitions or difficult relationships with siblings or parents.
7. Habit Reversal Training
Children who struggle with unwanted repetitive behaviors may benefit from habit reversal training (HRT). This type of child therapy teaches patients to engage in alternative behaviors instead of habits such as:
- Nail biting
- Thumb-sucking
- Tics
8. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) engages parents and children to establish supportive standards for:
- Effective discipline
- Strong communication
- Healthy boundaries
PCIT can be effective in addressing behaviors such as those associated with autism. Child psychologists may use this therapy for children with disruptive behavior and poor emotional regulation.
9. Play Therapy
Children who are younger or nonverbal can benefit from play therapy. With this approach, children who may not be able to describe their experiences through talk use toys and games to share their feelings.
Child psychologists may notice certain emotions by observing patients’ play, helping them work through difficult feelings. Play therapy can help treat anxiety and depression and teach children to manage their emotions.
10. Psychodynamic Therapy
Through psychodynamic therapy, children talk about their past thoughts and memories to uncover their impact on current behaviors and feelings. Young people experiencing trauma or grief can benefit from this type of child therapy, as well as those facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, or illness.
Resources: Finding a Child Psychologist
Resources are available to help parents find the right professional for their child’s therapy. Families can turn to the following materials for guidance:
Explore the Options for Child Therapy
Many children face mental, emotional, and neurodevelopmental challenges that affect their well-being. Child psychologists can use various types of child therapy to address these concerns.
With their knowledge of research and diagnoses and skills in therapy, child psychologists can be a good choice for providing therapy that helps children live happier, more fulfilling, more resilient lives.