CBT Toolbox for Children and Adolescents by Lisa Phifer & Amanda Crowder & Tracy Elsenraat & Robert Hull Summary

CBT Toolbox for Children and Adolescents provides over 200 worksheets and exercises to help mental health professionals address emotional and behavioral challenges in youth. It adapts cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) strategies for treating trauma, ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, and conduct disorders, emphasizing practical tools like cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation.

This book is ideal for therapists, school psychologists, social workers, and educators working with children aged 5–18. It also offers caregiver worksheets, making it valuable for parents seeking to support their child’s mental health.

Yes—it’s praised for its hands-on, science-backed activities and adaptability across age groups. Critics note some exercises may require customization for very young children or those with non-verbal trauma.

Key strategies include cognitive restructuring (e.g., identifying negative thought patterns), behavioral activation (e.g., activity scheduling), and relaxation techniques. These are simplified with child-friendly exercises like thought records and emotion-focused games.

The book provides disorder-specific activities. For ADHD, it focuses on executive functioning skills via goal-setting worksheets. For autism, it uses social stories and sensory-based relaxation techniques.

Three types: In-session Exercises (guided therapy activities), Client Activities (take-home tasks), and Caregiver Worksheets (parent-guided skill-building). These target cognitive, behavioral, and relational growth.

Yes. It integrates insights from school psychology, social work, and clinical therapy to promote executive functioning, social skills, and mind-body connections through activities like role-playing and mindfulness.

Some users find the age range too broad, noting exercises may need adjustment for younger children. It also lacks explicit guidance for pre-verbal trauma.

While both focus on child mental health, CBT Toolbox is CBT-specific, with structured worksheets. The Trauma-Informed Toolbox emphasizes broader social-emotional learning and sensory regulation.

Core themes include interrupting negative thought cycles, fostering resilience through skill-building, and strengthening caregiver-child relationships via collaborative exercises.

Therapists can customize activities—for example, using Socratic questioning to challenge anxiety-driven thoughts or behavioral charts to track progress in conduct disorder cases.

With rising rates of childhood anxiety and ADHD diagnoses, the book remains a timely resource for evidence-based, adaptable interventions in school and clinical settings.