Once your teen has a diagnosis, you start hearing a new set of letters: CBT, DBT, SSRI, EMDR. This page explains the most common therapies, medications, and approaches in plain language so you can ask better questions and understand the plan a clinician proposes. No treatment works the same way for every teen, and decisions — especially about medication — belong with a qualified prescriber who knows your child.
Terms in this section
These are the therapies, medications, and treatment approaches you are most likely to encounter for adolescents. Knowing what each one is helps you understand a treatment plan and ask whether it fits your teen. The strongest evidence in adolescent mental health tends to support specific, structured therapies — sometimes combined with medication — but the right combination is always individual.
- Psychotherapy (“talk therapy”)
- A broad term for treatment delivered through conversation with a trained professional. The specific type matters: different approaches below are designed for different problems.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- A structured, skills-based therapy that helps a person notice and change unhelpful patterns of thought and behavior. It has strong research support for anxiety and depression in young people and is often a first-line recommendation.
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- An approach originally developed for intense emotions and self-harm that teaches concrete skills in areas like distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and relationships. Adolescent DBT often involves both the teen and the parents.
- Exposure and response prevention (ERP)
- A specialized form of CBT considered the leading psychotherapy for OCD. It gradually and supportively helps a person face feared situations without performing the usual rituals.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- A structured therapy used for trauma in which a person recalls distressing memories while doing guided eye movements or other rhythmic stimulation. It is among the recognized treatments for PTSD.
- Family-based treatment (FBT, “the Maudsley approach”)
- An evidence-based treatment for adolescent eating disorders that puts parents in an active role in supporting their child’s recovery, especially around restoring healthy eating.
- Family therapy
- Therapy that works with the family as a system rather than the teen alone, improving communication and patterns at home. It is a core part of many adolescent treatment plans.
- Group therapy
- Therapy delivered to several people at once, led by a clinician. For teens it can reduce isolation and build skills through peer connection, often alongside individual work.
- SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
- A class of antidepressant medication commonly used for depression and anxiety in adolescents. A few are specifically approved for use in young people. Whether and which to use, and at what dose, is a decision for a prescriber, who will also monitor closely after starting.
- Antidepressants and the boxed warning
- U.S. labeling carries a warning that antidepressants can be associated with increased suicidal thinking in some children, teens, and young adults, especially early in treatment. This is the reason for close monitoring after starting; for many young people the benefits outweigh the risks, but that judgment belongs with the prescriber.
- Stimulant medication
- The most studied and commonly used class of medication for ADHD. Non-stimulant options also exist. As with any medication, the choice and dose are made and monitored by a prescriber.
- Medication management
- Ongoing care from a prescriber — typically a psychiatrist, pediatrician, or psychiatric nurse practitioner — to start, adjust, monitor, and review medication over time.
- Evidence-based treatment
- An approach that has been studied in research and shown to help with a specific problem. It is worth asking any provider what evidence supports the treatment they recommend for your teen.
How to use this glossary
Use these entries to understand the options a clinician describes, not to choose a treatment on your own. The best approach depends on the specific diagnosis, your teen’s history and preferences, and how they respond over time — which is something only ongoing professional care can sort out.
When a provider recommends a treatment, it is fair to ask what it involves, what evidence supports it for your teen’s situation, how long before you might see change, and what the alternatives are. Decisions about medication in particular should always be made with a qualified prescriber who monitors your child closely, especially in the early weeks.
If your teen is in crisis, treatment planning can wait — safety comes first. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7, or go to your nearest emergency room.
Related sections
Treatments are delivered in different settings and intensities; the program types section explains levels of care from outpatient to residential. To understand which professional provides which treatment, see clinical roles & credentials, and for the conditions these treatments address, see conditions and diagnoses.
Sources
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) — treatment resources and Facts for Families (aacap.org)
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) — information on psychotherapies and mental health medications (nimh.nih.gov)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — medication labeling and safety information (fda.gov)
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) — HealthyChildren.org guidance on therapy and medication
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) — evidence-based practice resources (samhsa.gov)
- [Formal citations will be added at clinical review. See medical review.]