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Skills Classes

Child and adolescent mental health

Coping when the Struggle is Real: Telling Youth and Family Stories with Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning

Skills Class 21 - Coping When the Struggle Is Real: Telling Youth and Family Stories with Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning

Saturday, June 27, 2026
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM PDT
Location: Yerba Buena Salon 10, B3 Level
Earn 1.5 Credit
Keywords: Case Conceptualization / Formulation, Children, CBT
Level of Familiarity: Moderate
Recommended Readings: Chu, B. C., & Pimentel, S. (2023). CBT Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders in Youth. New York: Guilford Press.,   Chu, B.C., Badin, E., & Pimentel, S. S. (in press). Coping when the Struggle is Real: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Strategies for Youth Anxiety. In R.D. Friedberg & M.A. Thordarson (Eds.), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Youth: Tradition and Innovation (2nd Ed.). New York: Humana (Springer).,   Pimentel, S.S., & DeLapp, R.D. (2022). Superheroes and CBT for Youth, In RD Friedberg & EV Rozmid (Eds.), Creative CBT with Youth Clinical Applications Using Humor, Play, Superheroes, and Improvisation (pp. 143-174), Springer Publications. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99669-7,   ,  
Youth and teens are managing an unprecedented number of stressors. Rates of anxiety and mood disorders, already high, may have doubled during acute COVID-19 times, with the most troubling outcomes unevenly distributed to young people, those with fewer financial resources, and minoritized communities. At the same time, multiple social justice issues came to the forefront and continue to present challenges to our most vulnerable. The challenge for any cognitive-behavioral therapist is to help youth navigate a complex world where anxiety and sadness are understandable reactions to the stressors and barriers they face, while also promoting meaningful action, engagement and self-efficacy that can help buffer some of the effects of these real-world stressors. This workshop will focus on refreshing and bolstering the core skills of case conceptualization and treatment planning. The presenters will introduce a multi-system, strengths- and values-based case formulation approach and illustrate it with case examples. The Cultural Formulation Interview (APA, 2013) and ADDRESSING system (Hays, 2001) will be described as ways to support culturally informed case formulation. Attendees will then be invited to nominate their own cases for live group discussion and demonstration. Depending on the size of the group, attendees will work in small groups to brainstorm case conceptualizations to make treatment plans that target the youth’s primary goals while addressing the case’s complexities.

Learning Objectives:

  • Create a multi-systems case conceptualization that incorporates youth, family, and community factors that maintain behaviors.
  • Describe the Cultural Formulation Interview and ADDRESSING systems as ways to support culturally informed case formulation.
  • Choose key CBT strategies (e.g., problem-solving, exposure, mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, etc.) to match case formulation.
  • Consult with presenters about challenging cases that have evaded understanding and intervention.