Which therapeutic approach is commonly used for pediatric anxiety that involves parents?

• A. Family-based CBT with parent involvement and strategies to reduce accommodation.
• B. Individual CBT without parental involvement.
• C. Medication management only.
• D. Psychoeducation without active skills practice.

Answer: (A)

Family involvement is central in treating pediatric anxiety, and a family-based CBT approach brings parents into therapy with strategies to reduce accommodation. This means parents learn how to respond to worry and avoidance in ways that support gradual exposure and skill-building rather than enabling safety behaviors. When parents reduce accommodations—such as stepping in to solve problems for the child or allowing avoidance—the child can practice coping strategies in real life settings, leading to more durable improvements. This approach also helps align at-home routines and expectations with what the child is learning in therapy, reinforcing progress beyond sessions.

Individual CBT without parental involvement can help, but it misses the chance to modify family dynamics that often maintain anxiety. Medication management alone doesn’t teach coping skills or address family patterns. Psychoeducation without active skills practice provides information but not the behavioral tools that move children toward overcoming fear.