Why Practicing Therapy Skills at Home Is a Game-Changer for Kids and Teens with Anxiety

A tween girl works on her therapy homework assigned by her therapist. Completing therapy homework in between sessions is a critical way to make progress in treatment, and helps to reinforce skill acquisition.

A few weeks ago, one of my teen clients—smart, funny, and full of insight—asked me with a dramatic sigh, “Wait... so therapy comes with homework? I've already got 3 AP classes at La Jolla High!” It made me laugh (and totally relate). But it also opened up a really important conversation: therapy homework isn’t about giving kids more to-dos. It’s about helping them build tools they can actually use when life gets stressful.

At La Jolla Therapy Center, we specialize in working with children, tweens, and teens who struggle with anxiety. And one thing we know for sure? The real growth doesn’t just happen in the therapy room—it happens in the everyday moments in between. That’s where practicing therapy skills, especially those from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), becomes essential.

Anxiety Doesn’t Just Happen in Session

Whether it’s social anxiety, school stress, or constant worries, anxious thoughts and feelings don’t wait for a scheduled session. They pop up during school drop-off, at sleepovers, before tests, or at the dinner table. CBT helps kids and teens recognize those moments and respond differently—but for that to happen, the skills we teach have to become familiar and automatic.

That’s why practice is key. CBT-based anxiety therapy for kids in La Jolla works best when families embrace what happens between sessions just as much as what happens during them.

What Does CBT “Homework” Look Like?

CBT homework isn’t about worksheets for the sake of it. It’s about helping kids and teens actively apply what they’re learning in therapy to real life. At La Jolla Therapy Center, we tailor these assignments to the child’s age, needs, and goals. Here are some common and powerful CBT tools we use:

• Emotion Identification Charts: For younger kids, learning to name and recognize emotions is foundational. We use visuals like mood meters or feelings wheels to help them understand what they’re feeling and why.

• Thought Logs: These help older kids and teens track their anxious thoughts, rate how strong they feel, and practice shifting them to more balanced perspectives. For example, turning “Everyone is going to judge me” into “I might feel nervous, but most people won’t even notice.”

• Exposure Exercises: These are a core part of CBT for anxiety. With support, kids and teens face their fears in small, manageable steps. For instance, a child with separation anxiety might start with short separations at home and gradually work toward staying with a babysitter. A teen with social anxiety might start with saying “hi” to someone in the hallway and build toward giving a presentation. Each exposure is paired with coping strategies they’ve already practiced, and it’s all done at a pace that feels safe and empowering.

• Behavioral Activation: When anxiety becomes severe, it can lead to avoidance of what used to be preferred and pleasurable activities—sports, clubs, arts + crafts, hobbies—which can have disastrous impact on mood. With behavioral activation, we use small, structured steps to re-engage our kids and teens in finding joy in their life again. That might mean scheduling a short hangout with a friend, planning a new art project to take on, or visiting puppies at the pet store. Practicing behavioral activation is a powerful component to manage mood flucuations related to anxiety symptoms.

  
  

When practiced consistently, these skills help kids move from “I can’t handle this” to “I’ve got this—even if it’s hard.”

Why Practice Builds Confidence

Learning to manage anxiety is like learning to ride a bike. If a child only gets on the bike once a week, progress will be slow. But with regular practice, the wobbles fade and confidence grows.

The same goes for therapy skills. Practicing outside of session—during the quiet moments at home, during stressful situations, or even when things are going well—helps those tools stick. They become second nature, which is exactly what we want for kids navigating the busy and often pressure-filled environments in San Diego schools and homes.

How Parents Can Support Without Pushing

Your role as a parent or caregiver is incredibly important—but it doesn’t mean you need to become your child’s therapist. The best support is often quiet, consistent encouragement.

Here are a few simple ways to help your child or teen stay engaged with their CBT practice:

• Ask supportive, open-ended questions like, “Did you use any of your calm-down strategies today?”

• Model emotional regulation yourself: “I was feeling overwhelmed earlier, so I took a few deep breaths.”

• Celebrate effort, not perfection: “I saw you working on your thought log today—great job noticing your feelings!”

• Use creative tools like sticker charts, visuals, or voice memos for younger kids who need engagement in fun, concrete ways.

  
  

As a family therapist in San Diego, I often remind parents: even small efforts, noticed and encouraged, can have a big impact.

What If My Child Doesn’t Want to Practice?

It’s totally normal for kids—especially tweens and teens—to resist therapy homework. They may forget, feel embarrassed, or worry that it’s “weird.” That’s part of the process, and not a sign that therapy isn’t working.

The key is flexibility. If a written thought log feels too tedious, maybe a voice memo works better. If a chart feels overwhelming, maybe a quick drawing helps a younger child express themselves. Our job is to make therapy feel like it belongs to the child—and that includes how they practice.

Therapy Is a Team Effort

At La Jolla Therapy Center, we view therapy as a partnership. We work closely with kids and families to create meaningful progress that carries over into daily life. Whether it’s helping a teen face social anxiety or supporting a younger child in building emotional awareness, practice is how progress happens.

Our aim is to equip children with tools they can use throughout all aspects of life—not only in challenging moments, but as resiliency skills they can utilize to take on whatever life throws their way.

Final Thoughts

Therapy homework might sound like just another task—but in reality, it’s the bridge between learning and living the tools we teach. Practicing CBT skills like emotion tracking, thought-challenging, exposures, and behavioral activation gives kids and teens the power to navigate anxiety with greater confidence. If you’re looking for a child or teen therapist in La Jolla or San Diego who specializes in anxiety and CBT, we’d love to support your family. At La Jolla Therapy Center, we’re here to help your child not just feel better—but feel equipped.

Our San Diego, California based counseling practice specializes in helping teens and adults who struggle with anxiety. Through counseling, we help kids and young adults overcome the negative thought cycles, the constant comparison game, and worst-case scenarios that accompany the anxious brain. Additionally, we offer other mental health services, primarily for perfectionists, overachievers or others who don’t feel like they 100% fit in. More specifically we offer treatment for anxiety/OCD, and depression at La Jolla Therapy Center. If you don’t live around San Diego or the commute makes in-person therapy impossible, all of our services are available via online therapy to anyone physically located in California. Therefore, we work with clients from Sacramento to Palo Alto or even Mountain View. You and your family deserve to finally feel less overwhelmed, so let’s get started!