Overview
What is Independence Therapy?
Independence Therapy is an effective treatment for children who struggle to do things on their own and for parents who find themselves constantly stepping in to help. Independence Therapy was developed by one of the partners at CBA, Dr. Camilo Ortiz, and by one of our staff members, Dr. Matthew Fastman. Kids are asked to do fun and sometimes challenging tasks by themselves, and parents work with the therapist to manage their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors while loosening the reins.
“As much as I’m giving her independence, she’s giving it back to me.”
Research study
NYU Research Collaboration with Cognitive Behavioral Associates!
Families will receive compensation for participating in this exciting research collaboration with NYU to study the effectiveness of Independence Therapy for children struggling with anxiety and independence-related challenges.
This study is designed for children who:
- Reside in NY State
- Are struggling to separate from parents or having difficulty attending school on their own
- Are frequently anxious or worried, especially about new situations or routines
- Have trouble sleeping alone or needing constant reassurance at bedtime
- Avoid social activities (like playdates, sleepovers, or after-school events) due to fear or worry
- Are overly dependent on parents for comfort or decision-making — finding it hard to do things independently
Participation includes: Free Independence Therapy sessions with expert clinicians, plus compensation for families for taking part in the research.
If your child fits this description, please complete the short form below. Dr. Camilo Ortiz or Dr. Matthew Fastman will contact you within 2 business days to share more details and determine eligibility.
Apply for the Independent Study
The book
Our book: Let Go to Let Grow
Written by Dr. Matthew Fastman and Dr. Camilo Ortiz, the CBA psychologists who developed Independence Therapy — Let Go to Let Grow is a practical guide to the approach. It walks through how carefully chosen “independence activities” help anxious children build real-world confidence, and how parents learn to step back so their kids can step up. Grounded in the authors’ research, including the first published study of Independence Therapy in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, it’s written for clinicians and offers clear context for the parents we work with.
The therapy this anxious generation needs most.
Independence activities can include:
- Go for a walk around the neighborhood
- Climb a tree
- Ride a bike
- Build something
- Pick up groceries
- Run in the rain
- Cook something over a flame
- Attend an event
- Ride a public bus
- Go sledding
- Play sports at the park
- Go fishing
- Walk around with a blindfold
- Cut something open and see what’s inside
- Scooter
- Cut your hair
- Ride go-karts
- Go to the movies
If you are a mental health professional and would like training in Independence Therapy, please click here for an engaging, self-directed training in IT!
Learn Morehow independence therapy can help
Benefits of Independence Therapy
For kids
- Reduced anxiety, fewer fears
- Greater self-confidence
- Increased resilience, bravery, and toughness
- More grown-up responsibilities
- Opportunities for creativity and fun!
For parents
- Greater confidence in your child
- More free time
- Less anxiety
Source: Let Grow Independence Challenge
Independence Therapy is comprised of four parts
01The Value of Independence
Some independence is essential for kids! Here, we discuss why independence is so important for kids, and why kids are getting less of it. Why is it so hard to ‘let them go to let them grow’?
02Planning Independence Activities
This part is all about brainstorming and planning ‘independence activities (IAs).’ IAs are fun but challenging tasks for kids that involve a mild risk of discomfort or danger. They are unstructured and performed without any help from parents or teachers. Your child will be actively involved in choosing and planning the IAs and will be encouraged to creatively brainstorm and determine tasks that are fun and appealing. Your child will be asked to complete at least one IA at home per day after this session.
03Refining and Problem Solving
After kids get some practice with IAs, we ask: What changes can parents and children make to increase the power of IAs? Are there any obstacles to the successful completion of IAs, and what can we do about them?
04Managing the future
At the end, we think about life after treatment and plan to ensure continued independence practice in the child’s life.
Research
Independence Therapy works
A recent study published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders (authored by us!) demonstrates the effectiveness of Independence Therapy.
Independence Therapy was developed in collaboration with Let Grow. Let Grow’s school- and home-based programs help kids increase their independence, and they have gathered many real-life stories showing how helpful and exciting this can be!
Source: Let Grow Independence Challenge
frequently asked questions
FAQs
Independence Therapy sounds like it would help my child, but wouldn’t it be irresponsible of me to leave them unsupervised in the world?
Check out the facts and research on child safety, risk, and crime. Chances of some nefarious stranger taking your child are almost nil. Alarming stories catch your attention and sell quite well, but they are overwhelmingly exaggerated by the media. Watching your kids succeed will help you understand this!
Why would my kid agree to this? They’re too anxious!
Since kids get to choose the activities they do, they feel like a true collaborator in treatment. We want them to choose fun, acceptable activities so that they feel motivated to actually do them. Plus, kids have inherent developmental desires to be more independent—we will help them consider all of the cool new responsibilities that may come with more independence!
Will other parents judge me for giving my kid this freedom?
It’s possible, but that judgment would come from an unsupported, reactionary viewpoint. Letting your child be more independent is a research-backed idea, so you can feel confident knowing you are doing the right thing. We will support you through this during treatment.
Will my child get hurt?
All kids have the potential to get hurt when playing. There’s a little bit of risk in a lot of everyday activities that all kids must learn to navigate. We will work with you to ensure your child’s safety as much as it makes sense to, but mild danger is an important ingredient of this treatment. We will keep in mind your child’s physical and developmental limitations, teach them coping skills to help manage difficult emotions, and prepare them to handle tough situations on their own.