Coping Cat Program
The Coping Cat program is a cognitive behavioural therapy intervention designed for children between the ages of 8 and 13.
The primary goal of the program is to teach children to recognize signs of anxious arousal and to let these signs serve as a cue to implement anxiety management techniques.
The program ususally takes place over 16 weeky sessions of 50 minutes delivered by appropriate professionals in a group setting.
The first eight sessions focus on skills training (e.g., affective education, awareness of somatic sensations associated with anxiety, cognitive restructuring, developing a coping plan, and evaluating performance and administering self-reinforcement). The second eight sessions focus on exposure tasks in a hierarchical sequence of anxiety-provoking situations.
Two parent-only sessions are included to provide psychoeducation on the child's treatment goals, collaborate regarding the parent's input, impressions, and ideas, and encourage parental cooperation with treatment.
The Coping Cat program was developed by Kendall and Hedtke at Temple University, Philadelphia. The autism version was developed by McNally and others at Alliant International University and other research organisations in San Diego.
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