AFFIRM Mental Health Courses
Store My Library
About Contact

When the Struggle is Real: Helping Youth Through Real-Life Challenges with CBT with Sandy Pimentel, PhD & Brian Chu, PhD

Earn Continuing Education Credits (CEs): By listening to this episode, you can earn CEs if you join the Affirm Academy! To learn more and register, visit affirmmentalhealth.com, and click on the "Join the Affirm Academy" button.

SIGN IN: Affirm Academy Members: Log in to get your CEs! If you're already a member, you can log in to your account https://shaina-siber-sanderowitz.mykajabi.com/login to take your post-test/evaluation and get your certificate within minutes.

SIGN UP: Become a member here: https://affirmmentalhealth.com/become-a-member/

Course Information: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGjQ3iSjqY/LbPV8cUpLQJZ4jEbP_0sjQ/edit?utm_content=DAGjQ3iSjqY&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Episode Summary: In this rich and clinically grounded episode, host Shaina Siber, LCSW  is joined by Dr. Brian Chu and Dr. Sandy Pimentel to talk about how CBT can be delivered effectively and flexibly with children and adolescents—especially those managing chronic stress, social exclusion, systemic barriers, and complex family dynamics.

Drawing from their new book, CBT Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders in Youth, they offer practical tools and clinical decision-making strategies to maintain CBT fidelity while adjusting to developmental needs and contextual factors. This conversation is designed for therapists seeking to strengthen case conceptualization, intervention planning, and outcome monitoring in real-world clinical settings.

---

Topics Covered:

  • How to structure CBT with children and adolescents
  • Maintaining a strong CBT case conceptualization throughout treatment
  • Tailoring CBT tools like behavioral activation, exposure, cognitive restructuring, and psychoeducation to fit cultural, developmental, and systemic realities
  • Using “collaborative empiricism” to engage youth and families
  • Clarifying treatment targets that don’t map onto DSM diagnoses
  • Practical adaptations for homework, thought tracking, and skills practice
  • Managing common barriers like overscheduling, peer conflict, and avoidance
  • The importance of involving caregivers and adjusting for family dynamics
  • The role of ongoing assessment and clinical flexibility in sustaining fidelity

---

About Our Guests:

Brian C. Chu, Ph.D., is Professor in, and past Department Chair of, the Department of Clinical Psychology in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University, and Founder/Director of the Youth Anxiety and Depression Clinic (YAD-C). He has received diverse grant funding from NIMH, William T. Grant Foundation, NJ Governors, and other state/local agencies to develop and evaluate behavioral interventions, to understand the impact of internalizing problems on families, and to extend reach of services to underserved communities. He has authored/co-edited CBT Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders in Youth (Guilford, 2023) and Transdiagnostic Treatments for Children and Adolescents: Principles and Practice (Guilford, 2013). He is a Fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and past editor of Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. Dr. Chu’s work focuses on anxiety and mood problems in children and adolescents, with a special emphasis on therapy processes, mechanisms of change, and dissemination of evidence-based practices. He is a committed teacher and trainer to students and professional learners at all levels and actively collaborates with organizations to implement competent evidence-based psychological practice.

Sandra Pimentel, PhD is Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychology, Associate Director of Psychology Training, and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She launched and is Director of the Anxiety and Mood Program (AMP), a specialty training program in the Child Outpatient Psychiatry Department, and co-Director of the Becoming an Emerging Adult at Montefiore (BEAM) Program. From 2007 through 2015, Dr. Pimentel held the position of Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Columbia University Medical Center, where she served as Senior Psychologist and Associate Director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders. Dr. Pimentel specializes in cognitive behavioral treatments (CBT) for children, adolescents, and young adults with anxiety, mood, and behavioral difficulties. She is committed to teaching and advanced training, education, and mentorship are at the core of Dr. Pimentel's professional interests. Her research interests have focused on the dissemination of evidenced-based interventions for child and adolescent disorders and the evaluation of the most effective strategies for training and transporting treatments to school and community settings. Dr. Pimentel served as a CBT consultant for community- and school-based clinicians throughout New York State and for the New York State Office of Mental Health's statewide clinician training initiative. She was named a New York State Office of Mental Health Policy Scholar. Dr. Pimentel is actively involved in professional organizations, including the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies where she currently serves on the Board as Representative-at-Large and was just elected President-Elect. She is currently serving on the Board as Secretary-Treasurer. She also volunteers for community-based programs, and is involved in multiple community engagement initiatives in the Bronx. 

---

Featured Resource:

---

Connect with the Guests:

  • Dr. Brian Chu – Professor, Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
  • Dr. Sandy Pimentel – Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychology, Montefiore Medical Center
  • Both are available on LinkedIn

 

---

 

Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The host, Shaina Siber-Sanderowitz, LCSW, is the Founder of Affirm Mental Health, an accredited CE provider. She receives financial compensation from Affirm Mental Health for the development and delivery of continuing education content. There are no other conflicts of interest to disclose.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for clinical training or treatment. If you or someone you know needs mental health support, please reach out to a licensed professional.

---

Don't Forget to Subscribe: If you love this episode, be sure to follow The Affirming Minds Podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts. Share it on your socials and help us grow the community of engaged, empowered, and educated mental health professionals.

Join the Conversation: What did you think of this episode? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Tag us on social media with your biggest takeaways!

Find Us Here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com

Instagram: @affirmmentalhealth

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AFFIRMMentalHealth

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556924200735

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaina-siber-sanderowitz-905089249/

TikTok: @affirm_mental_health