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Teen therapyAnxietyOCDDepressionParents and familiesSelf-harm and suicidal ideationStress managementDifficult life transitionsApproaches
Play therapy and art therapyVideo game therapyCognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)Exposure and response preventionMindfulness-based therapiesFamily and filial therapyCollaborative problem solvingSafety planning and harm reductionBook on Jane“Behind most difficult behaviour is a skill that has not developed yet. My work is to help children build it, and to help the adults around them feel less alone while they do.”
Pamela Wallberg, RCC
Understanding the approach
Collaborative problem solving is built on the idea that kids do well if they can.
Lives in the Balance. “Kids do well if they can” is the guiding philosophy of Collaborative & Proactive Solutions, developed by Dr. Ross Greene. link
Greene, R. W. (1998). The explosive child. HarperCollins.
Read the researchWhen a child struggles with behaviour, it is often because a skill, such as flexibility, frustration tolerance or problem-solving, has not yet developed, not because they are choosing to be difficult.
Instead of rewards, punishments or power struggles, adults and children work together to name a problem, understand each person’s concerns and come up with a plan that works for everyone. The same steps can help parents who see things differently work toward a shared plan.
The approach was developed by psychologist Ross Greene and described in his 1998 book The Explosive Child. It is known as Collaborative Problem Solving or Collaborative and Proactive Solutions, and it can be learned through the Lives in the Balance association.
Greene, R. W. (1998). The explosive child. HarperCollins.
Lives in the Balance: About Collaborative & Proactive Solutions, and how to learn the approach. link
Read the researchCollaborative problem solving has been studied mainly with children who have significant behavioural and emotional challenges. Randomised trials, including recent ones published in 2022 and 2023, found it helped reduce oppositional behaviour and irritability, and it performed about as well as a well-established parent training program. Results in school settings have been more mixed, and a 2026 review is adding to the evidence. More research is still needed.
Greene, R. W., & Winkler, J. (2019). Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS): A review of research findings in families, schools, and treatment facilities. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 22(4), 549–561. link
Ollendick, T. H., Greene, R. W., et al. (2016). Parent management training (PMT) and Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS): A randomized control trial for oppositional youth. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 45(5), 591–604. link
Murrihy, R. C., et al. (2023). Community-delivered Collaborative and Proactive Solutions and Parent Management Training for oppositional youth: A randomized trial. Behavior Therapy, 54(2), 400–417. link
Mulraney, M., et al. (2022). Collaborative and Proactive Solutions compared with usual care to treat irritability in children and adolescents: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Clinical Psychologist, 26(2), 231–239.
Greene, R. W., Ablon, J. S., Goring, J. C., et al. (2004). Effectiveness of collaborative problem solving in affectively dysregulated children with oppositional-defiant disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(6), 1157–1164.
Bostrom, S., Karlberg, M., Schell, C., & Klang, N. (2024). Evaluation of the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions model in an alternative educational setting. Education Sciences, 14(3), 245. link
Norman, U. A., Fortune, D. G., Hehir, F., & Sachsenmaier, T. (2026). Evaluating Collaborative & Proactive Solutions across settings: Mini meta-analysis of behavioral outcomes and relational implications. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 48(4), 682–706. link
Lives in the Balance: CPS research. link
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare: Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS). link
Read the researchHow it works
Every child is different, so the pace and order change. This is the general path.
01
We listen to understand what is getting in your child’s way, asking curious questions and reflecting what we hear.
02
We name both your concern and your child’s concern, so each person feels heard.
03
Together we brainstorm solutions that are realistic and mutually satisfactory, and pick one to try.
04
We review how the plan is working and adjust it, building skills each time.
Collaborative problem solving is part of care for many concerns. Choose one to see how I work with it.
Related approaches
It means we focus first on solving the problem behind the behaviour. Limits and safety stay in place, and we build the skills so they are needed less.
Most children respond well when they feel heard. We start small and build trust.
Yes. Teens often respond especially well to being treated as a partner in finding solutions.
Trusted resources
Free, evidence-informed information from Kelty Mental Health at BC Children’s Hospital. These links open in a new tab.
Information on this page is provided by Pamela Wallberg, MA, RCC, Registered Clinical Counsellor. Last updated October 2026. This page is general information and is not a substitute for individual care.
Related: Family and filial therapy · Parents and families · Teen therapy