What is Problematic Smartphone Use?
Who We Treat
We support:
- Adolescents whose schooling or social development is affected by excessive screen time.
- Adults with compulsive checking, social media addiction, or work-related phone overuse.
- Individuals with co-occurring anxiety, depression or ADHD where phone use is a coping strategy.
- Parents seeking structured plans to manage their children’s device use.
Our Mobile Phone Addiction Treatment Program
Our multi-faceted programme blends therapy, technology and family engagement to create lasting change:
- Comprehensive assessment: screen for problematic use, sleep disturbance, attention issues and mental health comorbidity.
- CBT for problematic use: stimulus control, cognitive restructuring, habit-replacement and scheduled phone-free periods.
- Digital hygiene training: app limits, notification management, do-not-disturb scheduling, and use of accountability software where appropriate.
- Family & workplace interventions: device contracts, graded reduction plans, and employer/teacher liaison for adolescents.
- Mindfulness & stress-management: alternative coping strategies to replace checking behaviour.
- Treatment of comorbidities: ADHD, anxiety and depression are treated alongside behavioural therapy when present.
- Aftercare & relapse prevention: booster sessions, digital check-ins and community resources to maintain gains.
Clinical Approach & Practical Tools
We prioritise practical, sustainable tools over punitive measures. For adolescents, we work with families to set age-appropriate boundaries and replacement activities; for adults we focus on workplace strategies and habit reversal. Practical tools include scheduled phone-free windows, app timers, and building rewarding offline routines.
Clinician’s Note
“Phone overuse often fills an emotional gap—loneliness, boredom or anxiety. Our role is to help people identify those drivers, build healthier coping skills, and regain time for meaningful life activities.”
— Dr. Nisha Rao, Clinical Psychologist
What to Expect — Timeline & Outcomes
Early benefits from behavioural changes (improved sleep, fewer distractions) can appear within days to weeks. Lasting change requires skill practice: most structured programmes run 6–12 weeks with follow-up booster sessions. Outcomes include reduced daily screen time, improved concentration, better sleep, and healthier relationships with technology.
Find Digital Balance — Book a Confidential Assessment
If phone use is harming your life or your child’s wellbeing, we can help. Call for a confidential assessment and tailored treatment plan that fits your family or work needs.
