Behavior Therapy

A Current View of Behavior Therapy

"The person is the producer and the product of his or her environment." (Corey, 2009)

Seven Key Characteristics of Behavior Therapy

1. Based on the principles and procedures of the scientific method.
2. Behavior includes actions as well as internal processes such as thoughts, images, beliefs, and emotions and can be operationally defined.
3. Dealing with current problems and the factors that influence present functioning through functional assessment and behavioral analysis.
4. Clients must assume an active role in dealing with their problems. DO something to bring about change.
5. Changes in behavior can occur prior to or simultaneously with understanding of oneself.
6. Assessment informs the treatment process and is an ongoing process of observation and self-monitoring.
7. Behavioral treatments are tailored to specific problems experienced by each individual client.

 

Important Figures in Behavioral Therapy

B.F. Skinner (1904 - 1990)

Albert Bandura (1925 - )

Arnold A. Lazarus (1932 - )

Goals of Behavior Therapy

To increase personal choice and create new conditions for learning.

Behavior therapy is a goal oriented procedure in which the client and the therapist define clear, concrete, understood, and agreed upon objectives that result in a negotiable contract that guides the course of therapy. 

Techniques

• Classical Conditioning 
• Operant Conditioning - Positive/Negative Reinforcement, Positive/Negative Punishment, and Extinction
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Systematic Desensitization
• Exposure Therapies & Flooding - Imagined and In Vivo
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Social Skills Training 
• Assertion Training
• Self-Management Programs
• Multimodal Therapy 
• Mindfulness and Acceptance Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

 

References:

Corey, Gerald (2012). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy. 9th ed. 

      Belmont,California: Brooks/Cole. (pp. 245-281).

VPlatform. (2009, Sep 17). Window to an EMDR Session [Video file]. Retrieved from 

       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqbFIj5vwmA&feature=related