Behaviour therapy
Behavior Therapy
Behavioral therapy is a term that describes a broad range of techniques used to change maladaptive behaviors. The goal is to reinforce desirable behaviors and eliminate unwanted ones.
What Are Behavioral Therapy Techniques?
In order to understand how behavioral therapy works, it is important to know more about the basic principles that contribute to behavioral therapy. The techniques used in this type of treatment are based on the theories of classical conditioning and operant conditioning.
This process involves pairing an undesirable behavior with an aversive stimulus in the hope that the unwanted behavior will eventually be reduced. For example, someone with an alcohol use disorder might take Antabuse (disulfiram), a drug that causes severe symptoms (such as headaches, nausea, anxiety, and vomiting) when combined with alcohol.
This process involves exposing people to fear-invoking objects or situations intensely and rapidly. It is often used to treat phobias. During the process, the individual is prevented from escaping or avoiding the situation.
In this technique, people make a list of fears and then learn to relax while concentrating on these fears. Starting with the least fear-inducing item and working their way to the most fear-inducing item, people systematically confront these fears under the guidance of a therapist. Systematic desensitization is often used to treat phobias and other anxiety disorders.
This approach uses a formal written contract between a client and a therapist (or parent or teacher) that outlines behavior-change goals, reinforcements, rewards, and penalties. Contingency contracts can be very effective in producing behavior changes since the rules are spelled out clearly, preventing both parties from backing down on their promises.
Another way to produce behavior change is to stop reinforcing behavior in order to eliminate the response. Time-outs are a perfect example of the extinction process. During a time-out, a person is removed from a situation that provides reinforcement. By taking away what the person found rewarding, unwanted behavior is
eventually extinguished.
This technique involves learning through observation and modeling the behavior of others. Rather than relying simply on reinforcement or punishment,modeling allows individuals to learn new skills or acceptable behaviors by watching someone else perform those desired skills.
This strategy relies on reinforcement to modify behavior. Parents and teachers often use token economies, allowing kids to earn tokens for engaging in preferred behaviors and lose tokens for undesirable behaviors. These tokens can then be traded for rewards such as candy, toys, or extra time playing with a favorite toy.
What Behavioral Therapy Can Help With
Behavioral therapy can be utilized to treat a wide range of psychological conditions and disorders, including:
- Anxiety
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Dyslexia
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Panic Disorder
- Phobia
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
What are benefits of Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral therapy is widely used and has been shown to be effective in treating a number of different conditions. Behavioral therapy has been found to help people with the following:
- Communication
- Coping strategies
- Behaviour reduction
- Skill acquisition
- Healthier thought patterns
- Self-esteem
