What is Behavioral Therapy?
Behavioral therapy can help treat a variety of behavioral disorders. Learn more about behavioral therapy treatment here.
What is Behavioral Therapy?
Questions About Treatment?
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Questions About Treatment?
Our team is standing by to address your questions. Your call is confidential and no obligation is required.
What Does a Behavioral Therapist Do?
Role of a Behavioral Therapist
Behavioral therapists have many different responsibilities. The main ones include:
- Assisting individuals in developing healthy thought patterns and behaviors
- Diagnosing mental health disorders
- Designing suitable treatment programs based on individual diagnoses
- Recommending exercises and activities to help individuals overcome their problems
Types of Behavioral Therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis
Applied behavior analysis is a behavioral treatment that focuses on improving specific behaviors such as social skills, reading, and academics. This type of therapy is usually used for people who struggle with autism. Still, it can also treat adults and children who struggle with various psychological disorders. 2Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a type of behavior therapy that is focused on how thoughts and perceptions affect a person’s behavior. CBT is generally used to treat those who struggle with addiction and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral play therapy is a type of behavioral therapy for kids. This type of behavioral counseling uses storytelling, games, puppets, and other activities to help build positive behaviors in kids.Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is a type of behavioral counseling involving exposing an individual to situations and things that cause them distress so they can learn how to cope and manage stress levels in those specific circumstances properly. Exposure therapy is generally used for those who struggle with anxiety and OCD.Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
REBT is a type of behavioral counseling that can treat various emotional or behavioral issues. The difference between REBT from other types of behavioral treatment is that it focuses on treating the present thoughts and behaviors rather than past experiences.Social Learning Theory
Social learning theory is a behavioral treatment approach that focuses on the importance of considering and modeling the behaviors and attitudes of others. Considering the thoughts, attitudes, and feelings of others can lead to better behaviors for the individual as well. 4
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical behavioral therapy is a type of behavioral counseling that uses mindfulness techniques to treat mental health conditions. DBT was designed to treat borderline personality disorder but has since been adapted to treat several other mental health conditions.3
Techniques Used in Behavioral Therapy
Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning behavioral therapy techniques focus on unconscious or automatic learning processes to treat individuals. Common classical conditioning techniques used in modern behavioral therapy include:
- Aversion therapy: A behavioral psychotherapy technique designed to cause an individual to reduce or avoid undesirable behaviors by conditioning the person to associate the behavior with an undesirable result or feeling.
- Flooding: A behavioral method in which an individual is exposed to an anxiety-producing situation or stimulus that is either described or real. This type of exposure therapy helps someone learn to cope in stressful situations. 5
- Systematic desensitization: A behavioral treatment approach for phobias where an individual is exposed to anxiety-producing situations and taught relaxation techniques they can use to cope and reduce stress.
Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning is a psychological principle based on how people respond to rewards and punishment. Common operant conditioning techniques used in the behavioral treatment approach include:
- Contingency management: Contingency management involves rewards for hitting certain milestones during treatment. This helps individuals stay committed to the treatment program.
- Extinction: A behavioral treatment approach that involves no longer reinforcing negative behavior with a reaction.
- Behavior modeling: A behavioral approach to therapy that involves modeling or considering the behaviors of others.
- Token economies: Used during the behavioral approach to therapy to provide rewards or positive reinforcement for good behaviors.
What Behavioral Therapy Can Help With
- Bipolar disorder
- Alcohol and substance use disorders
- Anxiety
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Panic disorder
- Phobias
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Benefits of Behavioral Therapy
Common benefits of behavioral therapy include (but are not limited to):
- Communication: Behavioral psychotherapy can often help individuals develop better communication skills through talk therapy and other activities that build life skills.
- Coping strategies: A common goal of behavioral therapy is to learn coping strategies for stressful situations in everyday life that will improve behaviors over time.
- Healthier thought patterns: Behavioral therapy will also lead to healthier thought patterns that result in more positive behaviors.
- Self-esteem: Behavior change therapy can also boost self-esteem from positive results in one’s life from going through behavioral therapy sessions.
Behavioral therapy is curated to fit the needs and expectations of each individual, and will thus have unique benefits relevant to each person’s goals and commitment.
How to Get Started with Behavioral Therapy
- Find a behavioral therapist: An essential part of the behavioral treatment process is finding a therapist that is right for you and your needs. It may take a bit of research to find someone who is the right fit.
- Ask for recommendations: A good way to find a behavioral therapist is to ask for recommendations. An excellent place to start would be to ask for recommendations from your doctor or contact a treatment provider.
- Contact your health insurance: You should also contact your health insurance to see what treatment providers are covered by your insurance plan.
- Set goals: An important part of behavioral therapy is to set goals for what you want to get out of your treatment. This will help you go in the right direction with your treatment plan.
- Be an active participant: Remember to be an active participant during therapy sessions to get the most benefit from the treatment program.
Get Behavioral Therapy at Essence Health & Wellness
If you’re looking for behavioral therapy treatment, Essence Health & Wellness can help. Contact us today for more information on our behavioral therapy services and how we can get you started in a treatment program.
