Behaviour Therapy Essay

1861 Words8 Pages
Section A Briefly describe an approach of your choice. BEHAVIOUR THERAPY A brief introduction to behavior therapy The term behaviour therapy is very often interchanged with behaviour modification. Behaviour modification can be defined as “the attempt to alter human behaviour and emotion in a beneficial manner according to the laws of modern learning theory”. Contemporary behavior therapy can be divided into four areas of development and these are: (1) classical conditioning, (2) operant conditioning, (3) social learning theory and (4) cognitive behavior therapy (Corey, 2009). The therapeutic process Goals are of fundamental importance in behavior therapy. They aim at increasing personal choice and learning behavior. The first step in the therapeutic process is to look for target behaviours that need change. This can be achieved through a formal assessment. Behavioural analysis is conducted in order to identify the situational antecedents, the problem behavior and its consequences – the ABC model (Corey, 2009). The antecedents (A) are the cues or stimuli which influence the behavior (B) to produce the consequences (C), also known as the event. During an assessment interview, the antecedents, behavior and events are identified (Corey, 2009). The therapist “formulates the initial treatment goals and designs and implements a treatment plan to accomplish these goals” (Corey, 2009. pp239). He/she also uses several strategies. The next process is the evaluation of progress followed by follow-up assessments (Corey, 2009). The therapeutic process is based on the between collaboration of the therapist and the client and flexibility is important. What are the behavioural techniques and why are they important? One common method of behavior therapy is relaxation training. However, relaxation solely is not very effective in reducing anxiety or phobias. It
Open Document