Psychology · Ch 5 — Therapeutic Approaches
Behaviour Therapy
Behaviour Therapy
Behaviour therapy is built on a straightforward idea: psychological distress does not come from hidden inner conflicts or unconscious forces, but from faulty behaviour patterns and faulty thought patterns. The therapist’s job is not to dig into the past or make the client relive old wounds. The past matters only to the extent that it helps explain where the faulty patterns came from. What really counts is correcting those patterns in the present.
This approach is the clinical application of learning theory principles. In other words, if you learned a maladaptive behaviour, you can unlearn it and learn a healthier one instead.
Behaviour therapy is not a single, unified theory applied the same way to every client. It is a large collection of specific techniques and interventions. The choice of technique depends entirely on the client’s symptoms and clinical diagnosis.
For example, a client with phobias — excessive and crippling fears — would need one set of techniques. A client struggling with anger outbursts would need a completely different set. A depressed client is treated differently from an anxious one. There is no one-size-fits-all formula.
The foundation of behaviour therapy rests on three steps:
- Formulating exactly what the dysfunctional or faulty behaviours are.
- Identifying the factors that reinforce and maintain those behaviours. …