From the Guidelines
Behavioral therapy is a diverse group of interventions targeted at changing maladaptive behaviors and thought patterns to improve mental health and well-being, as evidenced by the clinical practice guideline for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with anxiety disorders 1. This approach typically involves identifying problematic behaviors, understanding their triggers, and developing strategies to change them. Key techniques used in behavioral therapy include exposure therapy, where individuals gradually confront feared situations; cognitive restructuring, which involves challenging and changing negative thought patterns; and positive reinforcement, where desired behaviors are rewarded.
Some of the specific elements of behavioral therapy, also known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), include:
- Education about anxiety
- Behavioral goal setting with contingent rewards
- Self-monitoring for connections between worries/fears, thoughts, and behaviors
- Relaxation techniques including deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery
- Cognitive restructuring that challenges distortions such as catastrophizing, over-generalization, negative prediction, and all-or-nothing thinking
- Graduated exposure incorporating graded steps to confront feared situations, as outlined in the clinical practice guideline 1.
In practice, a behavioral therapist might work with a client to set specific, measurable goals and then use various techniques to help achieve them. For example, someone with social anxiety might gradually practice social interactions, starting with less challenging scenarios and working up to more difficult ones. The therapist would provide support, feedback, and strategies throughout this process, with the goal of achieving meaningful symptomatic and functional improvement within 12 to 20 sessions 1.
The effectiveness of behavioral therapy lies in its systematic approach to changing behaviors and thought patterns that contribute to psychological distress, and its emphasis on practical strategies and skills that clients can use in their daily lives, making it a highly actionable form of treatment 1.
From the Research
Definition of Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral therapy, also known as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), is a form of psychological treatment that focuses on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. It is based on the assumption that mental disorders and psychological distress are maintained by cognitive factors, such as negative beliefs and thoughts.
Key Components of Behavioral Therapy
The key components of behavioral therapy include:
- Cognitive restructuring: helping patients identify, evaluate, and modify inaccurate or unhelpful thinking associated with emotional distress 2, 3, 6
- Behavioral activation: increasing engagement in activities that provide a sense of accomplishment or pleasure, particularly for patients who are depressed 6
- Exposure: planned contact with feared stimuli and situations to experience an extinction of fear, particularly for anxious patients 3, 6
- Problem solving: systematically approaching and addressing life problems using cognitive and behavioral techniques 2, 6
- Re-attribution: replacing negative self-statements with more appropriate ones 2
- Decatastrophizing: helping patients evaluate situations along a continuum rather than seeing them in black and white 2
- Affect regulation: teaching patients to recognize stimuli that provoke negative emotions and mitigate emotional arousal through self-talk and relaxation 2
Techniques Used in Behavioral Therapy
Various techniques are used in behavioral therapy, including:
- The ABCDE method: a cognitive restructuring technique that involves identifying the activating event, beliefs, consequences, disputation, and effective new approach 2
- The SOLVE method: a problem-solving technique that involves selecting a problem, generating options, rating the likely outcome, choosing the best option, and evaluating the outcome 2
- Mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies: focusing on changing the relationship between the individual and their symptoms, rather than modifying cognitions 5