Behavior Therapy

                     
     B.F. Skinner 1904-1990                     Albert Bandura 1925-                      Arnold Lazarus 1932-


Behavior Therapy 

• Founders- B.F. Skinner, Albert Bandura, and Arnold Lazarus (Corey, 2012).
• Key concepts- view of human nature, basic characteristics and assumptions (Corey, 2012).

1. View of human nature- this concept is that clients are not products of their sociocultural but rather products and producers of their own environment (Corey, 2012). Behavior therapy is about giving control and freedom to clients. It encourages clients to increase their people skills so that they have better social skills in responses to different things and are not restricted or limited to choices. Behavior therapy increases freedom in clients by allowing them to explore other options. 
2. Basic characteristics and assumptions- there are seven main characteristics in behavior therapy: 1. behavior therapy is based on principles of the scientific method (Corey, 2012). The goal is to help clients change their maladaptive behaviors. 2. behavior is not just about the things we can observe on a client but can also include beliefs, emotions, images, and cognition (Corey, 2012). 3. behavior therapy is more concerned with current problems instead of past problems. What behaviors can be changed the fix the problems now not what behavior that could change the past. 4. clients are expected to be active and make changes that are needed in behavior therapy. 5. in behavior therapy it is a understanding that changes need to happen without understanding of where the problem begins. 6. assessment in behavior therapy clients is a ongoing process of observing the client by identifying the problem and evaluating the change (Corey, 2012). 7. behavioral therapy is specific to each person depending on the problem of a specific client.

• Therapeutic goals- the main goal in behavior therapy is to increase freedom and personal choice and to create new learning conditions for the client (Corey, 2012). It is very important that the client and the therapist together comes up with specific goals and ways to help the client be more independent and achieve those goals. 
• Techniques- using specific procedures and them prove to be effective is important in behavior therapy. A behavioral therapist should include anything that can be shown to positively and effectively show changes in a clients behavior. In behavior therapy it is more specific techniques for each client rather than just random samples for each and all techniques. Behavior therapy is a more specific to clients than any other therapy cause it's very unusual that any two clients are behaving in the exact same because of the exact same reasons so therefore the therapist has to deal with the individual needs of the individual client. 

Reference 

Corey, G. (2012). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (9th edition). Belmont, CA

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