Behavioral Therapy Health Article

Preparations

Patients may seek therapy independently, or be referred for treatment by a primary physician, psychologist, psychiatrist, or other healthcare professional. Because the patient and therapist work closely together to achieve specific therapeutic objectives, it is important that their working relationship be comfortable and that their treatment goals are compatible. Prior to beginning treatment, the patient and therapist should meet for a consultation session, or mutual interview. The consultation gives the therapist the opportunity to make an initial assessment (a detailed behavioral analysis of the particular incidents which lead up to and ensue after a specific unwanted behavior) of the patient and recommend a course of treatment and goals for therapy. It also gives the patient an opportunity to find out important details about the therapist's approach to treatment, professional credentials, and any other relevant issues important to them.

In some managed-care clinical settings, an intake interview or evaluation is required before a patient begins therapy. The intake interview is used to evaluate the patient and assign him or her to a therapist. It may be conducted by a psychiatric nurse, counselor, or social worker.

Precautions

Behavioral therapy may not be suitable for some patients. Those who don't have a specific behavioral issue they wish to address and whose goals for therapy are to gain insight into the past may be better served by psychodynamic therapy. Patients must also be willing to take a very active role in the treatment process.

Behavioral therapy may also be inappropriate for cognitively-impaired individuals (e.g., patients with organic brain disease or a traumatic brain injury) depending on their level of functioning.

Because of the brief nature of behavioral therapy, relapse has been reported in some patient populations. However, follow-up sessions can frequently put patients back on track to recovery.

Research & general acceptance

The use of behavioral modification techniques to treat an array of mental health problems have been extensively described and studied in medical literature. There may be some debate among mental health professionals as to whether behavioral therapy should be considered a first line treatment for some mental illnesses, and to what degree other treatments such as medication should be employed as an adjunct, or complementary, therapy. However, the general consensus seems to be that behavioral therapy techniques can be a powerful treatment tool for helping patients change undesirable behaviors.

Training & certification

Behavioral therapists are typically psychologists (Ph.D., Psy.D., Ed.D., or M.A. degree), clinical social workers (M.S.W., D.S.W., or L.S.W. degree), counselors (M.A. or M.S. degree), or psychiatrists (M.D. with specialization in psychiatry). Other healthcare providers may suggest brief behavioral interventions, but more extensive treatment should be left to individuals who are trained in behavioral therapy techniques.

BOOKS

Mills, John. Control: A History of Behavioral Psychology. New York: New York University Press, 1998.

PERIODICALS

Gelder, M."The Future of Behavior Therapy." Journal of Psychotherapy Practice. 6, no. 4 (Fall 1997):285-93.

ORGANIZATIONS

The National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists. P.O. Box 2195, Weirton, WV 26062. (800) 853–1135.

Paula Ford-Martin