Behavioural Approach

Approach of Counselling

1. Dr Neeta Gupta Associate Professor Department of psychology Certified Practitioner of EFT & REBT (London) & CBT (Scotland) DAV PG College Dehradun Behavioural Approach of Counselling

2. What is Behavioural Approach? The behavioral approach suggests that  the keys to understanding development are observable behavior and external stimuli in the environment . Behaviorism states all  behaviors  are learned Through interaction with the environment through a process   called  conditioning. Thus,  Behaviour is simply a response to environmental stimuli .

3. John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner are the main propagators of Behaviourism. Behaviourism rejected any reference to mind and viewed overt and observable behaviour as the proper subject matter of psychology. Through the scientific study of behaviour, it was hoped that laws of learning could be derived that would promote the prediction and control of behaviour.

4. What is the main goal of behaviour therapy? The goal of behaviour therapy is usually focused on  increasing the person's engagement in positive or socially reinforcing activities . Behaviour therapy is a structured approach that carefully measures what the person is doing and then seeks to increase chances for positive experience.

5. Techniques of behavioural therapies apply the learning principles to change maladaptive behaviours ( Weiten , 2007). The techniques do not focus on clients achieving insights into their behaviour; rather the focus is just on changing the behaviour. For example, if a behavioural therapist is working with a client who is a chain smoker ,the behavioural therapist will design a program to eliminate the behaviour of smoking– but there would be no focus on the issues or pathological symptoms causing the chain smoking behaviour.

6. 1.Systematic Desensitisation  – Systematic desensitisation was developed by Joseph Wolfe and was designed for clients with phobias. This treatment follows a process of “counterconditioning” meaning the association between the stimulus and the anxiety is weakened through the use of relaxation techniques, anxiety hierarchies and desensitisation Step 1 : Build a hierarchy of the anxiety-arousing stimuli. The client lists all anxiety arousing stimuli, such as :  ( 1)   Looking at the spider; ( 2)Holding a spider in their hands .

7. Step 2 : Train the client in deep muscle relaxation. Relaxation techniques thought to the client . Step 3 : Client works through hierarchy while using relaxation techniques. Talks about anxiety of spiders and practices relaxation techniques . Step 4 : (used in some cases) Client confronts real fear. Client is presented with a real spider and holds it in his/her hands .

8. 2.Exposure Therapies   – Exposure therapies are designed to expose the client to feared situations similar to that of systematic desensitisation (Corey, 2005). The therapies included are in A.Vivo Desensitisation And B. Flooding. A.vivo desensitisation involves the client being exposed to real life anxiety provoking situations. T he client is taught relaxation techniques to cope with the anxiety produced by the situation. The example of the client with a fear of lizard will be used to demonstrate in vivo desensitisation.To begin with the client would be shown a lizard in a container on the other side of the room for one minute. This would gradually increase in time as well as the client getting closer to the spider until eventually the client is able to be sitting near the spider for a prolonged period.

9. B . Flooding  – Flooding involves the client being exposed to the actual or imagined fearful situation for a prolonged period of time. The example of the client with the spider fear would be that the client would be exposed to the spider or the thought of a spider for a prolonged period of time and uses relaxation techniques to cope. There may be ethical issues in using these techniques with certain fears or traumatic events and the client should be provided with information on the techniques before utilising them so he or she understands the process.

10. 3.Aversion Therapy  : The most controversial of the behavioural treatments, aversion therapy is used by therapists as a last resort to an aversive behaviour ( Weiten , 2007). This treatment involves pairing the aversive behaviour (such as drinking alcohol) with a stimulus with an undesirable response (such as a medication that induces vomiting when taken with alcohol). This is designed to reduce the targeted behaviour (drinking alcohol) even when the stimulus with the undesirable response is not taken (medication).

11. 4.Modelling  : Modelling is used as a treatment that involves improving interpersonal skills such as communication and how to act in a social setting. Techniques involved in modelling are: a.Live modelling involves the client watching a “model” such as the counsellor perform a specific behaviour, the client then copies this behaviour. b.Modelling involves the client watching a behaviour indirectly such as a video. c.Role -playing is where the counsellor a behaviour with the client in order for the client to practice the behaviour.

12. d.Participant modelling involves the counsellor modelling the behaviour and then getting the client to practice the behaviour while the counsellor performs the behaviour . e. Covert modelling is where the client cannot watch someone perform the behaviour but instead the counsellor gets the client to imagine a model performing the behaviour ( Sharf , 2000 ).

13. Behavioral Approach:   Behavioral counseling theories hold that people engage in problematic thinking and behaviour when their environment supports it. When an environment reinforces or encourages these problems, they will continue to occur. Behavioural counsellors work to help clients identify the reinforcements that are supporting problematic patterns of thinking and acting and replace them with alternative reinforcements for more desirable patterns.

14. Advantages of Behavioural Therapy 1 . We learn to ACT on the world, rather than being passive toward it We no longer passively react to life, like we've done all our lives.  2 . Behavioral changes brain physiology   Cognitive- behavioral therapy changes the neural pathway associations in the brain.  This changes how we feel about ourselves and the world around us -- permanently.  The brain changes AFTER we take action.   Brain imaging technology prove that the human brain changes as a result of cognitive- behavioral therapy 3. We are energized to keep moving forward Acting against our fears in a step-by-step fashion, with cognitive help and support, helps us to  build and keep momentum. 4 . Progress against social anxiety occurs faster With the right cognitive framework, we are able to be rational about our progress, so we can move ahead with our behavioural experiments. 5 . We no longer avoid events.  Anxiety no longer restricts what we do in life. Behavioral therapy changes how we  act .  Instead of avoiding situations and other people, we learn to feel comfortable and confident, because we took  action. 

15. Limitations: 1.Behavioral therapy is a  natural extension and application of many of Skinner's views focusing on observable behaviour . This criticism states that behaviour therapy ignores the importance of self or self-consciousness to the exclusion of overt behavioural responses. 2.Behavior therapy treats symptoms rather than causes. The psychoanalytic assumption is that early life events are the source of present difficulties. Instead , the behavioural practitioner emphasizes changing environmental circumstances and how those environmental forces reinforce particular behaviours. 3.Behavior therapy involves the use of control and manipulation by the therapist toward the client. The therapist assumes a position of power with the client where he or she, through the process of reinforcement, can potentially manipulate the client's behaviour responses .

16. REFERENCES: https://www.counsellingconnection.com/index.php/2009/10/08/behavioural-techniques/ https://socialanxietyinstitute.org/top-5-list-benefits-behavioral-therapy#:~:text=Anxiety%20no%20longer%20restricts%20what,feel%20more%20comfortable%20in%20situations . https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/521813c4e4b0d4fe19773998/1595530394171-E0VQNNEJ614VCL1PSEMP/Behavior.gif https://practicalpie.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/B-F-Skinner.jpg https://psych.athabascau.ca/open/wolpe/img/wolpepicture.jpg https://thumbs.gfycat.com/AromaticNaughtyCornsnake-size_restricted.gif https://media3.giphy.com/media/l2JdWdiFeSv9DsBdm/200w.gif?cid=82a1493byd5b14kycrscaeqhwm8n0afd0kdxgueuf38cw4nx&rid=200w.gif&ct=g https://thumbs.gfycat.com/AliveRemorsefulHuemul-max-1mb.gif

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