According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), "Mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in childhood can cause long-term problems that may affect the health and well-being of children, families, and communities. Treating a child's mental health problems as soon as possible can help children reduce problems at home, in school, and in forming friendships. It can also help with healthy development into adulthood."
Behavior therapy, or cognitive-behavior therapy, is the most common treatment that addresses childhood behavior-based conditions, such as ADHD, behavior disorders, anxiety, or depression. The two types of therapy differ slightly in their approaches. Behavior therapy alone provides children and their families instruction to strengthen positive child behaviors while eliminating or reducing unwanted behaviors. Instead, cognitive-behavior therapy focuses on changing the underlying thoughts and emotions that negatively impact a child's behavior.
Treatments may include parenting training in behavior management, child behavior therapy, cognitive-behavior therapy, family therapy, and interpersonal psychotherapy. These are the problems each type of therapy addresses:
- Parenting training in behavior management and child behavior therapy address ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy addresses disruptive behavior disorder, depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
- Family therapy addresses disruptive behavior disorder in adolescents as it encompasses the help of other family members and emphasizes better communication and conflict-solving skills.
- Interpersonal psychotherapy addresses depression in adolescents and helps them learn how to handle different relationships.
The list of general conditions addressed through different types of behavior therapy includes the following (listed in alphabetical order):
- Anger issues
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Behavioral issues often related to developmental disabilities
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD)
- Panic disorders
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Self-esteem issues
- Self-harming behaviors
- Substance abuse and addiction
How do behavioral therapists approach mental health challenges?
The common thread among different behavioral therapists and their methods of treating people with various mental health challenges is to facilitate the development of healthier behavior and thought patterns. Behavioral therapy is both "problem-focused and action-oriented" and, therefore, can address a number of particular psychological concerns, conditions, and disorders with effective treatments.
The basis of behavioral therapy is commonly referred to as "talk" therapy due to its emphasis on communicating with children and their parents about the thoughts and emotions behind poor behavior and then discussing and applying appropriate treatments through counseling and strategic techniques.
Behavioral therapists use a variety of therapeutic disciplines that prioritize behavior modification. These disciplines encompass the two most common forms of behavior therapy, applied behavior analysis (ABA) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which help determine underlying causes of conditions that lead to behavioral issues.
Applied behavior analysis
Applied behavior analysis operates on the principle of teaching people to modify their negative behaviors through self-conditioning therapy. They can achieve their desired, positive results by learning strategies to change how they respond to adverse situations or stimuli.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy combines general behavioral therapy techniques with cognitive therapy techniques. As people learn how their thoughts impact their actions, they understand that their responses and reactions are linked to those thoughts, with negative or positive results. Challenging and changing thoughts or cognition help people acquire more effective coping mechanisms for situations that have previously caused adverse reactions.
Behavior therapy techniques
Some common techniques employed by behavioral therapists include the following:
- Positive reinforcement: Implements events and stimuli to strengthen favorable outcomes and positive responses.
- Aversion therapy: Creates a negative association with unwanted behaviors through the repeated pairing of discomfort with those behaviors.
- Systematic desensitization: Develops coping skills for triggered fears through graduated exposure over numerous controlled sessions.
- Operant conditioning: Applies external stimuli as reinforcement or punishment to control behavior.
These multiple behavioral therapy techniques can effectively treat numerous conditions and disorders. If applied correctly, strategically, and promptly—especially for children—behavioral therapy offers a brighter outlook for those afflicted with behavioral challenges often rooted in mental health issues.
Education and training requirements
Most individuals wishing to become behavioral therapists begin by earning a bachelor's degree in psychology, sociology, social work, or behavioral science. From there, the educational path toward becoming behavioral therapists may include one of the following graduate degrees:
- Master of Social Work (MSW)
- Master of Arts (MA) in Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT)
Some individuals may prefer to continue onto a doctoral degree, such as a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in psychology, Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), or Doctor of Social Work (DSW).
Regardless of the chosen degree path, many of the courses are similar:
- Counseling theory
- Diagnosis and psychopathology
- Group counseling
- Human growth and development
- Life and career development
- Psychological testing and assessment
- Psychotherapy
- Research and program evaluation
- Social and cultural foundations
Unlike other therapy positions that require specific licensure and certification (such as speech therapists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists), the same is not always true of behavioral therapists. State requirements vary, with some requiring licensure and some requiring only a graduate degree and supervised experience.
Conclusion
The overall idea of behavior therapy is to reduce unwanted or undesirable behaviors and promote more desirable, positive behaviors through specific strategies that help people cope with and overcome their behavioral and mental health challenges. Many types of behavior therapy exist, although applied behavioral analysis (ABA) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are the most common. Behavioral therapy treats dozens of behavioral and mental health conditions. Still, the main focus is to provide people with the strategies they need to cope with and manage their undesirable behaviors more constructively.
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