Behavior Therapy. Therapy that applies learning principles to the elimination of unwanted behaviors.

Transcription

1 Behavior Therapy Therapy that applies learning principles to the elimination of unwanted behaviors. To treat phobias or sexual disorders, behavior therapists do not delve deeply below the surface looking for inner causes. 1

2 Classical Conditioning Techniques Counterconditioning The patient comes in with a stimuli that triggers unwanted behaviors. This procedure tries to condition new responses to the stimuli It is based on classical conditioning and includes: 1. Exposure therapy 2. Intensive Exposure therapy (flooding) 3. Aversive conditioning. 2

3 Exposure Therapy Expose patients to things they fear and avoid. Through repeated exposures, anxiety lessens because they habituate to the things feared. Can be in real or virtual environments. N. Rown/ The Image Works 3

4 Intensive Exposure Therapy Flooding Expose patients to things they fear and avoid. Through repeated exposures, anxiety lessens because they habituate to the things feared. The Far Side 1986 FARWORKS. Reprinted with Permission. All Rights Reserved. 4

5 Systematic Desensitization A method in exposure therapy that associates a pleasant, relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli commonly used to treat phobias. 5

6 Aversive Conditioning A type of counterconditioning that associates an unpleasant state with an unwanted behavior. With this technique, temporary conditioned aversion to alcohol has been reported. 6

7 Operant Conditioning Operant conditioning procedures enable therapists to use behavior modification, in which desired behaviors are rewarded and undesired behaviors are either unrewarded or punished. A number of withdrawn, uncommunicative 3-year-old autistic children have been successfully trained by giving and withdrawing reinforcements for desired and undesired behaviors. 7

8 Behavior Contracting Therapist and the client agree on behavior goals and on the reinforcement usually in the form of a contract with punishments and rewards. (Example behavior plans in school) 8

9 Token Economy In institutional settings therapists may create a token economy in which patients exchange a token of some sort, earned for exhibiting the desired behavior, for various privileges or treats. 9

10 Group Therapy Group therapy normally consists of 6-9 people attending a 90-minute session If the problems are interpersonal then why not broaden the therapy? Positives: behaviors towards others show up quickly in a group setting client social support, not only one with this problem, learn new behaviors seeing others will help insight, Clients benefit from knowing others have similar problems. 10

11 Family Therapy Goal: To change all family members behavior to the benefit of the family unit as well as the troubled individual. Method: If one person is having problems, then it is likely the whole family is. Must improve communication, empathy, responsibility, and reduce conflict. Requires that all family members see the benefits. Focus on changing self not others. Concerns: Key person won t come or monopolizes the sessions. 11

12 Couple Therapy Goal: To improve a couple s problems in communication, interaction, and mutual expectations. Method: Empathy Training each is taught to share the inner feelings and to listen to and understand the partner s feelings before responding. Behavioral Techniques schedule for caring actions Cognitive Techniques tries to dispel the cognitive distortions that disrupt communication Concerns: Much more affective when it is two instead of one (56% vs. 29%) 12

13 Self-Help Groups Goal: Low cost support and social network for a disorder Method: Since 40 million Americans suffer from some form of psychological disorder there are not enough psychologists to go around and they are expensive. These small local gatherings of people share a common problem and provide mutual assistance at a very low cost. AA is the best known. 13

14 Evaluating Psychotherapies Within psychotherapies cognitive therapies are most widely used, followed by psychoanalytic and family/group therapies. 14

15 Outcome Research Research shows that treated patients were 80% better than untreated ones. 15

16 The Relative Effectiveness of Different Therapies Which psychotherapy would be most effective for treating a particular problem? Disorder Depression Anxiety Bulimia Phobia Bed Wetting Therapy Behavior, Cognition, Interpersonal Cognition, Exposure, Stress Inoculation Cognitive-behavior Behavior Behavior Modification 16

17 Therapists & Their Training Clinical psychologists: They have PhDs mostly. They are experts in research, assessment, and therapy, all of which is verified through a supervised internship. Clinical or Psychiatric Social Worker: They have a Masters of Social Work. Postgraduate supervision prepares some social workers to offer psychotherapy, mostly to people with everyday personal and family problems. 17

18 Therapists & Their Training Counselors: Pastoral counselors or abuse counselors work with problems arising from family relations, spouse and child abusers and their victims, and substance abusers. Psychiatrists: They are physicians who specialize in the treatment of psychological disorders. Not all psychiatrists have extensive training in psychotherapy, but as MDs they can prescribe medications. 18

19 The Biomedical Therapies These include physical, medicinal, and other forms of biological therapies. 1. Drug Treatments 2. Surgery 3. Electric-shock therapy Used if: 1. The client is too agitated, disoriented, or unresponsive for psychotherapy. 2. The disorder has a strong biological component. 3. Dangerous to themselves or others. 19

20 Antipsychotic Drugs Classical antipsychotics [Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)]: Remove a number of positive symptoms associated with schizophrenia such as agitation, delusions, and hallucinations. Atypical antipsychotics [Clozapine (Clozaril)]: Remove negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia such as apathy, jumbled thoughts, concentration difficulties, and difficulties in interacting with others. 20

21 Atypical Antipsychotic Clozapine (Clozaril) blocks receptors for dopamine and serotonin to remove the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. 21

22 Antianxiety Drugs Antianxiety drugs (Xanax and Valium) depress the central nervous system and reduce anxiety and tension by elevating the levels of the Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter. GABA is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS 22

23 Antidepressant Drugs Antidepressant drugs like Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) that improve the mood by elevating levels of serotonin by inhibiting reuptake. MAO Inhibitors increase the concentration of serotonin 23

24 Mood-Stabilizing Medications Lithium Carbonate, a common salt, has been used to stabilize manic episodes in bipolar disorders. It moderates the levels of norepinephrine and glutamate neurotransmitters. 24

25 Brain Stimulation Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) ECT is used for severely depressed patients who do not respond to drugs. The patient is anesthetized and given a muscle relaxant. Patients usually get a 100 volt shock that relieves them of depression. 25

26 Psychosurgery Psychosurgery was popular even in Neolithic times. Although used sparingly today, about 200 such operations do take place in the US alone. 26

27 Psychosurgery Psychosurgery is used as a last resort in alleviating psychological disturbances. Psychosurgery is irreversible. Removal of brain tissue changes the mind. Prefrontal lobotomy The frontal lobes of the brain are severed from the deeper centers of the brain. 27

28 Psychosurgery Modern methods use stereotactic neurosurgery and radiosurgery (Laksell, 1951) that refine older methods of psychosurgery

29 Psychological Disorders are Biopsychosocial in Nature 29