Chapter 9 - Behavior Therapy

1. Who is associated with the theory?
- B.F. Skinner, Albert Bandura, Arnold Lazarus

2. What are the basic assumptions underlying this approach?
- Focus on observable behavior, current determinants of behavior, learning experiences that promote change, tailoring treatment strategies to individual clients, focusing on the client's current problems and the factors influencing them, and rigorous assessment and evaluation.

3. What are a few of the key concepts that are essential to this theory?
- We are producers and products of our environment.

4. What do you consider the most important goals of this theory?
- Increase personal choice and create new conditions for learning.

5. What role does the therapeutic relationship play in terms of therapy outcomes?
- A collaborative working relationship with the client.  Must be flexible and versatile.  Therapists conduct a thorough Behavioral Analysis to identify the maintaining conditions by systematically gathering information about situational antecedents (ABC Model).

6. What are a few of the techniques from this therapy model that you would want to incorporate into your counseling practice?
- I would definitely incorporate Systematic Desensitization into my counseling practice.  I believe this technique is very useful and effective.  Also, I like how the client and counselor have a strong sense of rapport with one another.  I believe that strong rapport is needed in any type of counseling, because without it the client may not be willing to disclose information to the counselor.  I would also incorporate social skills training and flooding into my counseling practices.

7. What are some of the ways that this theory is applied to client populations, settings, and treatment of problems?
- It can be used with a variety of populations, such as individual and group.  You can use it for stress reduction (mindfulness), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and progressive muscle relaxation can be used with individual and groups.

8. What do you see as the major strength of this theory from a diversity perspective? 
- It stresses changing specific behaviors and developing problem-solving skills.  It includes specificity, task orientation, focus on objectivity, focus on cognition and behavior, action orientation, dealing with the present more than the past, emphasis on brief interventions, teaching coping strategies, and problem-solving orientation.

9. What do you see as a major shortcoming of this theory from a diversity perspective?
- The challenge is to develop empirically based recommendations for how behavior therapy can optimally serve culturally diverse clients.

10. What do you consider to be the most significant contribution of this approach?
- It challenges us to reconsider our global approach to counseling.

11. What do you consider to be the most significant limitation of this approach?
- Behavior therapy may change behaviors, but it does not change feelings.