How Behavioral Therapy Works

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesWhat Are Behavioral Therapy Techniques?UsesBenefitsEffectivenessThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types

What Are Behavioral Therapy Techniques?

Uses

Benefits

Effectiveness

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

Behavioral therapy is a term that describes a broad range of techniques used to change maladaptive behaviors. The goal is to reinforce desirable behaviors and eliminate unwanted ones.

Rooted in the principles ofbehaviorism, a school of thought focused on the idea that we learn from our environment, this approach emerged during the early part of the 20th-century and became a dominant force in the field for many years.Edward Thorndikewas one of the first to refer to the idea of modifying behavior.

Unlike the types oftherapythat are rooted in insight (such aspsychoanalytic therapyand humanistic therapies), behavioral therapy is action-based. Because of this, behavioral therapy tends to be highly focused. The behavior itself is the problem and the goal is to teach people new behaviors to minimize or eliminate the issue.

Behavioral therapy suggests that since old learning led to the development of a problem, then new learning can fix it.

Types of Behavioral Therapy

There are a number of different types of behavioral therapy. The type of therapy used can depend on a variety of factors, including the condition being treated and the severity of the person’s symptoms.

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In order to understand how behavioral therapy works, it is important to know more about the basic principles that contribute to behavioral therapy. The techniques used in this type of treatment are based on the theories of classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioninginvolves forming associations between stimuli. Previously neutral stimuli are paired with a stimulus that naturally and automatically evokes a response. After repeated pairings, an association is formed and the previously neutral stimulus will come to evoke the response on its own.

Classical conditioning is one way to alter behavior. Several different techniques and strategies are used in this approach to therapy.

Operant Conditioning

Behavioral therapy techniques usereinforcement,punishment, shaping, modeling, and related techniques to alter behavior. These methods have the benefit of being highly focused, which means they can produce fast and effective results.

What Behavioral Therapy Can Help With

Behavioral therapy can be utilized to treat a wide range of psychological conditions and disorders, including:

Behavioral therapy is problem-focused and action-oriented. For this reason, it can also be useful for addressing specific psychological concerns such as anger management and stress management.

Treatments that incorporate behavioral techniques are usually focused on producing results in a relatively short period of time.

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Benefits of Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapy is widely used and has been shown to be effective in treating a number of different conditions. Cognitive behavioral therapy, in particular, is often considered the “gold standard” in the treatment of many disorders,and cognitive behavioral play therapy, specifically, can be effective for children where other types of therapy aren’t.

CBT is often more affordable than other types of therapy and results are often seen in five to 20 sessions.Research has shown that CBT is most effective for the treatment of:

In addition, behavioral therapy has been found to help people with the following:

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How well behavioral therapy works depends on factors such as the specific type of treatment used as well as the condition that is being treated.

Overall, research has found that approximately 67% of people who try psychotherapy experience some type of positive improvement.

This does not mean that CBT or other behavioral approaches are the only types of therapy that can treat mental illness. It also doesn’t mean that behavior therapy is the right choice for every situation.

Anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and phobias, for example, often respond well to behavioral treatments.However, researchers found that the effectiveness of behavioral therapy, specifically CBT, in the treatment of substance use disorders can vary depending on the substance being misused.

CBT was also shown to have beneficial effects on some symptoms of schizophrenia but showed no benefits on relapse and hospital admission when compared to other forms of treatment.

Behavioral therapy has a number of advantages. However, behavioral approaches are not always the best solution.

It’s Not Enough for Complex Mental Health Conditions

When treating certain psychiatric disorders such as severe depression and schizophrenia, behavioral therapy often must be used in conjunction with other medical and therapeutic treatments. Behavioral therapy can help clients manage or cope with certain aspects of these psychiatric conditions, but should not be used alone.

It May Not Account for Underlying Problems

Behavioral treatments tend to focus on current problems with functioning and may not fully appreciate or address the underlying factors that are contributing to a mental health problem.

It May Not Address the Whole Picture

Behavioral approaches are centered on the individual working to change their behaviors. Some of these approaches, however, often don’t address how situations and interpersonal relationships might be contributing to a person’s problems.

If you are interested in behavioral therapy, there are some things that you can do to get the most out of your treatment.

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We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

16 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Early BP, Grady MD.Embracing the contribution of both behavioral and cognitive theories to cognitive behavioral therapy: Maximizing the richness.Clinical Social Work Journal. 2016;45(1):39-48. doi:10.1007/s10615-016-0590-5Spiegler MD.Contemporary Behavior Therapy.Cengage Learning; 2016.Ray LA, Bujarski S, Grodin E, et al.State-of-the-art behavioral and pharmacological treatments for alcohol use disorder.The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2018;45(2):124-140. doi:10.1080/00952990.2018.1528265Tolin DF.Doing CBT : A Comprehensive Guide to Working with Behaviors, Thoughts, and Emotions. The Guilford Press; 2016.Chiang K-J, Tsai J-C, Liu D, Lin C-H, Chiu H-L, Chou K-R.Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy in patients with bipolar disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Mazza M, ed.PLoS ONE. 2017;12(5):e0176849. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0176849Meier MA, Meier MH.Clinical implications of a general psychopathology factor: A cognitive–behavioral transdiagnostic group treatment for community mental health.Journal of Psychotherapy Integration. 2018;28(3):253-268. doi:10.1037/int0000095Winslow BD, Chadderdon GL, Dechmerowski SJ, et al.Development and clinical evaluation of an mHealth application for stress Management.Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2016;7. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00130David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why cognitive behavioral therapy is the current gold standard of psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004Knell SM, Dasari M.Cognitive-behavioral play therapy for anxiety and depression.Empirically based play interventions for children (2nd ed). Published online 2016:77-94. doi:10.1037/14730-005Ammerman RT, Mallow PJ, Rizzo JA, Putnam FW, Van Ginkel JB.Cost-effectiveness of In-Home Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for low-income depressed mothers participating in early childhood prevention programs.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2017;208:475-482. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2016.10.041Thoma N, Pilecki B, McKay D.Contemporary cognitive behavior therapy: A review of theory, history, and evidence.Psychodynamic Psychiatry. 2015;43(3):423-461. doi:10.1521/pdps.2015.43.3.423Marrero RJ, Carballeira M, Martín S, Mejías M, Hernández JA.Effectiveness of a positive psychology intervention combined with cognitive behavioral therapy in university students.Annals of Psychology. 2016;32(3):728. doi:10.6018/analesps.32.3.261661Miller SD, Hubble MA, Chow DL, Seidel JA.The outcome of psychotherapy: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.Psychotherapy. 2013;50(1):88-97. doi:10.1037/a0031097Kaczkurki, A.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337-346. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkinHofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: a review of meta-analyses.Cognitive Therapy and Research. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1Cohen JS, Edmunds JM, Brodman DM, Benjamin CL, Kendall PC.Using self-monitoring: Implementation of collaborative empiricism in cognitive-behavioral therapy.Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2013;20(4):419-428. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2012.06.002

16 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Early BP, Grady MD.Embracing the contribution of both behavioral and cognitive theories to cognitive behavioral therapy: Maximizing the richness.Clinical Social Work Journal. 2016;45(1):39-48. doi:10.1007/s10615-016-0590-5Spiegler MD.Contemporary Behavior Therapy.Cengage Learning; 2016.Ray LA, Bujarski S, Grodin E, et al.State-of-the-art behavioral and pharmacological treatments for alcohol use disorder.The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2018;45(2):124-140. doi:10.1080/00952990.2018.1528265Tolin DF.Doing CBT : A Comprehensive Guide to Working with Behaviors, Thoughts, and Emotions. The Guilford Press; 2016.Chiang K-J, Tsai J-C, Liu D, Lin C-H, Chiu H-L, Chou K-R.Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy in patients with bipolar disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Mazza M, ed.PLoS ONE. 2017;12(5):e0176849. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0176849Meier MA, Meier MH.Clinical implications of a general psychopathology factor: A cognitive–behavioral transdiagnostic group treatment for community mental health.Journal of Psychotherapy Integration. 2018;28(3):253-268. doi:10.1037/int0000095Winslow BD, Chadderdon GL, Dechmerowski SJ, et al.Development and clinical evaluation of an mHealth application for stress Management.Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2016;7. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00130David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why cognitive behavioral therapy is the current gold standard of psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004Knell SM, Dasari M.Cognitive-behavioral play therapy for anxiety and depression.Empirically based play interventions for children (2nd ed). Published online 2016:77-94. doi:10.1037/14730-005Ammerman RT, Mallow PJ, Rizzo JA, Putnam FW, Van Ginkel JB.Cost-effectiveness of In-Home Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for low-income depressed mothers participating in early childhood prevention programs.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2017;208:475-482. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2016.10.041Thoma N, Pilecki B, McKay D.Contemporary cognitive behavior therapy: A review of theory, history, and evidence.Psychodynamic Psychiatry. 2015;43(3):423-461. doi:10.1521/pdps.2015.43.3.423Marrero RJ, Carballeira M, Martín S, Mejías M, Hernández JA.Effectiveness of a positive psychology intervention combined with cognitive behavioral therapy in university students.Annals of Psychology. 2016;32(3):728. doi:10.6018/analesps.32.3.261661Miller SD, Hubble MA, Chow DL, Seidel JA.The outcome of psychotherapy: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.Psychotherapy. 2013;50(1):88-97. doi:10.1037/a0031097Kaczkurki, A.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337-346. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkinHofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: a review of meta-analyses.Cognitive Therapy and Research. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1Cohen JS, Edmunds JM, Brodman DM, Benjamin CL, Kendall PC.Using self-monitoring: Implementation of collaborative empiricism in cognitive-behavioral therapy.Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2013;20(4):419-428. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2012.06.002

Early BP, Grady MD.Embracing the contribution of both behavioral and cognitive theories to cognitive behavioral therapy: Maximizing the richness.Clinical Social Work Journal. 2016;45(1):39-48. doi:10.1007/s10615-016-0590-5Spiegler MD.Contemporary Behavior Therapy.Cengage Learning; 2016.Ray LA, Bujarski S, Grodin E, et al.State-of-the-art behavioral and pharmacological treatments for alcohol use disorder.The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2018;45(2):124-140. doi:10.1080/00952990.2018.1528265Tolin DF.Doing CBT : A Comprehensive Guide to Working with Behaviors, Thoughts, and Emotions. The Guilford Press; 2016.Chiang K-J, Tsai J-C, Liu D, Lin C-H, Chiu H-L, Chou K-R.Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy in patients with bipolar disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Mazza M, ed.PLoS ONE. 2017;12(5):e0176849. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0176849Meier MA, Meier MH.Clinical implications of a general psychopathology factor: A cognitive–behavioral transdiagnostic group treatment for community mental health.Journal of Psychotherapy Integration. 2018;28(3):253-268. doi:10.1037/int0000095Winslow BD, Chadderdon GL, Dechmerowski SJ, et al.Development and clinical evaluation of an mHealth application for stress Management.Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2016;7. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00130David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why cognitive behavioral therapy is the current gold standard of psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004Knell SM, Dasari M.Cognitive-behavioral play therapy for anxiety and depression.Empirically based play interventions for children (2nd ed). Published online 2016:77-94. doi:10.1037/14730-005Ammerman RT, Mallow PJ, Rizzo JA, Putnam FW, Van Ginkel JB.Cost-effectiveness of In-Home Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for low-income depressed mothers participating in early childhood prevention programs.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2017;208:475-482. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2016.10.041Thoma N, Pilecki B, McKay D.Contemporary cognitive behavior therapy: A review of theory, history, and evidence.Psychodynamic Psychiatry. 2015;43(3):423-461. doi:10.1521/pdps.2015.43.3.423Marrero RJ, Carballeira M, Martín S, Mejías M, Hernández JA.Effectiveness of a positive psychology intervention combined with cognitive behavioral therapy in university students.Annals of Psychology. 2016;32(3):728. doi:10.6018/analesps.32.3.261661Miller SD, Hubble MA, Chow DL, Seidel JA.The outcome of psychotherapy: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.Psychotherapy. 2013;50(1):88-97. doi:10.1037/a0031097Kaczkurki, A.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337-346. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkinHofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: a review of meta-analyses.Cognitive Therapy and Research. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1Cohen JS, Edmunds JM, Brodman DM, Benjamin CL, Kendall PC.Using self-monitoring: Implementation of collaborative empiricism in cognitive-behavioral therapy.Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2013;20(4):419-428. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2012.06.002

Spiegler MD.Contemporary Behavior Therapy.Cengage Learning; 2016.

Ray LA, Bujarski S, Grodin E, et al.State-of-the-art behavioral and pharmacological treatments for alcohol use disorder.The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2018;45(2):124-140. doi:10.1080/00952990.2018.1528265

Tolin DF.Doing CBT : A Comprehensive Guide to Working with Behaviors, Thoughts, and Emotions. The Guilford Press; 2016.

Chiang K-J, Tsai J-C, Liu D, Lin C-H, Chiu H-L, Chou K-R.Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy in patients with bipolar disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Mazza M, ed.PLoS ONE. 2017;12(5):e0176849. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0176849

Meier MA, Meier MH.Clinical implications of a general psychopathology factor: A cognitive–behavioral transdiagnostic group treatment for community mental health.Journal of Psychotherapy Integration. 2018;28(3):253-268. doi:10.1037/int0000095

Winslow BD, Chadderdon GL, Dechmerowski SJ, et al.Development and clinical evaluation of an mHealth application for stress Management.Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2016;7. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00130

David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG.Why cognitive behavioral therapy is the current gold standard of psychotherapy.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004

Knell SM, Dasari M.Cognitive-behavioral play therapy for anxiety and depression.Empirically based play interventions for children (2nd ed). Published online 2016:77-94. doi:10.1037/14730-005

Ammerman RT, Mallow PJ, Rizzo JA, Putnam FW, Van Ginkel JB.Cost-effectiveness of In-Home Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for low-income depressed mothers participating in early childhood prevention programs.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2017;208:475-482. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2016.10.041

Thoma N, Pilecki B, McKay D.Contemporary cognitive behavior therapy: A review of theory, history, and evidence.Psychodynamic Psychiatry. 2015;43(3):423-461. doi:10.1521/pdps.2015.43.3.423

Marrero RJ, Carballeira M, Martín S, Mejías M, Hernández JA.Effectiveness of a positive psychology intervention combined with cognitive behavioral therapy in university students.Annals of Psychology. 2016;32(3):728. doi:10.6018/analesps.32.3.261661

Miller SD, Hubble MA, Chow DL, Seidel JA.The outcome of psychotherapy: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.Psychotherapy. 2013;50(1):88-97. doi:10.1037/a0031097

Kaczkurki, A.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337-346. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkin

Hofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: a review of meta-analyses.Cognitive Therapy and Research. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1

Cohen JS, Edmunds JM, Brodman DM, Benjamin CL, Kendall PC.Using self-monitoring: Implementation of collaborative empiricism in cognitive-behavioral therapy.Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2013;20(4):419-428. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2012.06.002

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Types of Behavioral Therapy#

Classical Conditioning#

Operant Conditioning#

What Behavioral Therapy Can Help With#

Benefits of Behavioral Therapy#

It’s Not Enough for Complex Mental Health Conditions#

It May Not Account for Underlying Problems#

It May Not Address the Whole Picture#

Get Help Now#