Effective Behavior Therapy Techniques

---

There is no single type of behavior therapy.  In fact, what defines behavior therapy are many different types of specialized therapies, including the following:

● Cognitive behavioral therapy. The therapist helps the person identify unhealthy thought patterns and understand how those thoughts contribute to self-destructive behaviors and beliefs. Once the patterns are known, the therapist works with the person to think more constructively.

● Modeling. The therapist acts out a non-fearful response to a negative situation, and the person’s anxiety may be reduced by imitating the non-fearful response.

● Classroom management. Teachers participate in promoting the student’s positive behaviors, blocking negative behaviors, and focusing the student on academic work.

● Parent training. The child’s parents are taught ways to reinforce positive behaviors, deter negative acts, and enhance the parent-child relationship. Parents are instructed on observing the child, using praise and positive attention to reward good behavior, setting rules, and addressing negative actions.

● Peer intervention. One or more of the student’s peers help them address behavior problems. The peers are taught by a teacher to encourage positive behavior in academic performance and social settings. In addition to proving successful in boosting the student’s health and well-being, the peer assistants benefit from their participation because it reinforces their positive behaviors and enhances their sense of responsibility.