1. Behavior, Cognitive, and Group Therapies
Presented By: Hanna Gebre-Michael, Laura Saliy, Vian Shekhtman, Roshnie Rupnarain, Eliza Spinna

2. Aim
What are the aims and techniques of behavioral, cognitive, and group/family therapies?

3. Do Now & Discussion
How is therapy depicted in pop culture (i.e. movies, books, etc.)?
What are some stereotypes about therapy?

4. A Map of the Module Albert Ellis Aaron Beck Donald Meichenbaum
Behavior Therapy
Classical Conditioning Techniques
Exposure Therapies
Aversive Conditioning
Operant Conditioning Techniques
Token Economies
Criticisms
Cognitive Therapy
Rational-Emotive Therapy
Aaron Beck
Donald Meichenbaum
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Group Therapy
Family Therapy
Thinkers in this Module:
Albert Ellis
Aaron Beck
Donald Meichenbaum
B.F. Skinner
Mary Cover Jones
Joseph Wolpe

5. Behavior Therapy: Introduction
Unlike psychodynamic therapy, which assumes that psychological problems diminish with increased self-awareness, behavior therapy doubts the power of self-awareness.
Behavior Therapy: therapy that applies learning principles to the elimination of unwanted behaviors.
Instead of delving below the surface, your problems are the problems.
Therapies using behavioral techniques view phobias or sexual dysfunctions (maladaptive symptoms) as learned behaviors, which we can replace with constructive behaviors.

6. Behavior Therapy: Classical Conditioning Techniques
Ivan Pavlov: Father of Classical Conditioning
Counterconditioning: behavior therapy procedures that use classical conditioning to evoke new responses to stimuli that are triggering unwanted behaviors.
Two Types:
Exposure Therapy
Aversive Conditioning
Ivan Pavlov and his famous conditioning experiment

7. Behavior Therapy: Exposure Therapies
Exposure Therapy: behavioral techniques, such as systematic desensitization and virtual reality exposure therapy, that treat anxieties by exposing people (in imagination or actual situations) to the things they fear and avoid.
Systematic Desensitization: a type of exposure therapy that associates a pleasant, relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli.
Treats phobias
Progressive Relaxation

8. An Example of Systematic Desensitization
Think about a spider
Look at a photo of a spider
Look at a real spider in a closed box
Hold the box with the spider
Let the spider crawl on your desk
Let the spider crawl on your shoe
Let the spider crawl on your pants leg
Let the spider crawl on your sleeve
Let the spider crawl on your bare arm
Fear levels are usually ranked out of 100, and each event gets progressively higher on the ranking until 100 is reached.

9. Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy: anxiety treatment that progressively exposes people to electronic simulations of their greatest fears, such as airplane flying, spiders, or public speaking.

10. Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

11. Behavior Therapy: Aversive Conditioning
Aversive Conditioning: a type of counterconditioning that associates an unpleasant state (such as nausea) with an unwanted behavior (such as drinking alcohol).

12. Behavior Therapy: Operant Conditioning Techniques
B.F. Skinner’s experiments revealed the principles of behavior control, which maintains that behaviors are strongly influenced by their consequences.
Behavior modification: systematic application of learning principles to strengthen adaptive behavior and weaken maladaptive behavior.
PRIVELEGES = CANDY, TV TIME, TRIPS TO TOWN, BETTER LIVING QUARTERS

13. The Token Economy
Token economy: an operant conditioning procedure in which the client receives some form of a token (a positive reinforcer) as a reward for an adaptive behavior, which in turn they can turn in for various rewards and privileges.
Has been used successfully in homes, classrooms, hospitals, juvenile detention centers, and among people with mental disabilities.

14. Example of a Token Economy

15. Behavior Therapy: Criticisms of Operant Conditioning
How durable are the behaviors?
Counter: The learned behaviors will stick if therapists train the patient to associate positive behaviors with real-life rewards.
Is it right for one human to control another’s behavior?
Counter: Patients request the treatment themselves and that treatment with positive rewards is more ethical than the patient being institutionalized.
(Will the behaviors stops once the rewards stops?)
Behavior modification enthusiasts believe that the learned behaviors will stick if therapists train the patient to associate positive behaviors with real-life rewards.
(Is it ethical?)
Behavior modification proponents would mention that patients request the treatment themselves and that treatment with positive rewards is more ethical than the patient being institutionalized.

16. Cognitive Therapy: Introduction
***Cognitive therapies are based on what we think; behavioral therapies are based on what we do***
Cognitive therapy: therapy that teaches people new, more adaptive ways of thinking.
Learned negative thinking patterns can be replaced.
Depression is closely tied to self-blaming and overgeneralization of negative events.

17. Cognitive Therapy: Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy
Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT): a confrontational cognitive therapy developed by Albert Ellis that vigorously challenges people’s illogical, self-defeating attitudes and assumptions.
Attempts to reveal absurdity of self-blame and thoughts caused by rumination.
Albert Ellis, American Psychologist

18. Cognitive Therapy: Aaron Beck’s Therapy for Depression
Although Beck had a similar goal to Ellis, changing people’s thinking to improve their functioning. However, he had a gentler approach.
While Ellis viewed himself as “an exposing and nonsense annihilating scientist” and did not find a personal relationship with the client important, Beck stressed the quality of the therapeutic relationship.
While rational-emotive behavior therapy is highly directive and persuasive, Beck’s therapy places more emphasis on the client discovering misconceptions for themselves. His questioning prompted them to reveal their irrational thinking, after which he persuaded people to view life in a more positive way.

19. Cognitive Therapy: Stress Inoculation Training
Stress Inoculation Training: a procedure proposed by Donald Meichenbaum that aims to change people’s negative self-talk and teach them to restructure their thinking in stressful situations.

21. Cognitive Therapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): A popular integrative therapy that combines cognitive therapy (changing self-defeating thinking) with behavior therapy (changing behavior).
Aims to make people aware of their negative thinking, to replace it with new ways of thinking, and to practice the more positive approach in everyday life.
Usually behavioral change is addressed first, followed by session on cognitive change.

22. Visual Representation of CBT

23. Group Therapy
Group therapy: a form a therapy conducted with groups of people rather than individual persons, providing clients with therapeutic benefits.

24. Group Therapy Pros and Cons
Saves clients’ money, therapists’ time
Offers a social laboratory for developing social skills and exploring social behaviors
Provides a reassuring sense to the client that they are not alone
Clients are able to receive feedback on their progress
Cons:
Does not provide the same amount of therapist involvement for each client

25. Family Therapy
Family therapy: a form of therapy that treats the family as a system and views an individual’s unwanted behaviors as influenced by, or directed at, other family members.
Self-Help Groups
Ex. Alcoholics Anonymous

26. Modern Forms of Psychotherapy

27. TREE OF LIFE EXERCISE Modified from Positive Psychology Program
The Tree of Life exercise is intended to help you create and share stories about your life. It can help people acknowledge their strengths and abilities, think about their hopes and dreams, and identify their sources of support and development. It was originally created for children, but anyone can benefit from this exercise.
All you need to complete this exercise is a piece of paper and some drawing instruments (colored pencils, crayons, paint for the artistically inclined).

28. TREE OF LIFE EXERCISE (Continued)
Draw a tree that represents your life, with each component:
Roots: this is the area where you should draw and identify the roots of your life, including where you came from, your family history, people who have shaped you or your life the most, and anything else that is significant.
Ground: this represents where you are now, how you live their life and what activities make up your days.
Trunk: the trunk is populated by your skills, abilities, and knowledge, with special attention to what you’re good at.
Branches: the branches are representative of your hopes, dreams, and wishes. Think of the branches as the directions in which you would like to reach and stretch yourself.
Leaves: the leaves are where you should identify and acknowledge the people who are most significant in your life. These significant people can be alive, passed, in the present, or in the past.
Fruits: the fruits are the gifts you have received, whether they are tangible gifts or more abstract gifts like being loved, receiving the kindness of others, the gift of friendship, etc.
After you finish drawing your tree, share the tree with each other. Drawing the tree is only the first part of the exercise, it’s telling the story of their tree to someone that can provide an even more therapeutic experience.