Describe the principal techniques of behavioral therapy and show how any two of them may be applied in the treatment of an anxiety disorder - What are the merits and demerits of this type of approach to psychological disorders?

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Describe the principal techniques of behavioral therapy and show how any two of them may be applied in the treatment of an anxiety disorder.

What are the merits and demerits of this type of approach to psychological disorders?

Behavioural therapy is based on a behavioural model that suggests that all behaviour, normal and abnormal is learned, or conditioned. Any "symptoms" described by the client are learnt behaviour and not the results of some underlying complex. Therefore behavioural therapies help the client to improve his/her behaviour by learning and unlearning, conditioning and extinguishing forms of behaviour, which are adjusted or maladjusted (Eysenck, 1976).

This essay first describes behavioural therapies such as systematic desensitisation, in vivo exposure, flooding, modeling and behavioural rehearsal. Then it applies systematic desensitisation and modeling to a bird phobia and finally it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of these behavioural therapies when used to cure psychological disorders.

Systematic desensitisation and in vivo exposure are both counter-conditioning processes, and were first developed by Wolpe (1958). The client is first trained to achieve complete relaxation and respond quickly to suggestions to feel relaxed so that these can produce an immediate relaxation response (if people find it very hard to relax hypnotises or drugs can sometimes be used to help the client to relax). Relaxation inhibits any anxiety that might be elicited by the object, as it is difficult to be relaxed and anxious at the same time. After having learnt to relax, the client and therapist construct a hierarchy of the anxiety-producing stimuli. The situations are ranked in order from the one that produces the least anxiety to the one that is most fearful. In systematic desensitisation the client is then asked to relax and imagine each situation in the hierarchy, starting with the one that is least anxiety producing. As soon as the client can imagine her/himself in the situation without any increase in muscle tension, the therapist will ask him/her to imagine the next situation on the list until the list is completed and the anxiety-provoking situation eradicated. In vivo exposure requires the client to actually experience the anxiety-producing situations.

In flooding the patient is exposed to the conditioned stimulus that produces fear without the opportunity to escape until the fear subsides. The situation itself may be preceded by the client listening to a tape recording of an account of their most feared situation. This is repeatedly played until the client no longer fears the same degree of terror. He is then exposed to the actual situation. Flooding can only be carried out with the full consent of the clients involved.
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In modeling the client is shown a "model" (in person or on a videotape) that copes well with his own fears and goes through the anxiety-provoking situation without getting hurt. This encourages him/her to replace their maladaptive responses with adaptive behaviour by imitating the models behaviour and applying useful coping strategies. It teaches the client new skills and reduces his/her fears. (Atkinson et al, 1996)

In Behavioural rehearsal the therapist determines the kinds of situations in which the person is passive and then teaches the client more adaptive behaviours and assertive responses by rehearsing and practicing them. ...

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