Behavioral Therapy Course

Lesson 1 • History and Evolution of Behavior Therapy

Traces behavioral therapy from early conditioning research to modern evidence-based practice. Provides historical context that anchors all subsequent clinical techniques.

Lesson 2 • Core Assumptions of the Behavioral Model

Examines the philosophical and empirical premises underlying behavioral therapy. Grounds students in the model's logic before introducing specific interventions.

Lesson 3 • Behavioral Therapy vs. Other Modalities

Contrasts behavioral therapy with psychodynamic, humanistic, and biomedical models. Enables practitioners to justify treatment selection and communicate with multidisciplinary teams.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Behavioral Assessment

Introduces the purpose and scope of behavioral assessment within the therapeutic process. Establishes assessment as the foundation for all intervention planning.

Lesson 2 • Standardized Behavioral Assessment Tools

Reviews validated questionnaires, rating scales, and observational instruments used in behavioral practice. Equips students to select appropriate measures for diverse clinical presentations.

Lesson 3 • Case Formulation and Treatment Planning

Integrates assessment data into a behavioral case formulation that drives treatment decisions. Students learn to set measurable goals and select matched interventions.

Lesson 1 • Virtual and Technology-Assisted Exposure

Introduces virtual reality and app-based platforms as adjuncts to traditional exposure therapy. Prepares students to evaluate and integrate emerging delivery formats.

Lesson 2 • In Vivo and Imaginal Exposure

Trains students to conduct real-world and imagery-based exposure sessions across anxiety disorders. Addresses therapist role, client preparation, and session management.

Lesson 3 • Fear Conditioning and Extinction Mechanisms

Explains the neurobiological and learning-theory basis of fear acquisition and extinction. Provides the scientific rationale that guides all exposure-based clinical decisions.

Lesson 4 • Systematic Desensitization

Covers Wolpe's pairing of relaxation with graded fear stimuli to reduce phobic responses. Teaches construction and delivery of the anxiety hierarchy with relaxation training.

Lesson 1 • Token Economy and Contingency Management

Teaches structured token systems and contingency contracts to shape behavior in clinical and community settings. Covers design, implementation, and fading of token programs.

Lesson 2 • Behavioral Activation for Depression

Applies reinforcement principles to increase engagement with rewarding activities in depressed clients. Connects operant theory directly to a structured, evidence-based protocol.

Lesson 3 • Shaping, Chaining, and Prompting

Covers techniques for building complex behaviors through successive approximations and task analysis. Essential for skill acquisition in developmental and rehabilitation contexts.

Lesson 4 • Positive and Negative Reinforcement Strategies

Distinguishes reinforcement types and their differential effects on behavior frequency and strength. Guides selection of reinforcement strategies matched to client needs.

Lesson 1 • Thought Monitoring and Socratic Questioning

Trains students to help clients identify and examine automatic thoughts using structured dialogue. Builds foundational cognitive intervention skills used throughout CBT.

Lesson 2 • Problem-Solving Therapy

Introduces a structured approach to improving clients' real-world problem-solving skills. Reduces helplessness and builds self-efficacy as a behavioral outcome.

Lesson 3 • CBT Protocol Delivery and Fidelity

Covers session structure, homework integration, and adherence to manualized CBT protocols. Prepares students to deliver treatment consistently and evaluate protocol fidelity.

Lesson 4 • Cognitive Restructuring Techniques

Teaches methods to challenge and modify distorted cognitions through behavioral experiments and reframing. Directly reduces cognitive maintaining factors in anxiety and depression.

Lesson 1 • Mindfulness Skills in Clinical Practice

Covers formal and informal mindfulness practices adapted for therapeutic use with clinical populations. Builds the present-moment awareness component shared across third-wave models.

Lesson 2 • Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills

Introduces DBT's four skill modules for clients with emotion dysregulation and self-harm behaviors. Connects biosocial theory to the dialectical balance of acceptance and change.

Lesson 3 • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

Presents the MBCT protocol for relapse prevention in recurrent depression. Demonstrates how mindfulness and cognitive techniques combine in a structured group format.

Lesson 4 • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Foundations

Presents the ACT hexaflex model and its six core psychological flexibility processes. Establishes the theoretical framework for all ACT-based clinical interventions.

Lesson 1 • Behavioral Therapy in Medical Settings

Applies behavioral techniques to health behavior change, chronic pain, and illness adjustment. Demonstrates the breadth of behavioral therapy beyond traditional mental health contexts.

Lesson 2 • Culturally Responsive Behavioral Practice

Examines how cultural values, norms, and contexts influence behavioral assessment and intervention. Equips students to adapt techniques without compromising evidence-based fidelity.

Lesson 3 • Behavioral Approaches for Older Adults

Adapts behavioral techniques for late-life depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. Addresses sensory, cognitive, and motivational factors unique to older adult populations.

Lesson 4 • Behavioral Interventions for Children and Adolescents

Covers developmentally adapted behavioral techniques for youth with anxiety, ADHD, and conduct problems. Addresses parent involvement as a critical component of pediatric behavioral treatment.

Lesson 1 • Behavioral Supervision Models and Methods

Introduces competency-based supervision frameworks specific to behavioral therapy training. Prepares students to function as both supervisees and future supervisors.

Lesson 2 • Complex and Comorbid Case Formulation

Trains students to formulate and sequence treatment for clients with multiple co-occurring conditions. Builds on single-disorder formulation skills to address clinical complexity.

Lesson 3 • Outcome Measurement and Practice-Based Evidence

Covers routine outcome monitoring and the use of client data to inform ongoing clinical decisions. Bridges research methodology and real-world practice improvement.

Lesson 4 • Managing Treatment-Interfering Behaviors

Addresses non-adherence, therapy-interfering behaviors, and therapeutic ruptures within a behavioral framework. Builds skills to maintain treatment progress when obstacles arise.