Evidence-based treatments Therapeut

Evidence-based treatments Therapeutic
interventions that have empirical evidence to
support their use.
Exposure therapies Treatment for fears and
other negative emotional responses by carefully
exposing clients to situations or events contributing
to such problems.
Extinction When a previously reinforced behavior
is no longer followed by the reinforcing
consequences, the result is a decrease in the frequency
of the behavior in the future.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
(EMDR) An exposure-based therapy that
involves imaginal fl ooding, cognitive restructuring,
and the use of rhythmic eye movements and
other bilateral stimulation to treat traumatic
stress disorders and fearful memories of clients.
Flooding Prolonged and intensive in vivo or
imaginal exposure to highly anxiety-evoking
stimuli without the opportunity to avoid or escape
from them.
Functional assessment The process of systematically
generating information on the events
preceding and following the behavior in an attempt
to determine which antecedents and consequences
are associated with the occurrence of
the behavior.
In vivo desensitization Brief and graduated
exposure to an actual fear situation or event.
In vivo exposure Involves client exposure to
actual anxiety-evoking events rather than merely
imagining these situations.
In vivo fl ooding Intense and prolonged exposure
to the actual anxiety-producing stimuli.
Mindfulness A process that involves becoming
increasingly observant and aware of external
and internal stimuli in the present moment and
adopting an open attitude toward accepting what
is, rather than judging the current situation.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)
A comprehensive integration of the principles
and skills of mindfulness applied to the treatment
of depression.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)
This program applies mindfulness techniques to
coping with stress and promoting physical and
psychological health.
Modeling Learning through observation and
imitation.
Multimodal therapy A model endorsing technical
eclecticism; uses procedures drawn from
various sources without necessarily subscribing
to the theories behind these techniques; developed
by Arnold Lazarus.
Negative punishment A reinforcing stimulus
is removed following the behavior to decrease
the frequency of a target behavior.
Negative reinforcement The termination or
withdrawal of an unpleasant stimulus as a result
of performing some desired behavior.
Operant conditioning A type of learning in
which behaviors are influenced mainly by the
consequences that follow them.
Positive punishment An aversive stimulus
is added after the behavior to decrease the frequency
of a behavior.
Positive reinforcement A form of conditioning
whereby the individual receives something
desirable as a consequence of his or her behavior;
a reward that increases the probability of its
recurrence.
Positive reinforcement An event whose presentation
increases the probability of a response
that it follows.
Progressive muscle relaxation A method of
teaching people to cope with the stresses produced
by daily living. It is aimed at achieving muscle
and mental relaxation and is easily learned.
Punishment The process in which a behavior
is followed by a consequence that results in a decrease
in the future probability of a behavior.
Reinforcement A specifi ed event that strengthens
the tendency for a response to be repeated. It
involves some kind of reward or the removal of
an aversive stimulus following a response.
Self-directed behavior A basic assumption is
that people are capable of self-directed behavior
change and the person is the agent of change.
Self-effi cacy An individual’s belief or expectation
that he or she can master a situation and
bring about desired change.
Self-management Strategies in self-management
programs include self-monitoring, selfreward,
self-contracting, and stimulus control.
Self-modifi cation A collection of cognitive behavioral
strategies based on the idea that change
can be brought about by teaching people to use
coping skills in various problematic situations.
Self-monitoring The process of observing
one’s own behavior patterns as well as one’s
interactions in various social situations.