Who is a behavioral therapist

Behavior-based play therapy is especially effective in children. Research shows that behavioral therapy works , so it's a great specialization for people with good communication and strong interpersonal skills who want to improve the lives of others. Second, behavioral therapy is versatile. Practitioners who work in behavior therapy are qualified to work with the elderly, children or adults with autism, combat veterans, patients with borderline personality disorder, and other populations.

Some specialize in treating certain conditions or types of patients, while others don't. Some stay in clinical roles for their entire careers, while others explore the many non-clinical opportunities open to behavioral therapists.

Experienced clinicians sometimes choose to transition to supervisory or administrative positions or to work for government organizations or NGOs. In sum, behavioral therapists can do a lot, in many different settings, for a host of different types of clients.

The one constant is that the people who are happiest and most satisfied in this role are the ones who are most motivated to help people find practical, lasting solutions to their mental health issues. Noodle's mission is to make the search for education better through increased transparency and efficiency. We partner with top, not-for-profit institutions to help build their online programs and identify qualified applicants. In doing so, we're able to provide our content and services at zero cost to student users.

Explore Pick any program, and use our resources to become an expert on it. Noodle is all about you! You need to create a profile to see your tailored content. Counseling can be a part of behaviour therapy, but patients who seek out a behavioral therapist are usually looking for more. Image by Christian Ferrer from Unsplash. Christa Terry March 18, Scroll to continue reading. Healthcare Programs Advertisement. Learn More. Article continues here. In this article, we cover: What is a behavioral therapist?

Are behavioral therapists psychologists? What's the job description of a behavior therapist? What does a behavioral therapist do each day?

Where do behavioral therapists work? What kinds of conditions do behavioral therapists treat? What are the requirements to become a behavioral therapist? How much do behavioral therapists earn? Why should I become a behavioral therapist? What is a behavioral therapist? Behavioral therapists use several techniques when working with patients, including: Positive reinforcement This technique aids in the strengthening of favorable outcomes and positive responses to events and stimulus.

Aversion therapy This technique involves the repeated pairing of discomfort with unwanted behaviors, creating a negative association with that behavior. Systematic desensitization This type of graduated exposure therapy helps patients develop coping skills for triggered fears over the course of many controlled sessions. Operant conditioning This treatment involves conditioning the control of behavior by using external stimuli as reinforcement or punishment.

Psychoanalysts The psychoanalyst helps patients tap into their unconscious mind to recover and gain insight on repressed memories and emotions. Marriage and family therapists Marriage and family therapists focus on conflict and difficult situations between couples and within families, sometimes focusing on the mental health of one individual or a difficult situation like divorce or death in the family.

Mental health counselors Mental health counselors assess and treat ongoing mental health issues like anxiety and depression or with other challenges like substance abuse. Clinical social workers Clinical social workers deal with individuals, groups and families in the assessment of mental health with treatment that involves considering biological, psychological, cultural and social influences in the patient's environment.

On a typical day, a behavioral therapist might: Meet with a new patient to discuss a treatment plan Early meetings with clients help therapists design treatment that best fits their individual stresses and concerns. Meet with current patients to discuss their progress and offer new strategies Ongoing communication is critical to creating effective and personalized treatment for clients. Write up counseling and observation notes for the day's patients Record keeping is important in tracking and monitoring treatment and patient progress.

Update patient treatment plans Staying agile and focused on a patient's goals is a significant part of a therapist's focus. Create exercises to help patients adjust their thought patterns Active participation and communication between therapists and their patients helps in the design and implementation of effective treatment exercises.

Lead a cognitive-behavioral therapy group Group therapy sessions allow for patients to share and support each other in a uniquely designed space.

Read the latest studies on how behavior can be used to treat mental illness Continuing to follow the latest news in treatment plans and theories is critical to a therapist's ongoing education.

Meet with a parent to discuss a child's behavior When children are the patients, communication with parents and family members becomes an important part of treatment. Act as a mediator between clients and family members Sometimes a family needs someone to begin helpful and healing communication between individuals who are suffering and experiencing things differently.

Assist with crisis management At critical and stressful moments, a therapist can step in and help perform triage that can guide individuals and families through intense experiences. Gather educational materials for patients and their families Therapists can help people to help themselves by offering reading material, research on specific conditions, communication exercises, and other concrete solutions and information.

Consult with other therapists and clinicians to discuss patient progress Communication and collaboration is an important piece of therapeutic work. Manage billing and other administrative matters The day-to-day paperwork involved in therapy is significant, and critical to keeping insurance and billing matters in order.

When you become a behavioral therapist, you might work in clinical settings such as: Autism spectrum disorder clinics Behavioral therapists usually work alongside speech and language therapists and often an occupational or physical therapist to provide comprehensive care to patients. Community organizations Therapists in this setting may work on trauma education with communities and neighborhoods impacted by drug and sex trafficking, substance and alcohol abuse, and community violence.

Doctors' offices Often the doctor's office is the first place people go for physical symptoms that may actually be signs of depression, anxiety, or stress.

Government agencies Many government agencies have counseling services including social welfare agencies, veterans services, court systems, and corrections departments. Hospitals Frequently physical and mental health care can work in concert to produce results that treat the whole patient. Inpatient and outpatient psychiatric facilities In both inpatient and outpatient facilities, a behavioral therapist can help diagnose troubling behaviors and set goals, measure progress, and modify treatment plans when necessary.

Mental health clinics The duties for behavioral therapists in mental health clinics are similar to those at hospitals and psychiatric facilities in that teams of health professionals may work toward assisting patients during long-term care.

Military facilities Care for members of the military and their families might occur during active duty, or focus on marriage counseling at home, or include services specifically for veterans. Nursing homes Because patients live at these facilities, mental health care can be closely monitored over time, and may consist of individual therapy as well as group work, with the patient's family included at times.

Prisons Behavioral therapists can benefit incarcerated individuals deal with life in the prison environment, but also prepare them for life after prison with positive behavior reinforcement and educational programs. Private and group practices Working as an individual therapist in private practice has many benefits, and group practice adds additional experience, credentials, and qualifications which may help provide more comprehensive care.

Schools Schools and universities allow therapists to collaborate with teachers and administrators in the construct of care, providing students with positive behavior reinforcement in familiar surroundings. Substance abuse clinics and rehabilitation centers Behavioral therapists can help patients make connections between their thoughts, feelings, and actions, thereby raising awareness in their work toward recovery. While many ABA therapists specialize in treating individuals with autism spectrum disorder, behavioral therapists also commonly treat behavioral problems like: Anger issues Therapy for anger issues focus on understanding the anger triggers, so that adapting coping skills allow patients to think and feel differently in response to these circumstances.

Anxiety disorders People with anxiety disorders also benefit from learning about triggered thoughts and feelings in order to reinforce positive responses to anxiety and panic responses. Behavioral issues related to developmental disabilities Behavioral therapists can make a positive impact on individuals with developmental disabilities with treatment plans modified to accommodate a patient's specific needs in dealing with anger, fear, and frustration.

Depression Therapy for depression includes addressing negative thought patterns that influence behavior, and identifying the core beliefs that fuel those negative thoughts. Eating disorders Eating disorders can be treated by challenging the core beliefs of the disorder, including over-concern about weight, and the strict dieting, binge eating, and compensatory behaviors that follow, like excessive exercise or self-induced vomiting.

Panic disorders WIth the focus on perceptions, thoughts, and feelings, behavioral therapists are able to help patients change their reactions to panic triggers and learn new positive behaviors. Phobias Addressing the reasons a person feels that a situation is inherently dangerous will allow them to make the shift from automatic fear-based reactions to more positive and measured responses. Research has shown that CBT is most effective for the treatment of:. In addition, behavioral therapy has been found to help people with the following:.

How well behavioral therapy works depends on factors such as the specific type of treatment used as well as the condition that is being treated. This does not mean that CBT or other behavioral approaches are the only types of therapy that can treat mental illness.

It also doesn't mean that behavior therapy is the right choice for every situation. Anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD , panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD , and phobias, for example, often respond well to behavioral treatments. However, researchers found that the effectiveness of behavioral therapy, specifically CBT, in the treatment of substance use disorders can vary depending on the substance being misused. CBT was also shown to have beneficial effects on some symptoms of schizophrenia but showed no benefits on relapse and hospital admission when compared to other forms of treatment.

Behavioral therapy has a number of advantages. However, behavioral approaches are not always the best solution. When treating certain psychiatric disorders such as severe depression and schizophrenia, behavioral therapy often must be used in conjunction with other medical and therapeutic treatments.

Behavioral therapy can help clients manage or cope with certain aspects of these psychiatric conditions, but should not be used alone. Behavioral treatments tend to focus on current problems with functioning and may not fully appreciate or address the underlying factors that are contributing to a mental health problem. Behavioral approaches are centered on the individual working to change their behaviors.

Some of these approaches, however, often don't address how situations and interpersonal relationships might be contributing to a person's problems.

If you are interested in behavioral therapy, there are some things that you can do to get the most out of your treatment. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter.

Embracing the contribution of both behavioral and cognitive theories to cognitive behavioral therapy: Maximizing the richness. Clinical Social Work Journal. Spiegler MD. Contemporary Behavior Therapy. Cengage Learning; State-of-the-art behavioral and pharmacological treatments for alcohol use disorder. Tolin DF. The Guilford Press; Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy in patients with bipolar disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Mazza M, ed. Clinical implications of a general psychopathology factor: A cognitive—behavioral transdiagnostic group treatment for community mental health. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration. Development and clinical evaluation of an mHealth application for stress Management. Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Why cognitive behavioral therapy is the current gold standard of psychotherapy. Front Psychiatry. Knell SM, Dasari M. Cognitive-behavioral play therapy for anxiety and depression. Empirically based play interventions for children 2nd ed. Published online Cost-effectiveness of In-Home Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for low-income depressed mothers participating in early childhood prevention programs.

Your verbal and written communication skills need to be excellent to achieve a high level of client care. Behavioral therapists work in a private office setting, and the role has the following environmental characteristics:.

Behavioral therapists may work to provide support and therapy to clients in the following situations:. Some behavioral therapists offer services through online platforms. You can follow these steps to become a behavioral therapist:. Earn an advanced degree. Research the educational requirements for your state as there can be variation.

You may need to cover specific topics and coursework in your degree. Gain experience working with clients. You will log clinic hours through your educational program, but you may also need to pursue further hours through voluntary work or an internship.

You need several thousand hours of experience, which you will complete over an extended period. Gain your license. Once you have the education and work experience, apply for your license. This legal requirement is an essential step and will require you to pass an exam. Earn certifications. Although voluntary, additional certifications will identify you as an exceptional professional who is continually working to better their therapy practice.

Prepare a resume and cover letter. Include all relevant education, outlining any relevant modules or coursework. Listing your experience working with clients is important, including the name of the practice, dates and a summary of the clients you were working with. An impressive resume and cover letter can help you gain a position as a behavioral therapist. Apply for positions as a behavioral therapist.

You should research the market to see what type of institutions are in your area and which ones offer the style of therapy that you use. Increase the chances of being selected for an interview by applying for positions that suit your qualifications and experience.

You should tailor your resume and cover letter so it outlines why you are the ideal candidate for the role. They will be responsible for following the legal and professional guidelines for behavioral interventions and for managing their own caseload. The successful candidate will have a Ph. They must have at least three years of experience working with children and families either in a clinic or community setting.