The Strengths and Criticisms of Behavior Therapy

Behavior therapy has made a significant impact on the world of psychotherapy. Since its inception, behavioral therapy has offered a number of different strengths that have challenged other forms of therapy. The first of these, and one of the most scientifically meaningful, is the wide variety of empirically supported techniques used by behavioral therapists.

While this wide range of potential techniques does call for specific assessments in order for the clinician to choose the correct technique, the advantages of being able to specify a technique to a particular patient's situation seem to outweigh the time it takes to decide on a technique or set of techniques. Additionally, these techniques demand that the clinician think ahead in the case and decide on the next course of action before the client arrives. This is not to say that other therapy forms do not also spend time between cases planning; however, behavioral therapy does rival them in that passivity isn't a criticism that can be made, as it can with other forms of therapy. Beyond the empirically supported techniques, and a lack of passivity in planning course of action, behavior therapy also has the added bonus of standardizing their techniques. Technique standardization creates a situation in which other clinical psychologists can administer the same treatment easily, and/or can be trained t administer the same treatment.