Chapter 6: Behavioral work/ increasing skills Flashcards
Behavioral elements: 2 broad categories
- Behavioral change strategies that increase knowledge, skills, and change-enhancing behaviours
- strategies that decrease avoidance and self-defeating or problematic behaviours
Behavioral interventions to increase skills (2)
- activity scheduling
2. skills training and practice
activity scheduling
- primarily developed for depression
- goal: help people increase the quantity and quality of positively reinforced behaviour, improve coping behaviours to deal more adaptively with negative life situations
- often used early in therapy bc typically results in improved mood, higher levels of energy, and greater self-efficacy
- demonstrate that activity leads to increased motivation: motivation and energy are a consequence of increased activity rather than a requirement for it
activity recording
- sheet listing the days of the week and the times of the day
- electronic calendar on a smartphone
- verbal reports (may be biased)
skills training (5)
- communication skills training
- self-care skills
- relaxation skills
- sleep skills
- problem-solving skills
skills training: communication skills training
- group settings can be helpful
- include the teaching and practice of:
1. basic verbal skills
2. nonverbal communication skills
3. the identification and reduction of extraneous or habitual vocal patterns, such as “uhms” or “ahs”
4. tone of voice, which can portray the speaker’s affect and intention (e.g., a questioning or blaming tone)
5. the use of appropriate body language
social skills exercise inventory
e. g., listening skills (remember what the other person said)
- what is appropriate disclosure, what is not
- coping with silence by others
- awareness of tone of voice
- giving and receiving compliments/criticism
- making a phone call and leaving messages
- making mistakes on purpose
social skills training methods and strategies
- offer specific feedback with concrete examples
- point out consequences of problematic skills
- use video feedback
- use modelling (coping rather than mastery model)
- give suggestions for change
- use role-play exercises
- encourage risk taking and effort rather than perfection
skills training: self-care skills
- e.g., poor time management (overcommitment, dropping ones own activities to do tasks for others), insomnia, poor sleep routine, poor eating or exercise habits, or unbalanced and unhealthy lifestyle
- help client to set SMART goals
- help to identify barriers to change
- help with interfering thoughts
- help to begin and maintain behaviours
skills training: relaxation skills
e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, breathing retraining, autogenic relaxation, or visualisation exercises
why are relaxation skills beneficial?
- personal self-care activity
- decrease physical tension through progressive muscle relaxation
- attend to internal sensations
- hyperventilation, or those with panic attacks and/or panic disorder, who may benefit from breathing retraining
relaxation: primary goal and secondary effects
- reduce baseline anxiety and provide immediate relief
1. provide new skills
2. increase self-efficacy
3. possibly reduce efficacy of exposure therapy?
behavioural experiments: primary goal and secondary effects
- change beliefs
1. approach avoided situations
2. increase self-efficacy
3. develop new skills
4. solve ongoing problems
exposure therapy: primary goal and secondary effects
- approach avoided situations
1. increase self-efficacy
2. change beliefs
3. increase distress tolerance
4. provide new learning/ habituation
mindfulness and acceptance therapy: primary goal and secondary effects
- distress tolerance/ increase awareness of present moment
1. accept negative emotions or sensations
2. create distance from negative emotions
3. change relationship with thoughts
4. make decisions more in line with personal values
