Third Generation Behavior Therapy

Over the hundred year course of development of behavior therapy, there have been several major changes in the field that required that all subsequent therapies be based on new principle. This phenomenon can be most simply seen with the categorization of first, second, and third generation behavioral therapies. The first generation of behavioral therapy took place between the 1950s and 60s and was marked by the developments of stimulus control, contingency management, exposure therapies, and modeling therapies (Spiegler, 2010). The second generation of behavioral therapies occurred throughout the 60s and was heavily defined by the development of cognitive restructuring and coping skills. With that being said, the third generation of behavioral

First, the third generation of behavior therapy is characterized by an expanded view of psychological health (Spiegler, 2010). Whereas the first and second generation view distress as something that needs to be changed, the third generation accepts that distress is a part of life that cannot be avoided. Furthermore, patients are taught to confront distress and with an adaptive perspective so that distress does not arise from anticipating stressors or by the inevitability that stressors will eventually arise. Next, third generation behavior therapy has a broader view of acceptable outcomes in therapy. While the first and second generation work to chance the form of problems, third generation behavior therapy works to change the problem’s function. In other words, patients are taught how to confront stressors and deal with them while also working towards achieving their goals in life. Next, third generation behavior therapy is defined by acceptance. Despite popular misconception, acceptance is not characterized by a laissez-faire attitude towards stressors and problems in life. Rather, acceptance is having nonjudgement of moment-to-moment experiences in

Two primary goals of ACT—as well as two major components that differ from earlier behavior therapies—are to promote acceptance of negative thoughts and feelings as well as to commit to living a life in accordance with one’s values. Furthermore, acceptance combats psychological inflexibility, which is one of the primary causes of psychological distress. Psychological inflexibility limits patients and restricts them from achieving goals. ACT believes that psychological inflexibility is developed and sustained by a variety of processes, including cognitive fusion, attention to the conceptualized self, experiential avoidance, disconnection from the resent moment unclear values, and inaction with respect to values. ACT works to help patients overcome each of these processes by starkly contrasting them to free the patient and allow the patient to achieve psychological