behavior therapy

American  

noun

Psychology.

1. a form of therapy emphasizing the correction of a person's undesirable behavior through Pavlovian conditioning, aversive therapy, or similar learning techniques.

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Etymology

Origin of behavior therapy

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

For two weeks, she participated in dialectical behavior therapy, a form of talk therapy in which patients learn and practice skills, such as mindfulness, to manage intense feelings.

From Slate • Sep. 15, 2025

A signpost with six arrows on it sent users to different activities, each based on methods shown to improve mental health, such as dialectical behavior therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2024

Dialectical behavior therapy group for difficulties with emotions or relationships, and cognitive behavioral therapy group for depression and anxiety.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2022

Therapists trained in dialectical behavior therapy can be expensive and hard to find, and are often booked solid.

From New York Times • Aug. 27, 2022

Beck’s work, along with that of Albert Ellis, a psychologist working independently, provided the architecture for what is known as cognitive behavior therapy, or CBT.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 5, 2021