Behavior Modification and Goal Setting Tips for Counselors with Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes CEUs are available for this presentation at AllCEUs.com/counselortoolbox Direct Purchase Link: https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/521/c/ #goalsetting #behaviormodification #treatmentplanning Want to listen to it as a podcast instead? Subscribe to Counselor Toolbox Podcast ~ Change means doing something different or modifying a response ~ That response can be a neurochemical one (stress response) or an overt behavioral one (smoking) ~ Behavior modification principles will help you understand some of the reasons people act/react the way they do ~ By understanding what causes and motivates people’s behavior we can better address their issues ~ The focus on observable, measurable conditions to the exclusion of cognitive interpretation underscores the mind-body connection Definition ~ Behavior modification in its truest form is concerned only with observable, measurable behaviors, stimuli and reinforcement ~ Emotions, interpretations and mental processes have no bearing How can this be useful in practice ~ Traditional (strict) behavior modification can be quite useful in simplifying stimulus/reaction ~ Integrating the cognitive interpretations (labels) can help people in identifying and addressing what is causing their “distress” (Behaviorists would refer to excitatory response) ~ Understanding what causes feelings can also give people a greater sense of empowerment. Example ~ Puppies learn appropriate behavior through reinforcement and correction ~ Puppy 1 tackles puppy 2 threat ~ Puppy 2 responds by tackling puppy 1 counter threat ~ Both puppies get a surge of adrenaline ~ The puppy that dominates receives a dopamine surge that reinforces the prior behaviors — do that again. ~ If Puppy 1 plays too rough, then puppy 2 will either become more aggressive or leave. ~ Either way, puppy 1s behavior is punished. Example 2 ~ Humans have learned to label certain internal experiences with feeling words (angry, scared, happy) ~ Sally goes to a pet store ~ A puppy comes out, sits in her lap and puts is head on her leg ~ This contact (we know from studies) usually causes the release of dopamine and oxytocin –both reward chemicals ~ Sally calls this “happy” ~ If Sally had previously had a threatening experience with a dog, when she saw it, her body would likely respond by secreting adrenaline, kicking off the fight or flight reaction. Sally would label this as “fear” Points ~ The brain receives signals and, based on prior learning (conditioning), responds with either: ~ Fight/Anger or Flee/Fear (adrenaline/norepinepherine) ~ No reaction/neutral ~ Pleasure/Happy/Do this again (Dopamine/norepinephrine/Serotonin/GABA/Oxytocin?) ~ Humans label these different chemical responses with feeling words. ~ The same response can be labeled differently by two different people (fear vs. exhilaration) Points ~ People with anxiety, anger or resultant depression may need to: ~ Recondition X is not actually a threat (anymore) ~ Relabel ~ Excited vs. terrified ~ Stressed vs. hungry ~ Helpless/anxious vs. fat ~ ACT approach– X is causing me to have the feeling that… ~ In American culture we often use nonfeeling words to describe emotional states. ~ Part of recovery is identifying the physiological response to the stimulus and labeling it with a feeling word Basic Terms ~ Unconditioned stimulus and response ~ Something that evokes an unconditioned/automatic response in an infant and adult ~ Loud noises ~ Pain ~ Excessive cold/heat ~ Contact Basic Terms ~ Conditioned Stimulus ~ Something that in itself has no meaning to the person (yellow light) ~ Conditioned Response ~ The person’s reaction to the stimulus (slow down or floor it) ~ Conditioned stimuli and responses can be traced back to survival Fight-Flee-Forget-Repeat Basic Terms ~ Discriminitive stimulus ~ All things being equal, the stimulus which triggers the reaction. (Includes vulnerabilities) ~ Going to work ~ Good day ~ Bad day ~ Learned Helplessness ~ A response which occurs when people have tried and failed to either fight or flee. Giving up.  AllCEUs provides multimedia #counseloreducation and CEUs for LPCs, LMHCs, LMFTs and LCSWs as well as #addiction counselor precertification training and continuing education. Live, Interactive Webinars ($5) Unlimited Counseling CEs for $59 #addiction and #mentalhealth #counselors, #socialworkers and marriage and family therapists can earn #CEUs for this and other presentations at AllCEUs.com #AllCEUs courses are accepted in most states because we are approved as an education provider for NAADAC, the States of Florida and Texas Boards of Social Work and Mental Health/Professional Counseling, the California Consortium for Addiction Professionals and Professions. #DrDawnEliseSnipes provides Counseling CEUs and training through #allceus ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDtUMB5yRxc