ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the following treatments: behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, biofeedback, relaxation, stress management, emotion-focused therapy, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness meditation. As the name suggests, in behavior therapy the focus is on changing observable behavior, and this is achieved by systematic applications of learning theory–based principles. In order to understand why and how behavior therapy became so rapidly popular, its rise and development needs to be placed in a historical context. Working with reinforcement to change behavior is a much more pleasant process for all parties involved. As a first step in intervention the therapist provided a description of the operant mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of the problematic eating behavior. The rapidity of decrease in the frequency of the problematic eating behaviors, and the strengthening of assertion in social situations were most gratifying.
