ABSTRACT
The idea of applying functional analysis to in-session behaviour has been formalised and structured within an approach known as Functional Analytic Psychotherapy. Like Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP) is positioned within the field of contextual behavioural science and might be considered to be another of its siblings. Based on the observation that most significant psychological difficulties are reflected within interpersonal relationships, FAP assumes that those same difficulties are highly likely to show up in the relationships between practitioners and their clients. This is probably a big part of why the quality of the therapeutic relationship is so closely related to outcomes within psychotherapy. FAP assumes that an authentic connection with another human being is one of the most powerful reinforcers that there is and that the therapeutic relationship provides a potent vehicle for shaping interpersonal behaviour through reinforcement.
