Relaxation Training Los Angeles

Relaxation Training

In the modern age, stress and anxiety are on the rise. Job insecurity, political instability and a seemingly constant flow of bad news have combined to make the current moment fraught with fear and anxiety. Fortunately, there are a number of cognitive behavioral techniques for reducing stress and anxiety, making peace of mind an attainable goal. Relaxation training is one of these CBT tools that can help reduce stress and anxiety. Relaxation training is most effectively used in conjunction with cognitive restructuring and exposure therapy. However, it can be used on its own as a short-term coping skill. Relaxation training has numerous potential benefits, including decreased sleep problems, lowered blood pressure, reduced worry, and decreased impulsive behavior. It is most often used in CBT as a part of a more comprehensive anxiety reduction treatment.

Relaxation training includes a number of CBT skills aimed at bringing about immediate stress relief. Some use the body’s own physiology to induce relaxation, activating the autonomic nervous system to reduce physiological anxiety. Progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, and parasympathetic breathing are examples of these. These more physical relaxation training techniques work by sending physical messages to the central nervous system, effectively telling the brain that there is no danger, and everything is alright.

Brain imaging studies have found that people who have higher levels of anxiety generally have decreased responsiveness and function of the parasympathetic nervous system. This part of the central nervous system is responsible for feelings of calm and relaxation. Normally, this system kicks in after the sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight response system) has been engaged for a while. Unfortunately, this does not happen as much in anxious people, prolonging the fight-or-flight response, and maintaining feelings of anxiety. Relaxation training can remedy this deficit by helping people to learn to give their parasympathetic nervous system a jump-start. Studies have shown that over time, people who regularly engage in relaxation exercises are able to recover normal parasympathetic nervous system functioning.

Relaxation training fits into CBT as it is an intervention to change physiological components of anxiety. Because physiological anxiety has an impact on thoughts, feelings, and behavior, many people trained in relaxation techniques notice a decrease in worry, fewer urges to avoid difficult situations, and an overall drop in feelings of anxiety. In fact, in CBT for anxiety, relaxation training is often the first intervention, as people often find they are better able to engage in the rest of the treatment more fully once they feel less muscle tension and tightness.

It is important to note, that these techniques, when practiced without being part of a full CBT treatment regimen, have the potential to actually worsen anxiety longer term. This is because without the use of exposure strategies, relaxation techniques can serve as ways of avoiding feared situations, and avoidance is what maintains and escalates anxiety. When used with other CBT interventions, relaxation therapy techniques can help speed along the process, helping clients more confidently engage in exposure-based treatment. Click here to learn more about CBT for anxiety.

For more information about what CBT is, what it is used to treat, and the methods we use, explore our site using the navigation menu at the top of this page, or visit our cognitive behavioral therapy exercises pages.

Cognitive Behvaioral Therapy Los Angeles is a therapy practice of expert psychologists with the highest level of training and experience in providing evidence-based treatment. To ask a question or schedule a consultation to determine whether CBT is right for you, click the button below.

BAT Myths & Misconceptions:

Behavioral activation is an empirically supported treatment for depression that has been studied extensively. It’s thought to be particularly effective for individuals with depressed mood resulting from chronic stressors.

What is Behavioral Activation Therapy?

Behavioral activation therapy is a type of psychotherapy developed to help people who suffer from major depressive disorder or dysthymia. In the treatment, the therapist works with the patient to discover what situations and activities that person finds rewarding. Through discussion, brainstorming and other methods, therapists help patients identify how they could modify their lives so that they incorporate more rewarding behaviors, rather than continuing to engage in behaviors that are unhelpful or self-destructive.

To start, the therapist will ask about the patient’s history and current life situation, including any symptoms of depression. Then, the therapist and patient work together to create a list of potentially rewarding activities. The therapist works with the patient to determine which activities he or she is willing and able to engage in. The list is not a complete prescription of what the patient should be doing, because that would likely lead to over- or under-stimulation and result in depression relapse. Instead, it serves as a guidepost for the patient and therapist to use together during therapy sessions and between sessions.

What is a typical Behavioral Activation Therapy session like?

The patient and therapist begin with discussion about the activities of the past week. The therapist asks questions such as “Which days were you able to get out of the house?” “Which days did you find yourself up in the morning before noon?” or “Which day did you feel like you were able to help or impact someone else?” The therapist uses this information to assess how well the patient is doing, what activities they are finding rewarding, and whether there are any negative patterns that may be preventing them from incorporating more rewarding behaviors into their lives.

Who is a typical Behavioral Activation Therapy patient?

The most common patients in behavioral activation therapy are those who suffer from major depressive disorder or dysthymia. However, other people can benefit from this form of psychotherapy as well such as those with bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia. BAT is also great for people dealing with social anxiety or substance dependency. Its great for anxiety because it helps people get back to doing things they used to do . BAT is helpful for people trying to get off of drugs because it helps you find other things that are pleasurable rather than doing drugs.

Who provides Behavioral Activation Therapy?

Behavioral activation therapy is most often provided by clinical social workers and psychologists. However, it can be provided by other types of therapists as well such as marriage and family therapists. In many cases CBT clients benefit from online therapy from one of our many psychology experts.

How long does Behavioral Activation Therapy last?

The length of behavioral activation therapy is typically once a week for about an hour. However, this can vary depending on the needs and concerns of the patient. On average , patients receive 10 to 12 weeks of behavioral activation therapy. The therapist works with the patient to help him or her develop specific techniques that can be used during the upcoming week to incorporate more rewarding behaviors.

What research is there to support Behavioral Activation Therapy as an effective treatment for depression?

There have been multiple randomized controlled trials that have shown that behavioral activation therapy is an effective treatment for major depressive disorder and dysthymia. There also has been research to show that this type of psychotherapy can be just as effective in treating depression when compared to antidepressant medications. Behavioral Activation Therapy was developed by Drs. Jacobson and Revenstorf, who were psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania, in the late 1970s. It is closely related to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which was developed by Dr. Aaron Beck in the 1960s at the University of Pennsylvania.

Behavioral Activation Therapy has also been shown to be effective in treating other mental health issues such as post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. However, since these conditions have been less extensively studied with Behavioral Activation Therapy, more research is needed to show its effectiveness in treating them.

Source: http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=6450&cn=5

How effective is Behavioral Activation Therapy?

Around 80% of people who receive behavioral activation therapy show significant improvement in their depressive symptoms. This means that they see an improvement in how they feel and function as compared to before they started the treatment. Around 55% of people who receive behavioral activation therapy show a complete remission of their symptoms, meaning that they no longer have any signs or symptoms of depression.

Is Behavioral activation therapy safe?

Yes. Behavioral activation therapy is generally safe and well tolerated. Most people do not experience any adverse effects from this form of psychotherapy. Only in extremely rare cases has there been any reported side effects.