THER APEUTIC APPROACHES | Class 12 Psychology Notes
By ConceptScroll Team · Published on 17 July 2026 · 3 min read
THER APEUTIC APPROACHES – this guide gives you a concise, exam-ready overview of THER APEUTIC APPROACHES from Class 12 Psychology, written by ConceptScroll editors and reviewed against the latest NCERT textbook.
Behaviour Therapy
Behaviour therapy is based on the premise that psychological distress results from faulty behaviour or thought patterns learned through conditioning. It focuses on present behaviours rather than reliving the past. The therapist conducts a behavioural analysis to identify maladaptive behaviours, antecedent factors that trigger these behaviours, and maintaining factors that reinforce them. For example, a young person who smokes to relieve exam anxiety has anxiety as the antecedent and relief as the maintaining factor. Treatment aims to extinguish maladaptive behaviours and replace them with adaptive ones using antecedent and consequent operations. Antecedent operations modify triggers preceding behaviour, while consequent operations involve reinforcement or punishment following behaviour. Techniques include negative reinforcement, aversive conditioning, positive reinforcement, token economy, systematic desensitisation, relaxation procedures, modelling, and differential reinforcement. Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscular relaxation reduce anxiety, a common antecedent of maladaptive behaviours. Systematic desensitisation gradually exposes clients to feared stimuli while maintaining relaxation, based on the principle of reciprocal inhibition. Modelling involves learning through observation of role models. Behaviour therapy is symptom-focused, practical, and often short-term.
📊 Diagram: No specific diagrams, but Box 5.2 describes relaxation procedures.
🧪 Activity: Relaxation exercise involving deep breathing to help a nervous friend calm down.
🔗 Connection: Leads to cognitive therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy sections.
Frequently asked questions
Describe the nature and scope of psychotherapy. Highlight the importance of therapeutic relationship in psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy is a treatment method aimed at helping individuals overcome psychological problems and improve mental health through verbal and psychological techniques. Its nature involves understanding the client's issues, emotions, and behaviors, and working collaboratively to bring about change. The scope of psychotherapy includes treatment of mental disorders, emotional difficulties, and enhancement of personal growth. The therapeutic relationship is crucial as it establishes trust, empathy,
What are the different types of psychotherapy? On what basis are they classified?
The main types of psychotherapy include psychodynamic therapy, humanistic therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavior therapy, and integrative or eclectic therapy. They are classified based on their theoretical orientation and techniques used. For example, psychodynamic therapy focuses on unconscious processes and past experiences; humanistic therapy emphasizes personal growth and self-actualization; cognitive-behavioral therapy targets maladaptive thoughts and behaviors; behavior therapy us
Discuss the various techniques used in behaviour therapy.
Behavior therapy techniques include systematic desensitization, aversive conditioning, flooding, modeling, token economy, and relaxation training. Systematic desensitization involves gradual exposure to feared stimuli while practicing relaxation. Aversive conditioning pairs unwanted behavior with unpleasant stimuli to reduce it. Flooding exposes the client to the feared object or situation intensely and for a prolonged period. Modeling involves learning through observation of others. Token econo
Explain with the help of an example how cognitive distortions take place.
Cognitive distortions are biased or irrational ways of thinking that lead to negative emotions and behaviors. For example, a person who fails an exam may think, 'I am a complete failure and will never succeed,' which is an example of overgeneralization. This distorted thinking affects their self-esteem and motivation. Cognitive therapy aims to identify and correct such distortions to improve mental health.
Ready to ace this chapter?
Get the full THER APEUTIC APPROACHES chapter — interactive notes, diagrams, worked solutions, polls and a free practice quiz — in the ConceptScroll app.
Study smarter with ConceptScroll
Daily NCERT-aligned reels, AI doubt solving and chapter quizzes — all free.
Start learning freeContinue reading
- SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND GROUP PROCESSES | Class 12 Psychology Notes
Clear NCERT-aligned notes on SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND GROUP PROCESSES for Class 12 Psychology.
- SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND GROUP PROCESSES | Class 12 Psychology Notes
Clear NCERT-aligned notes on SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND GROUP PROCESSES for Class 12 Psychology.
- SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND GROUP PROCESSES | Class 12 Psychology Notes
Clear NCERT-aligned notes on SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND GROUP PROCESSES for Class 12 Psychology.