Martianova, G. Yu. Effectiveness of Behavioral Psychotherapy in Psychological Counseling of Parents

Abstract: The author of the article describes the results of using the behavioral technique ‘step by step’ in psychological counseling of parents. The purpose of the research is to prove effectiveness of the aforesaid technique in counseling. Even though the technique was initially created for therapy with families who have a sick child, it meets all the requirements set forth for psychological counseling. The author of the article analyzes how the technique can be used at different stages of counseling. She also defines factors that are necessary for using certain mechanisms of the behavioral technique depending on the parenting style. The research involved parents who were the clients of a psychologist. In the course of the experiment, the author of the research article compared the two groups of respondents. The aforesaid technique of behavioral psychotherapy was applied in the first group of respondents while the second group consisted of parents who were given only recommendations. The results of the research show that parents can actually demonstrate changes in their parenting style and self-conception if they systematically analyze undesired child’s reactions and their own system of requirements. The main psychotherapeutic effects included realization, distancing and restructuring. The aforesaid technique proves to correspond to the main principles of psychological counseling of parents and satisfy their need for help and assistance.

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