Behavior Analysts and Counseling: Why Are We Not There And How Can We Get There?

Even with a rich history demonstrating how complex behaviors are acquired, traditional psychological domains are still not well represented in behavior analytic literature (Dougher & Hackbert, 2000). This paper will briefly present some of the reasons why behavior analysts might be reluctant to foray into traditional "counseling" areas. Next, the traditional counseling process will be defined, followed by ways in which the characteristics and processes of traditional counseling can be explained based on the principles of behavior and by using behavior analytic terms. Finally, this paper will present some traditional counseling programs that adhere to, or are based in, behavioral psychology and will offer some suggestions for areas of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]