What's a behavior analyst?/reply

[Michael E. Rohr, Ed.D.]

Hey folks,

There are typically three (3) forms or avenues of mental health intervention:

1) psychotherapy - the application of a personality theory;
practitioner = psychotherapist

2) psychiatry - the application/use of medications to change behavior;
practitioner = psychiatrist

3) applied behavior analysis - the application of learning theory
practitioner = behavior analyst

Now, before you can intervene one must have the skills to do so and one's
profession must exert a measure of quality control (cert./license or
reputation/referrences).

Of course there are eccectics and those who mix and match (psychiatrists who
also practice psychotherapy, etc.). There are those with varied
licenses/certifications depending upon who they work for or how one derives
their income also determines what they are called. We must also keep in mind
what your degree says or department you came from (counseling, social work).

But, if you are intervening it is "primarily" one of the above.

What do you think?.......besides thoughts :>))

michael Rohr

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[John W. Bush]

Michael,

I'm a psychotherapist of 25 years' standing, licensed in clinical
psychology, and this is the first time I've heard psychotherapy defined
as "the application of a personality theory." So I don't know what to
make of your opinion -- but perhaps you'd be willing to spell out what
you have in mind.

-- John

------------

[John Eshleman]

In a message dated 3/10/99 9:45:25 AM Eastern Standard Time,
j...@alumni.stanford.org writes:

<< I'm a psychotherapist of 25 years' standing, licensed in clinical
psychology, and this is the first time I've heard psychotherapy defined
as "the application of a personality theory." So I don't know what to
make of your opinion -- but perhaps you'd be willing to spell out what
you have in mind. >>

Not to mention the problems that attend to defining applied behavior
analysis as based on "the application of learning theory."

One is tempted to ask, which learning theory. But, then, that might
press the point too far. -- JE

[Wesley Cannon]

In a message dated 3/10/99 8:45:25 AM Central Standard Time,
j...@alumni.stanford.org writes:

<<
"Michael E. Rohr, Ed.D." wrote:
>
> Hey folks,
>
> There are typically three (3) forms or avenues of mental health
intervention:
>

> 1) psychotherapy - the application of a personality theory;
> practitioner = psychotherapist

Well that's a new one. I suppose cognitive, gestault, et al are all theories
of personality.

> 2) psychiatry - the application/use of medications to change behavior;
> practitioner = psychiatrist

And I always have been told that psychiatrists do not give medication to
change behaviors, but to treat a "condition."

By this definition, an anestitologist, or a dentist etc. could be called a
psychiatrist. They both give medications to either change a behavior (from
being concious and awake to unconcious and out like a light), or to prevent a
behavior (keep from knocking the dentist to kingdom come).

> 3) applied behavior analysis - the application of learning theory
> practitioner = behavior analyst

Any theory of learning? Any particular way of applying this unspecified
theory? Couldn't one perhaps claim that Jung's was a learning theory (memory
passed down from generation to generation)?