Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy - Essay Example Among the concepts or theories are social exchange theory, operant conditioning, behavioral exchange theory and social learning theory. However, the central goal of Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy is to extinguish undesired behaviors while encourage positive behaviors that sustain healthy families. Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy has made significant contributions to the field of Family Therapy. One of the contributions relates to the concept of operant condition, where consequences govern and regulate behaviors. Families are systems made of structures and subsystems regulated by interrelationships. Different members have different behaviors and characters. Some of characters are bad and unwanted, and needs to be subject to control. Elaborate consequences for each negative behavior established by the highest authority in the family system are the main decelerators of the dysfunctional behaviors (Nichols, 2013). From that view, Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy provides therapist with idea that they should analyze effectiveness of consequences against particular negative behaviors. Another important contribution of Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy to the field of Family Therapy relates to introduction of Social Exchange Theory. According to Social Exchange Theory, human beings struggle to maximize rewards and reduce costs in relationships. Healthy families are those that mutually maximize rewards (Nichols, 2013). Unhealthy families on the other hand are those that members protect themselves from hurt to consider ways to please each other. This concept can help in efficient analysis and study of family systems and structure, and eventual identification of underlying problem to ease and shorten therapy process and time. Consideration of Behavioral Exchange Theory is another contribution of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to