Behavioral Techniques
1Behavioral ActivationCBT
Systematically schedule and engage in activities that provide pleasure, accomplishment, or social connection — even before motivation returns. Grounded in evidence that action precedes motivation in depression, not the other way around. Starting small and building progressively breaks the inertia of depressive withdrawal.
Identify three activities from when you were well: one pleasurable, one social, one that builds mastery. Schedule them for this week. Rate mood before and after each. Build evidence that behavior influences how you feel — not just the other way around.
2Activity SchedulingCBT
Plan the day or week in advance with a realistic balance of necessary tasks, pleasurable activities, and rest. Counters both avoidance of difficult tasks and the tendency to over-schedule without room for recovery. Builds predictability and a sense of authorship over how time is used.
Map the week in hourly blocks. Identify gaps where low mood or anxiety typically escalate. Insert specific, achievable activities. After the week, review: what worked? What was avoided? Use this as data for planning the next week — not as evidence of failure.
3Exposure TherapyCBT
Systematically and gradually approach feared situations, objects, or thoughts in a controlled, supported way. Works through habituation (anxiety decreases with prolonged contact) and inhibitory learning (feared outcome doesn’t occur, updating the threat prediction). Avoidance is the primary mechanism that maintains all anxiety disorders.
For fear of public speaking: begin reading aloud alone, then to one trusted person, then a small group, then a larger audience. Remain in each situation until anxiety reduces by at least 50% before progressing to the next level.
4Graded ExposureCBT
Construct a fear hierarchy with 8–12 situations ranging from mildly anxiety-provoking to most feared. Work through it systematically, progressing only when anxiety at the current level has substantially reduced. Particularly valuable when avoidance has been extensive and the gap between current functioning and the feared situation is large.
Spider phobia: (1) view a photo, (2) watch a video, (3) be in the same room as a sealed jar, (4) touch the jar, (5) observe a live spider at distance, (6) be in same room without barrier. Each step is mastered before moving to the next.
5Committed ActionACT
Take concrete, specific steps toward your values — even in the presence of difficult thoughts and feelings. Bridges the gap between what matters and what you actually do. Unlike goal-setting, it explicitly anticipates obstacles and treats persistence through difficulty as part of the process, not a sign of failure.
‘I value being a present parent. This week I will put my phone in another room during dinner — even if I feel anxious about missing messages. Not because it feels comfortable, but because it reflects what I actually value.’
6Problem-Solving SkillsCBT
Apply a structured approach: define the problem specifically, brainstorm all possible solutions without filtering, evaluate each option’s feasibility and likely outcome, choose the best option, implement it, and review. Most effective when distress has a genuine external source that thinking alone cannot resolve.
Problem: ‘I am overwhelmed at work.’ Define specifically: ‘I have 3 deadlines next week and no clear priority order.’ Brainstorm options. Choose: talk to manager tomorrow with a proposed priority order in hand.
7Behavioral AnalysisDBT
Map the complete chain: vulnerability factors (tired, hungry, stressed), precipitating event, thoughts, emotions, sensations, the behavior, and its short- and long-term consequences. This detailed analysis reveals exactly where intervention would be most effective — often at an earlier link than expected.
After a binge episode: ‘I was sleep-deprived (vulnerability). I received a critical email (event). Thought: I can’t do anything right. Emotion: shame and helplessness. Behavior: eating to numb. Consequence: brief relief, then worse.’ The vulnerability is the earliest intervention point.
8Role PlayIPT
Practice specific interpersonal scenarios in session, with the therapist playing the other person. Reveals unhelpful patterns in real time and allows experimentation with new responses before using them in actual relationships. Particularly valuable for conflict conversations, assertiveness, and situations involving grief or role transition.
Preparing to set a boundary with a family member: rehearse the conversation in session. Try different approaches. Notice where you shift into people-pleasing. Practice stating the boundary clearly, briefly, and calmly until it feels possible — not perfect, just possible.
Motivation follows action — it does not precede it. Waiting until you ‘feel ready’ is itself an avoidance behavior. The techniques on this sheet work because they change the equation: behavior first, then the feeling that follows.