The establishment of a behavior therapy unit within a general hospital in Venezuela: the first five years

This article describes the formation of a behavior therapy unit in a major general hospital in Venezuela. The unit was begun in 1978 despite considerable opposition. Initially sporadic seminars were given in which the essentials of behavior therapy were taught. This gradually grew into a 2-year post-graduate course in behavior therapy-a year of background and a year of clinical assignments. A wide range of treatments are used, all of which have a solid data base. Our experience shows that it is possible to design small behavior therapy units, not only in psychiatric hospitals but in general hospitals as well.