The future of behavior therapy

Although behavior therapy is designed to modify observable behaviors, it also brings about cognitive change. To achieve the best results with behavior therapy, it is sometimes necessary to combine it with cognitive procedures. The author gives examples of the uses of behavior therapy on its own and as combined cognitive-behavior therapy. These treatments have been tested extensively in clinical trials, and they are brief and highly suitable for use in managed care. Future developments are likely to include closer integration with pharmacotherapy and further extension into the field of behavioral medicine.