Three specific behavioral techniques are behavioral rehearsal, environmental planning and systematic desensitization. Behavioral rehearsal involves practicing a certain behavior until a desired outcome is reached. Environmental planning is when the client rearranges their environment to avoid or promote certain behaviors. Systematic desensitization involves organizing anxiety situations by the amount of anxiety that the situation causes and then focusing on how to relieve the anxiety with the highest anxiety produced situation first.
The counselor has much involvement in all three techniques. First, in behavioral rehearsal the counselor will ask the client to perform a task in their office and then give feedback on how the behavior was handled. Then the counselor will assign homework so that the client can practice the proper behavior in real life and the discussion follows. Next, in environmental planning the counselor will help the client rearrange their home, office, and rearrangeable areas of their life to help control their feelings and triggers that cause certain types of behaviors. Last, in systematic desensitization the counselor will ask the client to rank their anxiety induced behaviors and situations on a hierarchy scale. The counselor will explore the highest ranked situation and teach the coping mechanisms for each situation.
