Behavioral Activation

Behavioral Activation is an evidence-based, third-wave approach to treating depression and related problems.  This functional approach emphasizes engaging in value-guided action to break the cycle of depression and has been found to be as effective as medication and more effective than cognitive therapy for moderate-to-severe depression. In this lecture, a brief history of Behavioral Activation is provided, followed by a description and illustration of foundational Behavioral Activation techniques.  The goal is to demonstrate how Behavioral Activation techniques may be employed not only for clients with depression but whenever a client is stuck and needs to get moving towards life goals.

Literatur:

Kanter, J. W., Busch, A. M., Rusch, L. C. (2009). Behavioral Activation: Distinctive Features. London, England: Routledge Press.
Kanter, J. W., Puspitasari, A. J., Santos, M. M., & Nagy, G. A. (2012). Behavioural Activation: History, evidence, and promise. British Journal of Psychiatry, 200, 361-363.

Der Vortrag findet in englisher Sprache statt

Jonathan Kanter

Jonathan Kanter, Ph.D., is Director of the Center for the Science of Social Connection (CSSC) and FAP Term Professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington.  Over the course of his career, Dr. Kanter has conducted research on Behavioral Activation (BA) and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP).  This has included research that clarifies the underlying behavioral mechanisms of BA and FAP and explores the effectiveness of, how to cross-culturally adapt, and how to most effectively train clinicians in, these approaches. He has written over 100 peer-reviewed articles and five books on these topics. 

The CSSC is a University of Washington research center that integrates findings from clinical psychology, basic relationship science, neuroscience, and contextual behavioral science to explore how humans connect with each other, and how the psychotherapy relationship is a key moment of human connection that can be directly harnessed in the service of improving our clients' abilities to connect with others.  As a leader in research and training in BA, Dr. Kanter has conducted BA workshops around the world and has developed a reputation for delivering scientifically precise, engaging, and compassionate workshops that blend didactics with intense experiential learning.