Kabir has a crippling fear of lifts and is treated by a behaviour therapist. Consider the following statements about how this therapist works:
(A) The therapist focuses on Kabir's behaviour and thoughts in the present.
(B) The therapist looks at Kabir's past only to understand the origins of his faulty patterns.
(C) The therapist has Kabir relive his childhood experiences to release old conflicts.
(D) The therapist holds that Kabir's distress arises from faulty behaviour or thought patterns.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Only three
(A) The therapist focuses on Kabir's behaviour and thoughts in the present. — Correct. Behaviour therapy is focused on the behaviour and thoughts of the client in the present.
(B) The therapist looks at Kabir's past only to understand the origins of his faulty patterns. — Correct. The past is relevant only to understand the origins of the faulty behaviour and thought patterns.
(C) The therapist has Kabir relive his childhood experiences to release old conflicts. — Incorrect. In behaviour therapy the past is not activated or relived; only the faulty patterns are corrected in the present. Reliving the past to settle conflicts belongs to psychodynamic work.
(D) The therapist holds that Kabir's distress arises from faulty behaviour or thought patterns. — Correct. Behaviour therapies hold that psychological distress arises because of faulty behaviour patterns or thought patterns.
NCERT (2026-27): “Behaviour Therapy |