Behavioral therapy (or behavior modification therapy) is a very practical and commonly used method in counseling. It is based on the theory of conditioned reflexes and social learning, and generally adopts positive and negative reinforcement rewards and punishments to change or shape a person's specific behavior. Positive reinforcement includes verbal rewards (e.g., public praise), physical rewards (e.g., prizes, certificates), etc., which are designed to give students mental pleasure and satisfaction. Negative reinforcement means, on the other hand, include verbal punishment (e.g., public criticism), and actual punishment (e.g., disqualification from participating in a pleasurable experience, imposition of disciplinary measures, etc.).

Taking these methods can be effective in stopping problems such as boredom, lying, laziness, and classroom disruption in children or symptoms of certain anxiety disorders and obsessive ideation (e.g., agoraphobia, compulsive hand-washing, etc.) in adults.

Regardless of the method, we should pay attention to the following aspects:
1,Make the meaning of correction clear to the other person.
2,Make a clear plan of correction.
3,Select appropriate positive and negative reinforcers.
4,Control the schedule of behavior modification.
5,Continuously evaluate the efficiency of behavior modification.

Common behavior modification therapies include: systematic desensitization, aversion, manipulative therapy, marking rewards, demonstration and group psychotherapy.