Behavioral activation

Behavioral activation is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes engaging in potentially mood-boosting activities. It involves the understanding of an individual's specific behaviors and the use of methods, such as planning, to enable them to overcome avoidance.

As a psychotherapeutic modality, it is considered a form of clinical behavior analysis, or third-generation behavior therapy. It owes its basis to Charles Ferster's (1973), which developed B. F. Skinner's idea of depression. The theory holds that not enough environmental reinforcement or too much environmental punishment can contribute to depression. The goal of the intervention is to increase environmental reinforcement and reduce punishment.

Behavioral activation is often used in cognitive behavioral therapy. It is also used in applied behavior analysis, clinical behavior analysis, and functional analytic psychotherapy.