Behavioral activation is a behavioral treatment that primarily focuses on changing behaviors to address problems people may be experiencing.
In behavioral activation, the patient and therapist come up with a list of activities that the patient values and finds rewarding. Each week the patient is asked to set goals for how many activities he or she wants to complete outside of the session. Throughout the week, the patient then tracks the progress made in achieving these goals.
The main goals in behavioral activation are to increase activity levels (and prevent avoidance behaviors) and help the patient take part in positive and rewarding activities which can improve his or her mood. Behavioral activation was originally designed as a treatment for depression. However, there is evidence that might also be helpful for people with PTSD.
