Acceptance and commitment therapy and behavior analytic scope of practice?

[futureapppsy2]

I've seen the argument that, because ACT is based in a radical behavior analytic framework, behavior analysts (mostly BCBAs) are within their scope of practice practicing it without additional training or licensure in counseling or psychology. Even as someone who was introduced to ACT under a strict radical behavior analytic framework (including training in relational frame theory), this makes me uncomfortable, because applied behavioral analysis programs don't typically include training in things like counseling skills, psychopathology, etc.

Thoughts?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Justanothergrad]

I've seen the argument that, because ACT is based in a radical behavior analytic framework, behavior analysts (mostly BCBAs) are within their scope of practice practicing it without additional training or licensure in counseling or psychology. Even as someone who was introduced to ACT under a strict radical behavior analytic framework (including training in relational frame theory), this makes me uncomfortable, because applied behavioral analysis programs don't typically include training in things like counseling skills, psychopathology, etc.

Thoughts?

This is a silly and dangerous argument. Just because something is conceptually related at a very broad doesn't make you qualified to do that other thing. I don't take computer to my car mechanic just because they both have electronics in them.

 

[futureapppsy2]

This is a silly and dangerous argument. Just because something is conceptually related at a very broad doesn't make you qualified to do that other thing. I don't take computer to my car mechanic just because they both have electronics in them.

I agree, but I'm seeing it more and more in behavior analytic circles (I'm also a behavior analyst, though not yet a BCBA), and I'm not sure how to combat it, as many of these people truly see ACT as "just ABA, not psychotherapy." Even pointing out that Hayes is a clinical psychologist seems not to get me anywhere.

 

[ClinicalABA]

I don’t see more traditional ACT as being within the current scope of practice of your typical BCBA in the sameI’m faculty in a BCBA graduate training program, and there is nothing in our current training model that would prepare BCBAs to do individual therapy of that nature focus on direct treatment of Psychiatric disorders (for example, no courses in pysch assessment or psychopathology). I’d also argue that ABA is not within the scope of practice and targeted by the training of your typical psychologist.

All that said, I do think Mark Dixon’s ACT based program for teaching social skills to children with ASD is within the typical scope of practice of BCBA (it was designed to be). I recently attended a full day workshop he presented on the topic, and it seems appropriate for implementation by a BCBA who is trained in the program, of course.

 

[ClinicalABA]

... I'm not sure how to combat it..

As a BCBA myself, I’m obligated by my ethics code to combat it by first pointing out to the BCBA that they are likely practicing outside of the scope of their credential and training, and then to follow up with formal notification of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.

As a psychologist licensed in the states of MA and CT, I’m obligating in each jurisdiction to combat it similarly- first attempt to address itbinformally with BCBA, informing them that they may be practicing psychology without a license, and then- if the issue is not resolved- inform the licensure board in the appropriate jurisdiction that somebody may be practicing psychology without a license.

 

[foreverbull]

Providing ACT as a psychotherapy approach is wayyyyyy out of scope of people not trained in psychotherapy. I'm not sure how you would frame this other than..."you need graduate training to learn the skill set to effectively provide therapy, no matter what approach you choose to embrace and use in practice." While components of ACT are friendly to laypersons and/or the BCBA crowd, the approach as a whole can't be reduced to a series of actions that a non-trained, non-psychotherapist person can use and say they're an expert in it....huge overstepping of bounds.

 

[ClinicalABA]

I’d argue that anybody doing ACT should have a reasonably good understanding of/training in relational frame therapy and stimulus equivalence, which would make it outside the scope of training of many clinical psychologist, social workers, and LMHCs. That said, I’m and old crank who also thinks anybody reporting a standard score or t score in acpsych report should be able to tell you the differences between the distributions.