| Thought restructuring |
The patient learns to identify, understand, and dispute irrational or maladaptive thoughts and feelings and reframe negative thoughts to respond in a healthier manner |
| Operant conditioning |
Relies on rewards or punishments for seizure absence or occurrence, respectively |
| Behavioral activation |
A treatment approach for depression that 1) refocuses patients on their goals by using activity scheduling to encourage engagement in activities that they are avoiding and 2) analyzes the function of cognitive processes that serve as a form of avoidance |
| Systematic desensitization |
The patient is exposed to progressively more anxiety-provoking stimuli and taught relaxation techniques to counteract the negative emotions (“habituation training”); may be applied to the anxiety elicited by seizure onsets or seizure provoking conditions |
| Family systems therapy |
The underlying theory posits that individuals cannot be understood in isolation from one another. An individual must be viewed in the context of his/her family, with the family comprising an emotional unit |
| Motivational interviewing |
A therapeutic style in which the patient is questioned and encouraged to develop his/her own ideas and plans regarding behavioral change, as opposed to the therapist providing direct advice |
