My name is Stephen Scherer, and I am a psychologist licensed in the state of California (CA PSY 21337). My practice consists of the application of Behavior Therapy principles to treat a wide range of psychological issues for individuals, couples, and families.

Behavior Therapy. The underpinnings of Behavior Therapy are behavioral principles established through the methods of science. This means that the principles are tested, and then retested, across different species, settings, and subjects. From the rigorous procedures of science came a very important principle, The Law of Effect. A tremendous amount of information about behavior, including its origins and maintenance, can be understood using this principle. Briefly stated, behavior is established and maintained by the effects that the behavior produces. Another way of stating this is if you want to know why someone is doing something, look at what effect the behavior has on the environment.

Functional analysis. The Law of Effect helps us to sort out many otherwise unscrutable behavioral conundrums. If we understand that whatever follows a problem behavior, whether consistently or only occasionally, is the thing that is likely causing the behavior, then we can have said to understand the function or "purpose" of the behavior. This is called a functional analysis, and it is critical to our therapeutic work. And it lies at the heart of Behavior Therapy as I practice it.

Learning environments. That which is adaptive in one environment may be maladaptive outside of that environment. A significant problem that many of my patients are confronted with is the behavioral legacy created by early learning environments, especially those called families. Behavior that was adaptive in the family (multiple roles, enabling, displacements, etc.) becomes malaptive outside of the family. Problem behaviors tend to repeat themselves in other significant environments (at work or at home, for example), with devastating effects. "Seeing through" one's family of origin often goes a long way towards resolving these issues.

Summary. The work that I do is focused on learning (and unlearning) behaviors. Maladaptive behaviors, established and maintained by their consequences in one environment, can be changed and replaced with adaptive behaviors in novel environments. As a matter of fact, with not a little effort one's family can become a strikingly different place than one's family of origin. Even if that family is a community of one.

Teaching. In addition to my clinical work environment I also teach at the junior college level. The courses that I teach include Introduction to Psychology, Learning, and Behavior Modification.