Behaviorists usually come from two courses of study in college, Biology or Psychology. In the US, a Certiified Applied Animal Behaviorist, CAAB, is a person with a PHD with hours of extra training and study in Animal Behavior, and certified through the The Animal Behavior Society, https://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org , who are a group of senior level CAB’s who review the application of certified members. An Associate CAB is a Master’s level person with less practical hours and experience and also approved through the The Animal Behavior Society. There are a few non academic organizations that train and certify people, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. Their certification also involves many hours of documented practice and a test to be certified. Before enrolling into a behavior program, or working with persons who are using the term behaviorist in their title, it is important to understand the validness of the term. We all know the term MD and can have faith in a level of practice and education. We all know DVM and what that means. You have to do a little digging to understand the title Behaviorist. For example, I use MA, which is a Master of Arts in Psychology, from William Lyon University and UW-AAB, which is https://www.pce.uw.edu/certificates/applied-animal-behavior