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Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is an evidence-based form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) designed to reduce fear and anxiety responses. The core principle is that avoidance of feared situations, thoughts, or memories reinforces anxiety, while gradual and repeated exposure to these triggers in a safe, therapeutic setting helps clients reduce distress over time.
Exposure can take different forms:
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In vivo exposure – confronting feared objects, situations, or environments directly.
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Imaginal exposure – vividly imagining feared scenarios or traumatic memories.
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Interoceptive exposure – deliberately eliciting physical sensations (e.g., rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath) to reduce fear of bodily cues.
Through this process, clients learn that anxiety diminishes without avoidance and that feared outcomes are less likely or less catastrophic than anticipated. Exposure therapy is highly effective for treating anxiety disorders, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
References
Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006
Foa, E. B., Hembree, E. A., & Rothbaum, B. O. (2007). Prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD: Emotional processing of traumatic experiences. Oxford University Press.
Abramowitz, J. S. (2013). The practice of exposure therapy: Relevance of cognitive-behavioral theory and extinction theory. Behavior Therapy, 44(4), 548–558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2013.03.003