Overcoming Fear
What is Exposure Therapy?
Exposure therapy is a treatment used to help individuals overcome anxiety, phobias, and other related disorders. The therapy is based on the principle that confronting a feared object or situation can reduce anxiety levels and eventually lead to a reduction in the fear associated with it.
The therapy can be conducted in a variety of ways, including:
- Imaginal exposure: This involves imagining a feared situation and working through related emotions and thoughts in the mind.
- In vivo exposure: This involves direct exposure to the feared object or situation in real life. This can be done gradually, starting with less fear-provoking stimuli and gradually increasing intensity over time.
- Virtual reality exposure: This involves exposure to a computer-generated simulation of a feared situation.
The aim of exposure therapy is to help individuals overcome their fear by gradually facing their anxieties in a controlled environment.
This repeated exposure helps the person to become less afraid and eventually overcome their fear.
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What is Exposure Therapy used with?
Exposure therapy is often used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help individuals modify negative thoughts and beliefs associated with their fears. In CBT, the individual learns to challenge and change these negative thoughts and beliefs, leading to a reduction in anxiety levels.
Exposure therapy has been shown to be highly effective in treating a wide range of anxiety disorders, including phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and panic disorder. Studies have found that exposure therapy is more effective than other forms of treatment, such as talk therapy, for the treatment of these disorders.
However, exposure therapy can be challenging for some individuals and may cause temporary discomfort or distress. It is important to work with a trained mental health professional who can help the individual through the process and ensure their safety and comfort during the therapy.
Exposure therapy is a highly effective form of treatment for individuals with anxiety and related disorders. The therapy involves facing fears and anxieties in a controlled environment, leading to a reduction in fear and anxiety levels. While exposure therapy can be challenging, it is often used in conjunction with other forms of therapy, such as CBT, to help individuals overcome their fears and lead a happier and more fulfilling life.
Our expert Scottsdale counselors can help facilitate Exposure therapy to help you overcome your fears.
References:
Information from the American Psychological Association regarding the issues addressed
Information from the National Library of Medicine on the effectiveness.
Our Exposure Therapy Counselors
Frequently Asked Questions:
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Yes, we offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation. Please call us at 480-613-8530 to schedule a consultation or complete this contact form.
Our practice is a fee-for-service practice which means we do not accept insurance. If you have an insurance provider with behavioral health coverage, they may offer out-of-network coverage. If you would like to use your out-of-network benefits, we will provide you with a superbill (receipt) that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Prior to your first session, you will fill out some general information. We will you a link to complete the form(s) prior to your first session.
During the initial appointment, we will review some of your histories and we will have an opportunity to discuss the reasons you are interested in counseling and the goals you are looking to achieve from counseling.
Together during the first few sessions we will put together a treatment plan with you.
Most patients come in for weekly appointments. As you are feeling better, you can cut back on the frequency of the sessions so you have more time to practice what you are learning.
Initial sessions are 75 minutes ongoing sessions may be 45-75 minutes or longer depending on need.
Patients who work with us report improvements in a few sessions. More difficult issues may take longer. People come to therapy for different reasons but universally people don’t initiate counseling unless they are in some type of emotional pain. Our attitude is to try to make every session count.
We welcome couples, children, adolescents, teens, and individuals of diverse backgrounds, cultures, religious traditions, and lifestyles.
We will be able to work with you using a variety of tools and techniques and specialize in a variety of issues and concerns.
All client-therapist conversations are private and confidential. In those rare exceptions when the safety of a client or other is at risk disclosure of confidential client-therapist information takes place.