Millicent has been teaching at the university level since 2004. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a Master's degree in Human Resources.
Kathleen is deathly afraid of clowns. This irrational fear, or phobia, of clowns is referred to as coulrophobia. Scientists believe that this fear arises from not knowing who exactly can be found behind the disguises clowns wear. The fear was becoming so debilitating for Kathleen that she started having panic attacks whenever a clown was in her presence. After discussing this issue with her counselor, a decision was made to slowly engage Kathleen in exposure therapy exercises in an effort to calm her fear of clowns and allow her to function normally when she encountered them.
Exposure therapy is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) which primarily focuses on a collaborative relationship between the patient and therapist, using the Socratic method in a structured environment. Exposure therapy sounds just like what it means: the patient will be exposed to the circumstance he or she is fearful of. The therapist and the patient decide together on a plan of action and level of exposure, and the patient is never forced to engage in an activity he is fearful or anxious about.
Effective therapists ensure that all the patient's questions about the exposure are answered, and attempts to ensure a certain level of comfort for the patient prior to he or she engaging in the event.
Exposure therapy is a therapy technique that is often used with people who suffer from anxiety-induced conditions such as those created by:
There are four different types of exposure therapy. These include:
As there are different types of exposure therapy, there are also different levels of exposure therapy which include:
Exposure therapy is used to expose someone to fears that have a debilitating effect. A type of cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure therapy emphasizes a collaborative approach between therapist and patient. This type of therapy is especially effective with patients who suffer from anxiety-provoking conditions such as phobias, PTSD, and panic disorder.
There are four different types of exposure therapy that are commonly used. These include in vivo exposure, imaginal exposure, virtual realty exposure, and interoceptive exposure. In addition to these types, there are also different levels of exposure therapy such as gradual exposure, flooding, and systematic desensitization.
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