Exposure therapy is a type of behavioural therapy that is often used to treat various phobias and anxiety disorders. The goal of therapy is to work alongside the Social Worker/Psychotherapist to face fears and anxiety in a safe setting, that is either in a real-life situation or in-vivo.
How does it work?
- It can help the client to reduce feelings of anxiety, distress, or fear that they may have due to trauma or diagnosis
- The client will be exposed to these fears in a safe space and hope to reach the goal of reducing their feelings of anxiety and distress.
- The Social Worker/Psychotherapist will use different types of exposure depending on the fear or disorder including but not limited to:
- Creating a real-life situation for the person to go through, using talking therapy to encourage the person, to imagine situations to recall traumatic events
- Avoidance hierarchy
- Behavioural experiment
- Learn to cope with body sensations
- Testing predictions looking at the intolerance of uncertainty.
What can it treat?
- Hoarding
- Phobias
- Panic disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Adverse Childhood experiences
Types of Exposure used in session:
- Imaginal Exposure: patient in therapy is asked to mentally confront the fear or situation by picturing it in their mind.
- In-Vivo Exposure: patient is exposed to real-life objects and scenarios.
