Chapter 15 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chapter 15 - Assignment Example ensitization is a type of counterconditioning that educate and masters the client to remain calm and relaxed in the presence of imagined anxiety-inducing stimuli. This procedure consists of three steps and generally requires 10 sessions. The steps are: relaxation training by therapist, constructing an anxiety hierarchy of all related phobias, pairing relaxation with the situations described in the anxiety hierarchy (Maitland, 2008, p. 232). The person is made to imagine and rethink the perception about the situation that made him anxious. Thus, the person is exposed to the dreaded situation in which he has conditioned response. The systematic desensitization procedure stepwise reduces the intensity of series of responses by relaxation. This technique trains the individual to do psychological adjustment to the perceived threatening situation. It generates incompatible relaxation response which inactivates induced anxiety. To come out of phobia the individual’s irrational though t patterns causing stress, depression, and anxiety are inhibited. Finally, if possible therapist actually exposes his/her client to phobia provoking situation, to evaluate the positive response. This form of behavioral therapy is administered by a psychotherapist, but can be self-exercised and delivers positive outcome through regular practice (Richmond, 2009). This therapy is effective in treating â€Å"free-floating† anxiety, such as social phobia or agoraphobia, performance fears, fear of the dark, elevation phobias, fear of dangerous animals, acquired fears from personal experience etc. (Richmond,