Exposure Therapy in Denver
What is Exposure Therapy?
Exposure therapy is a part of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for various conditions including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders such as Social Anxiety Disorder, Illness Anxiety Disorder, and Phobias.
Exposure therapy refers to coming in contact with something that generates anxiety- whether it’s giving a speech, using a public restroom, an avoided memory, or driving over a bridge.
Decades of research on anxiety has shown when individuals repeatedly come into contact with something they fear, their anxiety decreases over time. This phenomenon is called habituation.
While exposure therapy is uncomfortable, it is an extremely important part of evidence-based treatment. Therapists support clients in facing their fears through compassion, skill building and connecting exposure work to client’s values.
Exposure Therapy in Practice
At CBT Denver, we specialize in exposure therapy for many different conditions. Here is an overview:
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Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder where individuals fear and avoid places or situations that might cause panic or feel difficult to escape, such as open spaces, crowds, or public transportation.
Exposure therapy for agoraphobia involves gradually exposing individuals to avoided and feared places and situations.
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Individuals experiencing Illness Anxiety Disorder are hyperaware of physical sensations, often exhibiting obsessive traits such as frequently scheduling medical check-ups. Alternatively, they may avoid social situations where they might be at risk of contracting contagious illnesses.
Exposure may involve not acting on the urge to schedule medical appointments every time symptoms arise, watching shows or reading about illness (if currently avoided) or scheduling travel or events that involve close contact with others.
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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is characterized by intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses (obsessions) that can cause intense anxiety and distress and by repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed to decrease anxiety.
Exposure and Response Prevention or ERP is a specific evidence-based therapy for OCD that involves exposure to the feared situation while not performing the compulsion.
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Individuals with panic disorder experience repeated episodes of intense fears that often come up unexpectedly. Physical symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pains, dizziness and heart palpitations. These sensations can be so severe, they can be mistaken for a heart attack.
Exposure for panic attacks often involves Interoceptive Exposure which is exposure the physical sensations that occur during a panic attack. This type of exposure helps clients to respond to physical symptoms of panic with less anxiety and to habituate or “get used to” the symptoms of panic so they are less distressing.
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) stems from an individual’s personal experience with a traumatic event.
There are several different types of exposure therapy for PTSD including Cognitive Processing Therapy, EMDR, and Prolonged Exposure Therapy, All these evidence-based approaches have exposure in common. Exposure can be to the memory of the trauma, avoided places, situations, people, and/or internal experiences such as emotions.
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Individuals who experience social anxiety feel a deep fear of social situations in which they may be judged or embarrassed, such as public speaking or performance scenarios, parties or eating in a social setting.
Exposure may involve gradually increasing social interactions and/or giving performances for clients with a fear of public speaking. Therapists work with clients to create a hierarchy of feared and avoided situations and to gradually exposure clients while providing support and skills.
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A specific phobia is an intense, irrational fear of a particular object or situation, like heights, flying, or animals, that leads to avoidance and distress when faced with the trigger.
Exposure therapy involves gradually exposing a client to the object or situation that causes distress.
Fear of vomiting (emetophobia) is a common specific phobia that responds extremely well to exposure therapy.
Types of Exposure Therapy
In vivo Exposure
In vivo exposure means exposing a client to specific trigger or stimuli in the environment. Depending on the client, their condition and what they are avoiding this could be a place, a person, an object or other stimuli in the environment. With client who avoids driving due to anxiety (a specific type of OCD), the therapist will actually get in the car with their client to support them in doing driving exposures.
Imaginal Exposure
Imaginal exposure is a type of exposure where the individual confronts the feared situation in their imagination and replays it over and over again until their distress level decreases. This type of exposure is especially helpful for clients who fear situations that cannot be confronted in real life (such as feared illnesses or disasters).
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
This is a specific type of exposure done by trained professionals using VR equipment. It may be especially useful for fears such as fear of flying when a client is unable to get on a plane often, or as a first step in exposure therapy before in vivo exposure. The clinician can control many aspects of the VR environment, thereby tailoring the exposure to the specific details of the individual’s fears.
Contact us
Learn More About Exposure Therapies at CBT Denver
If you’re interested in learning more about our approach to exposure therapy and mental health, including evidence-based treatments, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help you explore what might be best for your needs through an initial phone consultation and answer any questions you have.
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