Desensitisation Therapy

desensitisation therapy This is a simple but effective form of therapy which helps people meet and feel comfortable with things they usually fear or are repulsed by. For instance if one were frightened of dogs, the procedure is to have the person slowly approach a dog over a period of time, and in a controlled manner. If the fear is great the first approach might be to look at photographs of dogs. When this is tolerated a closer approach might be made in looking at the stuffed animal, or standing at a distance from one that is chained or held in control. The person is gradually led to the point where they can touch the animal – or deal with the situation or thing they feared. See: behavioural modification therapy.

Systematic desensitization, the most widely used technique, attempts to treat disturbances having identifiable sources, such as a paralyzing fear of closed spaces. This method usually involves training the individual to relax in the presence of fear-producing stimuli. The therapist assumes that the anxiety reaction will be replaced gradually with the new relaxation response; this is called reciprocal inhibition. Quoted from Infopedia.