Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy
If you struggle with a problematic fear, exposure therapy is a type of behavioral therapy that can help you. In exposure mental health counseling, you are slowly exposed to the given situation that causes you suffering. Your exposure therapist utilizes multiple systematic techniques. The primary motive of exposure therapy is to foster a safe therapeutic environment where you can lessen your anxiety, enhance your overall quality of life, and diminish avoidance of feared situations.
how exposure therapy helps Confront Anxiety and Build Resilience
Simply put, exposure therapy is a form of mental health psychotherapy that was created to help you face your fears. When you are afraid of something, you naturally tend to avoid the formidable objects, activities, settings, or situations. In the short-term, you may find this avoidance helpful since it temporarily reduces your feelings of fear. However, over the long-term, it can make your anxiety much worse. This is where exposure counseling comes into the picture to help.
Exposure therapy can help you shatter the pattern of avoidance and fright. In this form of psych counseling, your exposure therapist creates a safe space where they “expose” you to the things you fear and avoid in a gradual manner. Over time, this exposure to the specific feared object, activity, place, or situation loses its power over you, helping rid you of fear and lessen avoidance.
According to the American Psychological Association, exposure therapy has been scientifically proven to improve a wide range of mental health problems, including the following:
Phobias
Panic Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder
Acute stress
Panic attacks
What are the Different Forms of Exposure and Response Prevention?
By the name “exposure therapy”, you probably could have guessed that this form of mental health psychotherapy includes some form of exposing yourself to your fears so you can overcome your anxiety. What you may not have been able to guess is that there are actually different types of exposure therapy.
Varying forms of exposure therapy exist because each client is unique and has unique needs. In addition to your diverse needs, you may have a specific preference of therapeutic intervention. The nature of your fear and anxiety will also be assessed by your anxiety therapist who will ultimately help guide you towards the therapeutic methods that are right for you.
Why are different forms of exposure prevention (ERP) Therapy needed?
Tailored Approach:
One of the reasons why individual counseling is so effective is because it focuses solely on you. Whether you are a child or teen or adult or senior citizen, your anxiety counselor is there to help you and only you during your sessions. Everyone has different comfort levels and an exposure therapist understands that. By having different forms of exposure psychotherapy, your licensed therapist near you can tailor their approach to fit your needs, allowing you to ultimately achieve all of your goals.
Different Types of Anxiety:
Anxiety manifests in many ways. You may be someone who suffers with GAD. On the other hand, you may experience severe social anxiety. Different forms of counseling can help your exposure counselor address your particular problems in an effective way.
Symptom Severity:
Everyone’s symptoms differ. You may benefit from gradual exposure while the next client may require something more intense, and both options are perfectly okay! Different forms of exposure psychotherapy give your therapist the option to choose techniques to suit the severity of your mental health symptoms.
Category of Triggers:
As with symptoms, everyone has different triggers. Some common triggers may be external stimuli and internal thoughts and sensations. Specific types of exposure therapy are targeted for specific triggers. For instance, in vivo exposure mental health counseling can be used for real-world situations.
Now, let us get into the different methods of exposure response therapy…
Imaginal Exposure, Transforming Thoughts Into Triumph
This form of psychotherapy involves you strongly imagining the object, activity, place, or situation you fear. This involves remembering details and the feelings you had that were linked to the given feared event. You also go through all of the five senses that you experienced during the event.
In your recalling, you will:
Describe what happened
List out your feelings during the event
Mention any thoughts or beliefs you had that was linked to the event
Typically, imaginal exposure involves repeated, long sessions. When you continuously revisit the feared situation, you are able to get comfortable with your anxiety and create new, less dangerous associations. Your imaginal exposure therapist provides support and helps you manage any stress that may arise during the recollection process.
A common instance where imaginal exposure counseling may be used is for PTSD. In this case, your trauma therapist may ask you to recount aspects of your trauma.
In Vivo Exposure Therapy, Your Real-World Triumph
“In vivo” translates to “in real life.” In Vivo Exposure Therapy is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT. This form of counseling combines systematic and controlled exposure to real-life occurrences that trigger anxiety and/or panic. Typically, this type of exposure counseling best helps those struggling with anxiety, phobias, and trauma.
In Vivo therapy follows the theories of systematic desensitization. To put it simply, this process includes gradually exposing you to anxiety-provoking situations in a controlled and ranked manner. So, the exposure begins with something that triggers your anxiety mildly and then progresses to more challenging stimuli.
Your In Vivo therapist will create a hierarchy of fears with you by creating a structured list of stimuli associated with your fears. This will be ranked from least-to-most anxiety inducing. This list will help guide your exposure journey.
In Vivo Exposure Counseling primarily helps avoidance behavior- something that is common in people who struggle with anxiety disorders. When you systematically confront your fears, you will learn that avoidance is not necessary and there are more effective tools to manage your anxiety.
An example of when In Vivo psychotherapy can be used can be for someone who has a fear of heights, also referred to as acrophobia. Your therapist may have you start off by looking out of a window, walking across a bridge, and eventually making your way to the top level of a big skyscraper.
Interoceptive Exposure therapy
Interoceptive exposure therapy is a specific type of mental health psychotherapy used for those with anxiety disorders, specifically panic attacks and panic disorders. This form of treatment involves exposing you to physical sensations or internal dialogue that causes anxiety or panic. You will learn how to confront your anxiety head-on. Instead of fearing physical sensations associated with your anxiety, you will come to tolerate them which will lessen fear and your avoidant behavior.
Other forms of exposure therapy focus on external situations, interoceptive therapy focuses on the internal dialogue and sensations you may be experiencing. For instance, you may be experiencing some physical sensations associated with anxiety, such as dizziness, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath.
Just like In Vivo Exposure Therapy, you also create a hierarchical list of feared situations in interoceptive exposure counseling. You begin with mild sensations and work your way up to more intense situations so you can build tolerance and confidence over your fears.
The repetitive nature of interoceptive psychotherapy promotes habituation. Habituation is a process where your anxiety response lessens as you repeat exposure to your fears.
Exposure and Response Therapy Unveils Your Inner Strength
While exposure therapy is an effective therapeutic modality, it does not take a one-size-fits-all approach. It is a dynamic, individualized treatment type that takes many factors into consideration when assisting you along your mental health journey.
The difference in speed of response prevention therapy depends on:
Your individual needs
Your preferences
The nature of the anxiety or panic being conveyed
The pace of your exposure therapy near you depends on your circumstances. As already discussed, your exposure therapist encourages you to face your fears according to a hierarchy list that you both create together. This can be viewed as your “roadmap” for mental health treatment. It gives you the chance to cope with your anxiety and trauma each step of the way.
Here are the following pacing techniques used in all forms of exposure prevention therapy:
Graded Exposure:
Graded exposure brings you to the root cause of your fear. By using this technique, you work your way up the hierarchical ladder one step at a time. For instance, let us say that you are afraid of dogs. Your graded exposure counselor may start off with having you look at a photo of a dog. From there, you may watch videos of dogs, walk by a dog park, be in the same room as a dog, approach a leashed dog, and interact with a dog. You will go through all of these steps so you can build yourself up to your final goal of being alone with a dog.
Systematic Desensitization:
Your exposure therapist may utilize various systematic desensitization techniques to help you calm down and remain comfortable during each step of the mental health process. Some of these methods may include meditation, yoga, deep breathing, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation.
Flooding:
This technique exposes you to the highest level of the ladder right away. If your fear interferes with your ability to live a normal life, your exposure therapist may recommend flooding. While this approach can help you overcome your fear faster, it is definitely an intense mental health treatment form. If you are not adequately prepared, flooding can become a traumatic experience.
Exposure and Prevention Therapy at Anchor Therapy, Redefining Your Relationship With Fear
At Anchor Therapy, our fully-licensed exposure therapists understand how to reduce your anxiety symptoms while increasing your willingness to get involved in uncomfortable situations. Our anxiety counselors will reassure you that you are fully capable of handling difficult things.
At Anchor Therapy, you will receive the following benefits from exposure and response treatment:
Emotional processing - Exposure therapy will teach you how you can safely explore and comprehend the root cause of your fear. You will learn how to replace your automatic, fear-filled response with a more positive, realistic thought. You will soon build realistic thoughts and beliefs about the scary situation which makes you more comfortable with your uncomfortable emotions, like fear, anxiety, and panic.
Self-efficacy - When you are committed to exposure counseling, you come to understand that you can face your fears and manage the anxiety that your feared situation causes.
Habituation - Your reaction to the feared situation will decrease in severity over time as soon as you gradually and consistently expose yourself to the root of your terror.
Extinction - Exposure therapy at Anchor Therapy is a safe space. You learn more about your feared situation and come to understand that there is no real threat to you or your life present. By attending exposure counseling, the connection between the feared situation and the negative outcome you anticipate dissolves.
Overall, exposure mental health counseling is an evidence-based therapeutic health intervention. In simple terms, this means that it works. If you would like to get started with exposure therapy, look no further than Anchor Therapy!
We offer in-person exposure therapy sessions at our downtown Hoboken, New Jersey office. Additionally, we offer virtual exposure therapy services to all residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
If you have a fear or condition that is getting in the way of you living your healthiest and most fulfilling life, it is suggested to reach out to a mental health counselor today. Exposure therapy can help you manage your fears. Facing your fears can seem scary, but an exposure counselor assists you throughout the process and give you the tools needed to effectively manage your anxiety.
How Can I Start Exposure Psychotherapy at Anchor Therapy?
WORKING WITH anchor therapy IS EASY
Fill out the contact form below.
From there, our Intake Coordinator will assess your form and match you with a therapist on our team who specializes in exposure counseling.
Take comfort in knowing that, soon enough, your fears will have no power over you!
