Treating Phobias: KT

Question 1

Systematic Destination (SD)

Answer 1

A behavioural therapy designed to reduce an unwanted response (eg. anxiety) to a stimulus. SD involved drawing up a hierarchy of anxiety provoking situations related to the phobic stimulus, teaching the patient to relax and exposing them to the phobic stimulus. The patient works their way through the hierarchy whilst maintaining relaxation.

Question 2

Flooding

Answer 2

A behavioural therapy in which a phobic patient is exposed to an extreme form of a phobic stimulus in order to reduce anxiety triggered by that stimulus. This takes place across a small number of long sessions.