What is the primary goal of exposure therapy?

What is the primary goal of exposure therapy?

• A. To increase avoidance
• B. To reduce anxiety by facing feared stimuli
• C. To eliminate all anxiety through exposure
• D. To reduce anxiety by facing feared stimuli in a controlled manner

Answer: (D)

Exposure therapy works by helping you confront feared situations or stimuli in a controlled, gradual way, with the goal of lowering distress through repeated, safe exposure. The idea is that as you repeatedly face what you fear, your anxiety response diminishes (habituation) and you learn the fear expectancy is unfounded or overblown (extinction). This process is typically structured with an exposure hierarchy and careful monitoring, so the exposure is matched to your current level of fear and can be increased as you grow more comfortable. It aims to reduce avoidance and distress to improve functioning, not to erase all anxiety entirely. The emphasis on doing exposures in a controlled, gradual manner is what makes this option the best description of the primary goal.

Exposure therapy works by helping you confront feared situations or stimuli in a controlled, gradual way, with the goal of lowering distress through repeated, safe exposure. The idea is that as you repeatedly face what you fear, your anxiety response diminishes (habituation) and you learn the fear expectancy is unfounded or overblown (extinction). This process is typically structured with an exposure hierarchy and careful monitoring, so the exposure is matched to your current level of fear and can be increased as you grow more comfortable. It aims to reduce avoidance and distress to improve functioning, not to erase all anxiety entirely. The emphasis on doing exposures in a controlled, gradual manner is what makes this option the best description of the primary goal.