Exposure Therapy

Exposure Therapy in Lake Oswego

What is Exposure Therapy?

Exposure therapy is a treatment method to help overcome fears and avoidance. Intense fears might result in avoidance that may interfere with everyday living. To address avoidance, exposure therapy can be used in counseling to expose fears in a safe and therapeutic manner.

*Exposure therapy is ONLY used with clients who provide full informed consent and it may be stopped at any time.*

Types of Exposure Therapy:

Imaginal: You and your counselor work together using visual imagery. Such as creating an image of going into an elevator to address a phobia and resulting panic of going inside elevators.

In-vivo: You directly experience a feared situation or object. Such as working up to or going into an elevator to address a phobia of elevators.

Interoceptive: You experience a feared physical sensation to learn it is harmless. Such as fear of fainting seeing a feared object, and then doing jumping jacks to find the feared fainting reaction does not occur.

What to Expect in a Typical Exposure Therapy Session

My approach to exposure therapy is gradual, exposing you to your fear in a way that is gentle, while setting realistic and achievable goals that work best for you. As you initially achieve small goals, you can gain momentum to help you progress further at a pace that feels tolerable. This is an ongoing process, as you continue to achieve small gains, you may begin to achieve momentum toward larger gains. This moves toward your end goal of calm and peace.

Reach out today for a complimentary consultation and I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.