systematic desensitisation

• what is systematic desensitisation and the aim

  suggested by wolpe, decreasing your level of anxiety or fear very gently and gradually, aims to replace anxiety response with relaxation response
• what is stage one of SD


  • fear hierarchy
  • client and therapist work together
  • create a list of situations that would be least to most anxiety producing for the patient
• what is stage two of SD


  • relaxation training
  • patient is taught different relaxation techniques
  • for example controlling breathing or muscle relaxation
• what is stage three of SD

  • graduated exposure
  • client is exposed to phobia but at each level of fear hierarchy and is encouraged to use relaxation techniques
  • either in vitro (imagines exposure) or in vivo (actually exposed)
• what is stage four of SD

  • reciprocal inhibition
  • two opposite emotions can not co-exist
  • phobia is counter conditioned
• one strength of SD to treat phobias

  • research evidence
  • wolpe reported 39 cases of phobias treated with SD
  • total of 68 phobias treated, 62 were completely or partially successful (91%)
  • other 9% due to problems like not imagining situations presented in the hierarchy
  • successful treatment for patients who do not want medication or can not receive CBT for phobias
• one limitation of SD to treat phobias

  • doesn't deal with root cause and therefore does not offer full cure
  • may appear to resolve problems but suppressing symptoms may result in other symptoms appearing (symptom substitution)
  • patients could develop phobic responses to different new things
  • SD may only provide temporary relief and could end up being more detrimental than helpful