sd step 3

• Step 3 - Gradual exposure
• Starting with the least anxiety-inducing situation, the individual is exposed to each item while employing relaxation techniques.

  They move up the hierarchy only when they can remain relaxed at the current level.
• Over time, this exposure in a relaxed state diminishes the anxiety response to the feared stimulus.
• The client repeatedly imagines (or is confronted by) this situation until it fails to evoke any anxiety, until they reach the top of their hierarchy (most feared situation).