treating phobias

• SD is time-consuming, when compared to alternatives such as flooding, as the person with the phobia needs to be trained in relaxation techniques and gradual exposure can take many sessions
• Progress in SD therapy may not generalise outside of the clinical setting when the person with the phobia must face their fear without the support of the therapist
• SD is a behavioural therapy used to reduce phobic anxiety through the principle of classical conditioning
• Learn to relax in the presence of the phobic stimulus then they will be cured
• A new response to the phobic stimulus is learned (phobic stimulus is paired with relaxation instead of anxiety)
• There are three processes involved in SD: anxiety hierarchy, relaxation, exposure