Your client is about to begin systematic desensitization and is terrified to face their fears. Which teaching would be appropriate?

Your client is about to begin systematic desensitization and is terrified to face their fears. Which teaching would be appropriate?

• A. Your early life experiences determine your ability to cope in your daily life.
• B. You will be trained to relax during the first couple of weeks before you even have to identify your fears.
• C. You will be exposed to your fears for varying lengths of time during the one desensitization session.
• D. Your doctor will carefully measure all sensory responses during your session.

Answer: (B)

Systematic desensitization uses relaxation training first and then gradual exposure to feared stimuli while maintaining that relaxed state. The teaching that you will be trained to relax during the first couple of weeks before you even have to identify your fears aligns with this approach. It establishes a coping tool (relaxation) to counteract anxiety, making it possible to approach fear gradually rather than flooding the client with the feared situations all at once. This sequencing—learn relaxation, then apply it to gradually identifiable fears—is the core advantage of this method. The other options don’t fit the method: histories of early life experiences aren’t the focus here; exposing to fears in one long session isn’t gradual exposure; and detailed sensory measurements during sessions aren’t the primary aim of desensitization.

Systematic desensitization uses relaxation training first and then gradual exposure to feared stimuli while maintaining that relaxed state. The teaching that you will be trained to relax during the first couple of weeks before you even have to identify your fears aligns with this approach. It establishes a coping tool (relaxation) to counteract anxiety, making it possible to approach fear gradually rather than flooding the client with the feared situations all at once. This sequencing—learn relaxation, then apply it to gradually identifiable fears—is the core advantage of this method. The other options don’t fit the method: histories of early life experiences aren’t the focus here; exposing to fears in one long session isn’t gradual exposure; and detailed sensory measurements during sessions aren’t the primary aim of desensitization.