Exposure Therapy for Snake Phobias
What is exposure therapy for treating snake phobias?
a. Forces clients to hold snakes for increasingly longer periods.
b. Might move from showing a picture of a snake to holding a stuffed snake doll, to visiting a snake in a zoo, to touching a snake while being supported by relaxation techniques.
c. Requires clients to correct their thinking about the differences between venomous and nonvenomous snakes.
d. Must result in the complete loss of fear of snakes.
Answer:
Exposure therapy for snake phobias involves gradual desensitization from simple steps like viewing pictures to actual contact with snakes, aimed to habituate and reduce fear without aiming for complete loss of fear.
Explanation: Exposure therapy, which might move from showing a picture of a snake to holding a stuffed snake doll to visiting a snake in a zoo, to touching a snake while being supported by relaxation techniques. Exposure therapy involves a process called gradual desensitization or systematic desensitization, where the person is gradually exposed to the fear object or context without any danger, to overcome their anxiety.
For instance, this therapy does not force clients to hold snakes for longer periods right away, nor does it primarily focus on correcting thoughts about venomous versus non-venomous snakes, although that might be part of a broader treatment. The ultimate goal is to reduce fear, but not necessarily to achieve a complete loss of fear. The process often incorporates habituation, the simple learning process where there's a decrease in response to a stimulus after being repeatedly exposed to it.
This approach is similar to methods used for treating allergies, where small amounts of allergen are introduced to the body to build up immunity over time. Underlying these techniques is the assumption that the fear response can be modified through learning new patterns of behavior. This can be crucial for individuals whose fear of snakes is severe enough to cause significant distress or impairment in their daily lives.