Exposure Therapy In order to use virtual reality in the treatment of agoraphobia the use of psychotherapy is needed. Psychotherapy is often used as a treatment in mental health along with, or as an alternative to medication (National Institute of Mental Health, NIMH,2016). There are many different elements of psychotherapy and the one that works best with virtual reality technology is known as exposure therapy (NIMH, 2016). According to the GoodTherapy
“ Exposure therapy is a type of behavioral therapy that is designed to help people manage problematic fears. Through the use of various systematic techniques, a person is gradually exposed to the situation that causes them distress. The goal of exposure therapy is to create a safe environment
…show more content…
Along with the gradual exposure and relaxation training systematic desensitization also has the person develop an anxiety hierarchy so that relaxation techniques can be incorporated to offset the feelings of anxiety and stress. Graded exposure, like systematic desensitization gradually exposes the person to the feared situation gradually and has the person develop an anxiety hierarchy, but it does not incorporate the relaxation technique used in systematic desensitization. Flooding is not as gradual as systematic desensitization or graded exposure. Instead it quickly exposes the person to the anxiety provoking situation. Prolonged exposure is similar to flooding but also adds in things like psychoeducation and cognitive processing. Prolonged exposure is often most effective with trauma related issues. Exposure and responsive prevention is often used for people dealing with compulsions and obsessions. This type of exposure therapy tries to weaken the feeling of an obsession or compulsion by showing the person their obsession and then asking them to try not to do what their compulsion want them to (GoodTherapy, 2015). Aside from the different ways that exposure therapy can be implemented there are also a couple of ways to implement exposure. They diferent ways to implement the exposure include imaginal exposure, in vivo …show more content…
According to the healthwise staff (2016) the reason that virtual reality is successful in the treatment of phobias is because it allows the person to virtually confront their fears. A person with agoraphobia would use virtual reality to simulate a situation that they would feel uncomfortable in. One in the simulation they then would have the opportunity to confront their fears. This would not only allow them to confront their fears but to do so in a safe and controlled environment. If they tried to confront their fears in a public space they would run the risk of breaking down and not being able to get out of the situation. Whereas when it is simulated they can simply pull themselves out of the virtual reality and take a break before attempting it again. With virtual reality the person can also has more flexibility in how they are going to be exposed to their fears. In the real world it would be difficult to have full control over the situation especially since the phobia deals with other people which cannot be controlled. There might be a lot more people than expected or there might be people who are more rambunctious than anticipated. This wouldn't be the best thing if the person with agoraphobia was trying to slowly adjust to being around people by using systematic desensitization. In a virtual world
Agoraphobia is a psychological disorder characterised by panic and anxiety. This particular anxiety disorder involves the fear of experiencing a panic attack in a public place where safety may be unavailable, which causes discomfort (Lilienfeld, 2017). This disorder is commonly recognized in women and often arises during adolescent years. Often times, people develop agoraphobia after a previous panic attacks, which than causes them to worry about having another in the future (Agoraphobia, 2017). This results in avoidant behaviours, such as evading places where an attack may occur. There are many causes, symptoms, effects on both the individual with the disorder and their loved ones, as well as a variety of treatments available.
Psychotherapy integration is best explained as an attempt to look beyond and across the dimensions of a single therapy approach, to examine what one can learn from other perspectives, and how one’s client’s can benefit from various ways of administering therapy (Corey, 2013). Research has shown that a variety of treatments are equally effective when administered by therapist who believe in them and client’s that accept them (Corey, 2013). Therefore, one of the best aspects of utilizing an integrative approach is that, in most cases, if a therapist understands how and when to incorporate therapeutic interventions, they usually can’t go wrong. While integrating different approaches can be beneficial for the client, it is also important for the
For a person diagnosed with agoraphobia, there are a number of restrictions and consequences associated with the disorder. A serious consequence is the incidence of severe and paralysing panic attacks. In the early stages of agoraphobia people suffer recurring panic attacks when in certain public places or situations. These attacks cause the person to feel generally uncomfortable in public settings. Eventually, fear of the recurrence of the panic attacks results in an obvious reluctance or refusal to enter all situations associated with the attacks. Other consequences of agoraphobia may include fear of being alone, fear of being in places where escape might be difficult, feelings of helplessness, dependence on others and depression. These consequences place many serious restrictions on a person with this disorder. Agoraphobia causes people to restrict their activities to smaller and smaller areas in order to avoid crowds, and open and public places or situations. This may finally lead to the inability of a person to leave their home without suffering a panic attack.
Psychotherapy is the, “Treatment of emotional, behavioral, personality, and psychiatric disorders based primarily on verbal or nonverbal communication and interventions with the patient, in contrast to treatments using chemical and physical measures." (medilexicon.com) Within psychotherapy there are multiple types of therapy that are under the term psychotherapy, one of those being Behavioral Activation Therapy. Behavioral activation comes from the work of Peter Lewinsohn. "Starting in 1964, Dr. Lewinsohn’s research interests began to focus on the topic of depression" (ORI) There are core principals in Behavioral activation; a few of those are, structure and schedule, changing how one feels by changing what they do, and change will be easier
The aim of psychotherapy is to encourage self-awareness and self-evaluation in order to enable transformation and facilitate possibility. It is this self-evaluation process that is crucial to personal agency (McKay, 1987) and integral to psychodynamic therapy (PDT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This essay will critically evaluate cognitive behavioural and psychodynamic theories regarding self-awareness and self-evaluation and explore ways in which these theories and their understanding of self may be utilised within clinical hypnosis.
In order to treat the fear you must treat it with relaxation while in the presence of the feared situation. The first step in Wolpe’s study was to focus on relaxing your body. He recommended a process that involves tensing and relaxing various groups of muscles until a deep state of relaxation is achieved (Wolpe,264). The second stage was to develop a list of anxiety-producing situations that are associated with the phobia. The list would descend with from the least uncomfortable situation to the most anxiety producing event you can imagine. The number of events can vary from 5 to 20 or more. The final step is to desensitize, which is the actual “unlearning” of the phobia. Wolpe told his patients that no actual contact with the fear is necessary, and that the same effectiveness can be accomplished through descriptions and visualizations(Wolpe,265). Wolpe’s participants are told to put themselves in a state of relaxation which they are taught. Then, the therapist begins reading the first situation on the hierarchy they have made up. If the patient stays relaxed through the first situation the therapist continues to the next until the state of relaxation is broken. If they feel a slight moment of anxiety they are to raise their index finger until the state of relaxation is restored. The average number
Agoraphobia can be divided into two word parts: agora, a Greek term meaning “marketplace” and phobia, meaning “the fear of something” (Miller, 2011). It is the fear of being in a communal or open place (Miller, 2011). When people have agoraphobia, they often evade situations that may cause them to panic, such as crowded places, leaving a common place, being unaccompanied, or being confined or humiliated (“Agoraphobia,” 2011; “Agoraphobia,” 2014). People often become imprisoned in their own home because they do not feel safe in public places or crowded places, such as malls, planes, sporting events, elevators, or public transportation (“Agoraphobia,” 2011). Initiating treatment can be difficult because it means facing the fear, but a combination of therapy and medicine can reduce the symptoms substantially (“Agoraphobia,” 2011; Miller, 2011).
One of the characteristics of a phobia is a feeling that is greater than the fear of a situation or object with an exaggeration of the danger associated with the said situation or even object. This persistent fear often leads to an anxiety disorder that leads an individual to develop mechanisms that ensure one avoids the object or situation that triggers the occurrence of the phobia. Phobias can have highly debilitating effects on an individual including the development of depression, isolation, substance abuse, and even suicide. Many people take phobia for granted however, it is clear that it has the potential to impair the quality of life for both the affected and the people around them. The fact that many of the phobias are manageable using
I believe that the art of psychotherapy is more important than the use of empirically validated treatments (EVT). I feel that the art of psychotherapy exists through the use of the common factors, which include the therapeutic relationship, client and therapist factors (e.g., personality), helping clients deal with problems, and hope or expectancy factors (Reisner, 2005). Although I do believe that empirically validated treatments may enhance the therapeutic process, the treatments themselves are by no means the most important or fundamental aspects of therapy. I agree with the idea presented by Allen (2008) that scientific knowledge is important, but it is not sufficient for the successful outcomes in psychotherapy. There appears, at least to me, to be much more of an art involved in developing the relationship with the client and understanding the client’s perspective, and if this cannot be done successfully then it is unlikely that individualized techniques could be successfully applied.
Virtual reality can be used to help people face their fears. The University of Oxford used virtual reality to help patients overcome a fear of heights (Mathieson, 2017, p. 19). A virtual environment was created where the patients were standing at the edge of a balcony looking down and a virtual guide was giving them instructions (Mathieson, 2017, p. 19). Using virtual reality in this way allows people to face their fears in a safe environment. By placing them in a virtual environment, it allows them to encounter a virtual copy of what they fear most which will hopefully give them encouragement to face the real thing at some point in the near
In this treatment, “clients are repeatedly exposed to objects or situations that produce anxiety, obsessive fears, and compulsive behaviors, but they are told to resist performing the behaviors they feel so bound to preform” (Comer, 2015). Individuals going through this treatment will often find it extremely difficult to resist the urge to preform these compulsions, or behaviors, therefor the therapist will often be the first to set this example. This treatment can be conducted in an individual, or group
According to author Kendra Cherry, “professional counseling is an application of mental health, psychological or development principles, through cognitive, affective, behavioral or systemic intervention strategies, that address wellness, personal growth, or career development” (Cherry - Paraphrase). Many counselors specialize in specific forms of therapy. Generally, counselors who focus on specific types of counseling methods usually require advanced knowledge in the specific field. Counseling can be described as guidance of an individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history information, using various techniques of the personal interview and testing interests as well as aptitudes. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most commonly used methods for psychotherapeutic treatment.
Reality Therapy Introduction William Glasser, who “published his first book, Mental Health or Mental Illness?” was the foundation of “Reality Therapy” in 1961.” (Corey, 1977/1991) “Dr. Glasser began his work in an adolescent girl’s juvenile facility.” (Mary Lahey, 2013 PowerPoint Presentation) This was in total opposition to a popular theory of the times by Sigmund Freud. Freud’s Psychoanalysis theory states that each individual is unique, that there are factors outside of a person's awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings, and experiences) which influence his or her thoughts and actions, that the past shapes the present, that human beings are always engaged in the process of development throughout their lives.
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) is also often paired with systematic desensitization. CBT is focused on regaining control of reactions to stress and stimuli, ultimately reducing the feeling of helplessness (Palazzolo, 2014). One specific case of Psychotherapeutic Treatment for Aquaphobia takes a closer look at the break down of how systematic desensitization would be applied. Initially, the patient would be given information on their phobia, making it seem as unthreatening as possible and by showing them that they are not alone, as this disorder is common and that there is a cognitive approach to treat their condition. You first explain to the patient step by step the therapy that is going to take place. You ask them to carefully watch themselves throughout each situation and take notice at what parts they find challenging or lead them to avoidance. It is also suggested that the patients rates her anxiety during those situations on a scale from 1-10. The duration of this therapy would be approximately 13 sessions, meeting once a week for 30-45 minutes. The first three sessions are centered around their life and story of their disability, the diagnosis and the analysis of the disorder while working out a review of each sessions and what their ultimate goal
Treatment is available and extremely helpful for those suffering with a phobia. Medications and therapy both work well in the majority of cases. In a majority of cases a portion of the therapy is dedicated to causal exposure to the phobia. The exposure is gradually increased until the individual is comfortable in the situation without experiencing an anxiety attack. Group therapy is also beneficial as the individual is exposed to other suffering through the same fears.