Fear is a natural part of life. It can lead to debilitating problems that make it difficult to function in day-to-day life. That is where exposure therapy comes in. Many people who ask themselves, “How does exposure therapy work” may think it is a cruel form of treatment. However, it was developed to gradually expose patients to events or things that cause fear. Treatment is done in a safe environment to minimize fear. It helps teens with phobias, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other mental health conditions.
This article aims to educate parents on exposure therapy. It will highlight the science behind exposure therapy and the types of exposure therapies that exist. Additionally, it will explain the benefits of this type of therapy and how you can support your teen during treatment.
The Science Behind Exposure Therapy
Teens tend to avoid things that frighten them. For example, if your teen has arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, they will avoid areas that may have spiders. Whenever they see a cobweb, they will avoid getting close to it. Although avoiding things or events that frighten us can help reduce feelings of fear, it can affect us in the long term. Avoidance only solves the problem in the short term. Over a long period, avoidance reinforces anxiety. For example, your teen’s arachnophobia can worsen when they avoid spiders. They can experience crippling fear by just catching a glimpse of a daddy long-leg spider.
Exposure therapy helps teens confront their fears through gradual exposure. Its goal is to help teens overcome their fear by engaging with an object in a safe and secure environment. The environment’s safety helps your teen become less fearful because they know they are not in danger. Exposure therapy also breaks the association between the object and the fear response. During treatment, your teen will be repeatedly exposed to the same situation to make them understand that they are not in danger. Teens with arachnophobia will be exposed to spiders in a sealed enclosure. The sense of security they feel will help them become less frightened of spiders.
As your teen experiences exposure therapy, their amygdala becomes less responsive when exposed to the negative stimulus. Additionally, their prefrontal cortex becomes more active and helps regulate their fear.
Types of Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy can be done in several ways, including:
Imaginal Exposure Therapy
From its name, it is a type of therapy that relies on your teen’s imagination. During treatment, your teen will be asked to imagine the negative stimulus in detail. Your teen’s imagination will trigger an emotional response they will learn to overcome. Imaginal exposure is suitable for events or situations rather than objects. It is ideal for teens who have experienced trauma or who fear inherently dangerous things.
Interoceptive Exposure Therapy
This type of exposure therapy involves creating physical symptoms of fear without exposure to negative stimuli. Symptoms like a pounding heart or shivering are associated with anxiety or panic. If your teen experiences these symptoms without fear, they can learn not to associate them with danger. For instance, if your teen has social anxiety. They may be asked to jog in place to get their heart pounding. Normally, they would shut down when they feel these symptoms. Since there is no danger associated with jogging, they learn to be comfortable with uncomfortable symptoms of negative stimuli. This type of therapy is ideal for teens who get panic attacks or fear physical sensations.
In Vivo Exposure Therapy
When people think of exposure therapy, they probably think of in vivo treatment. This type of therapy involves directly exposing a teen to a negative stimulus. Teens are gradually exposed to their fears in real time. For example, teens with arachnophobia may be exposed to spiders in an enclosure. As they progress, they will interact more and more with the spider to build tolerance. It is done under the guidance of a therapist to monitor your teen’s emotional response.
Techniques Used in Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is done in different ways. These include the following:
Flooding: Your teen’s therapist will ask your teen to rank their fears from most intense to least feared. Your teen will be gradually exposed to these situations, from the most difficult ones to the least intense ones.
Graded exposure: It is like flooding but starts with the least intense fears.
Systematic desensitization: This treatment involves cycling between exposure and relaxation techniques. Your teen will be exposed to a negative stimulus and then asked to practice relaxation techniques like meditation. This process ensures your teen becomes more tolerant of negative stimuli.
Prolonged exposure: PE is ideal for teens with PTSD. It is like graded exposure but lasts for a longer period. Typically, prolonged exposure can last for about three to four months, with up to sixteen sessions.
The Step-by-Step Process of Exposure Therapy for Teens
If you enroll your teen in exposure therapy, they will likely go through the following steps:
First, a registered mental health practitioner will ask your teen about their fears. This will allow them to understand your teen’s experiences and phobias better. The goal of this step is to formulate an appropriate treatment plan.
Based on a collaborative treatment plan, your teen will begin being exposed to a specific type of stimulus. For example, teens who are afraid of heights may start by looking at pictures taken from a high elevation. This exposure will help them learn to control their anxiety and fear.
Subsequent sessions include more exposure utilizing the graded approach. For example, arachnophobic teens may start by imagining spiders, followed by looking at pictures. They can then be exposed to real spiders in a safe and controlled environment. Once your teen has made sufficient progress, they may begin interacting meaningfully with their fears. They can touch them or let the spider crawl up their arm.
Over time, this exposure will reduce your teen’s fears since they know they are safe. After several sessions, your teen’s exposure therapy will end with prolonged exposure. Exposure will be done throughout the session to evaluate whether your teen has conquered their fears successfully.
Common Disorders Treated with Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy can be beneficial in treating several conditions. These include the following:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Phobias
Acute stress disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Panic disorder
General anxiety
Social anxiety
Is Exposure Therapy Effective?
Various studies have supported the effectiveness of exposure therapy for treating various mental health conditions. In 2020, a study concluded that virtual reality exposure therapy can be an effective tool for treating anxiety.
Another 2020 paper analyzed the effectiveness of exposure therapy in treating specific phobias. The study involves analyzing different papers written about the efficacy of exposure therapy. The systematic review concluded that when exposure therapy was combined with existing evidence-based treatments, patients had better mental health outcomes.
Benefits of Exposure Therapy for Teens
If you decide to enroll your teen in an exposure therapy program, they may benefit in the following ways:
Habituation: When your teen is gradually exposed to negative stimuli, their emotional responses improve. Consistent exposure teaches your teen to reduce the intensity of the fear response whenever they interact with negative stimuli.
Extinction learning: Consistent exposure and interaction with negative stimuli weaken the association between stimulus and fear. It teaches teens to ‘extinguish’ their fear of certain situations or things.
Cognitive restructuring: Your teen will learn to reframe their thoughts. Exposure therapy will help your teen challenge and change their irrational thoughts and fears for more positive ones.
Self-efficacy: Exposure therapy can help your teen build meaningful connections with others. It helps them overcome social anxiety and improves their confidence.
Teen Behavioral Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy is your go-to treatment center. We provide high-quality mental health treatment for teens aged 12 to 17. Our teen residential treatment center will ensure your teen receives round-the-clock support as they conquer their fears. Tucked away in the desert mountains of Cave Creek, our facility offers a tranquil environment where your teen can focus on treatment. Our staff is highly experienced and will work closely with your teen to ensure they conquer their fears.
Nexus Teen Academy offers a comprehensive treatment regimen that combines holistic and evidence-based approaches to ensure effective mental health treatment. Our treatment plan includes individual, group, and family therapies. In combination with exposure therapy, your teen may be treated using the following modalities:
Exposure therapy may take 6-12 weekly sessions. However, depending on your teen’s needs, they may require fewer or more sessions.
Is exposure therapy safe for teens?
Exposure therapy is a safe and effective form of treatment for teenagers. It can be used on children, teens, and adults to help them overcome their fears.
How Does Exposure Therapy Work?
Published By nexus_admin
Published On February 24, 2025
Table of Contents
Fear is a natural part of life. It can lead to debilitating problems that make it difficult to function in day-to-day life. That is where exposure therapy comes in. Many people who ask themselves, “How does exposure therapy work” may think it is a cruel form of treatment. However, it was developed to gradually expose patients to events or things that cause fear. Treatment is done in a safe environment to minimize fear. It helps teens with phobias, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other mental health conditions.
This article aims to educate parents on exposure therapy. It will highlight the science behind exposure therapy and the types of exposure therapies that exist. Additionally, it will explain the benefits of this type of therapy and how you can support your teen during treatment.
The Science Behind Exposure Therapy
Teens tend to avoid things that frighten them. For example, if your teen has arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, they will avoid areas that may have spiders. Whenever they see a cobweb, they will avoid getting close to it. Although avoiding things or events that frighten us can help reduce feelings of fear, it can affect us in the long term. Avoidance only solves the problem in the short term. Over a long period, avoidance reinforces anxiety. For example, your teen’s arachnophobia can worsen when they avoid spiders. They can experience crippling fear by just catching a glimpse of a daddy long-leg spider.
Exposure therapy helps teens confront their fears through gradual exposure. Its goal is to help teens overcome their fear by engaging with an object in a safe and secure environment. The environment’s safety helps your teen become less fearful because they know they are not in danger. Exposure therapy also breaks the association between the object and the fear response. During treatment, your teen will be repeatedly exposed to the same situation to make them understand that they are not in danger. Teens with arachnophobia will be exposed to spiders in a sealed enclosure. The sense of security they feel will help them become less frightened of spiders.
As your teen experiences exposure therapy, their amygdala becomes less responsive when exposed to the negative stimulus. Additionally, their prefrontal cortex becomes more active and helps regulate their fear.
Types of Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy can be done in several ways, including:
Imaginal Exposure Therapy
From its name, it is a type of therapy that relies on your teen’s imagination. During treatment, your teen will be asked to imagine the negative stimulus in detail. Your teen’s imagination will trigger an emotional response they will learn to overcome. Imaginal exposure is suitable for events or situations rather than objects. It is ideal for teens who have experienced trauma or who fear inherently dangerous things.
Interoceptive Exposure Therapy
This type of exposure therapy involves creating physical symptoms of fear without exposure to negative stimuli. Symptoms like a pounding heart or shivering are associated with anxiety or panic. If your teen experiences these symptoms without fear, they can learn not to associate them with danger. For instance, if your teen has social anxiety. They may be asked to jog in place to get their heart pounding. Normally, they would shut down when they feel these symptoms. Since there is no danger associated with jogging, they learn to be comfortable with uncomfortable symptoms of negative stimuli. This type of therapy is ideal for teens who get panic attacks or fear physical sensations.
In Vivo Exposure Therapy
When people think of exposure therapy, they probably think of in vivo treatment. This type of therapy involves directly exposing a teen to a negative stimulus. Teens are gradually exposed to their fears in real time. For example, teens with arachnophobia may be exposed to spiders in an enclosure. As they progress, they will interact more and more with the spider to build tolerance. It is done under the guidance of a therapist to monitor your teen’s emotional response.
Techniques Used in Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is done in different ways. These include the following:
The Step-by-Step Process of Exposure Therapy for Teens
If you enroll your teen in exposure therapy, they will likely go through the following steps:
Common Disorders Treated with Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy can be beneficial in treating several conditions. These include the following:
Is Exposure Therapy Effective?
Various studies have supported the effectiveness of exposure therapy for treating various mental health conditions. In 2020, a study concluded that virtual reality exposure therapy can be an effective tool for treating anxiety.
Another 2020 paper analyzed the effectiveness of exposure therapy in treating specific phobias. The study involves analyzing different papers written about the efficacy of exposure therapy. The systematic review concluded that when exposure therapy was combined with existing evidence-based treatments, patients had better mental health outcomes.
Benefits of Exposure Therapy for Teens
If you decide to enroll your teen in an exposure therapy program, they may benefit in the following ways:
Teen Behavioral Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy is your go-to treatment center. We provide high-quality mental health treatment for teens aged 12 to 17. Our teen residential treatment center will ensure your teen receives round-the-clock support as they conquer their fears. Tucked away in the desert mountains of Cave Creek, our facility offers a tranquil environment where your teen can focus on treatment. Our staff is highly experienced and will work closely with your teen to ensure they conquer their fears.
Nexus Teen Academy offers a comprehensive treatment regimen that combines holistic and evidence-based approaches to ensure effective mental health treatment. Our treatment plan includes individual, group, and family therapies. In combination with exposure therapy, your teen may be treated using the following modalities:
Frequently Asked Questions
Exposure therapy may take 6-12 weekly sessions. However, depending on your teen’s needs, they may require fewer or more sessions.
Exposure therapy is a safe and effective form of treatment for teenagers. It can be used on children, teens, and adults to help them overcome their fears.