A Time-Saving Technique for the Treatment of Simple Phobias

Two cases are presented in detail and two in summary fashion to illustrate a technique that can frequently be used instead of systematic desensitization to reduce the time needed to treat simple phobias. This method combines techniques developed by Strategic Therapy and Critical Incident Debriefing. Symptoms that the patient experiences as out of control are prescribed by the therapist and then normalized. For example, a 26-year-old woman with a fear of social situations learns that it is not unusual for people to feel somewhat awkward and anxious as they try to reestablish themselves with friends after being away from them for a long period of time. Therapy taught her to accept rather than fight her initial anxiety in these situation. Another client with claustrophobia was taught to imagine himself getting anxious and telling himself, “yes, this is exactly what I expect. I am going to get anxious, and my anxiety will increase, but it isn’t going to get higher than a ‘5’ (on a 1–10 scale), and I can handle that.” When these interventions are successful, the anxiety initially experienced in a phobic situation as a signal for panic is reinterpreted in new situations as expectable. This reframing renders the anxiety manageable. The treatment of two additional patients is briefly presented to further illustrate the application of this approach. Their phobias included a fear of sweating in public and a fear of sleep.