exposure therapy
a form of behavior therapy that is effective in treating anxiety disorders. It involves systematic and repeated confrontation with a feared stimulus, either in vivo (live) or in the imagination, and may encompass any of a number of behavioral interventions, including desensitization, flooding, implosive therapy, and extinction-based techniques. It works by (a) habituation, in which repeated exposure reduces anxiety over time by a process of extinction; (b) disconfirming fearful predictions; and (c) increasing feelings of self-efficacy and mastery.