[CyclingPsych]

I started doing exposure therapy with my therapist (social anxiety) and since we cannot both go out and face these fears he tells me there is "imaginal" exposure therapy. I have to sit there, close my eyes and imagine that I am giving a presentation or talking to a group of people, etc to see if my anxiety spikes..

3 sessions later and nothing. I feel like I am wasting my money just waiting for a "spike". I know I am physically in an office. No matter how hard I try to think of the scariest things to make my anxiety spike nothing happens. It feels like a total waste..

He then tells me that I should go out for homework and expose myself to social situations and that I should stick with the anxiety and let it pass... Uhh.. I've been doing this my whole life by sucking it up and letting it pass/getting it over with.

How did exposure therapy work for you guys? I don't know if I should give this a few extra sessions or to just terminate. I am also in the field of counseling and we learn alot of techniques/ways to help someone with xyz.

Thanks.

[DP_2017]

Maybe find a therapist who actually is trained in this... there ARE some who can go out in the community with clients to work on issues like this, harder to find but they exist.

[Skeezyks]

I don't have any personal experience with this. However family therapist Kati Morton has a video on her YouTube channel on the subject of exposure therapy. And I recall, in that video, she makes a point of saying it's really important to find a therapist who specializes in this particular type of therapy. I'd have to say myself, based on what you described, this would be of no value to me what-so-ever. Here's a link to Kati's exposure therapy video in case you haven't seen it:

[PurpleBlur]

Originally Posted by CyclingPsych

I started doing exposure therapy with my therapist (social anxiety) and since we cannot both go out and face these fears he tells me there is "imaginal" exposure therapy. I have to sit there, close my eyes and imagine that I am giving a presentation or talking to a group of people, etc to see if my anxiety spikes..

3 sessions later and nothing. I feel like I am wasting my money just waiting for a "spike". I know I am physically in an office. No matter how hard I try to think of the scariest things to make my anxiety spike nothing happens. It feels like a total waste..

He then tells me that I should go out for homework and expose myself to social situations and that I should stick with the anxiety and let it pass... Uhh.. I've been doing this my whole life by sucking it up and letting it pass/getting it over with.

How did exposure therapy work for you guys? I don't know if I should give this a few extra sessions or to just terminate. I am also in the field of counseling and we learn alot of techniques/ways to help someone with xyz.

Thanks.

why cant you actually go out and face some of these things with the T?

[DP_2017]

Originally Posted by PurpleBlur

why cant you actually go out and face some of these things with the T?

Boundary issues. Most places wont allow T's to be in public with clients.

That's why I suggested a T who is trained in it, some are and they have the OK to go out and do such things for therapy

My therapist and I have actually go to the places together. That has been very helpful.