What is Exposure Therapy?
Exposure therapy is a structured method of gradually facing the things that cause fear, anxiety, or avoidance. When someone has been through trauma or developed phobias, their brain learns to associate certain places, people, or memories with danger — even when they are safe.
Avoidance might provide short-term relief, but it also keeps fear alive. Exposure therapy helps retrain the brain and nervous system by introducing these triggers in safe, controlled, and supported ways.
At Living Free, exposure therapy is always trauma-informed. This means it is gentle and paced: you will never be forced into overwhelming experiences. Instead, therapy works step by step to reduce fear responses, helping you reclaim areas of life that avoidance has limited.
How It Works
Identifying feared or avoided situations.
Creating a gradual “exposure hierarchy” from least to most triggering.
Practicing exposure in safe, guided steps.
Using relaxation, breathwork, or grounding techniques alongside exposure.
Who It Helps
- PTSD
- Trauma
- Stress Disorders
- Specific phobias or avoidance behaviors.
Evidence Base
Exposure therapy is highly effective in treating trauma-related fear and anxiety. DSM-5 treatment guidelines recognize it as a recommended approach for PTSD and anxiety disorders. At Living Free, exposure therapy is integrated with nervous system regulation to make it safe and sustainable.
Contact us to learn more about exposure therapy at Living Free.
