Exposure Therapy Calgary | PTSD, OCD & Phobias

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What is Exposure Therapy?

Exposure therapy is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that involves gradually and systematically exposing individuals to feared objects, situations, or memories in a safe and controlled environment.

The goal of exposure therapy is to help individuals confront and overcome their fears or anxieties by learning that the feared stimuli are not as threatening as perceived.

Especially when we’ve experienced something traumatic, our sense of safety can become altered and our nervous system can end up in overdrive, sending us signals that we are in danger, when a situation is relatively non-threatening.

Through repeated exposure and the prevention of avoidance behaviors, individuals can reduce the distress they experience in a wide variety of settings through teaching the nervous system to re-regulate.

Exposure therapy is commonly used to treat phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Exposure Therapy is community-based and services are offered in Calgary and surrounding towns such as Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere and Strathmore.
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What Are Some Commonly Feared Places?

The Mall

A crowded space, bright lights, unpredictable noises, lots of movement – all of this can overwhelm our nervous system, as it tries to discern whether each sight, sound and person is safe or not. This makes the mall a popular place to avoid.

The Grocery Store

Similar to the mall, grocery stores have lots of light, movement and sounds, compounded by the pressure to find and choose the items you need and then potentially wait in line, where its common to feel overwhelmed by a lack of control

Job Specific Items/Locations

Unfortunately, first responders such as police, firemen and paramedics are more likely to experience PTSD than many other populations because of what they witness on a day-to-day basis. PTSD can develop after a specific event or a cumulation of events, leading our body’s to feel unsafe around any reminders of work such as lights and sirens, seeing people in uniforms, seeing first responder trucks etc.
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