Exposure therapy
Structured, gradual, and repeated exposure to feared or avoided situations, letting patients learn the feared outcome doesn't occur — paced to the patient, never forced.
What it is & how it works
A CBT-based technique involving structured, gradual, and repeated exposure to feared or avoided situations, objects, or thoughts, allowing the patient to learn that the feared outcome does not occur or is tolerable, thereby reducing avoidance and anxiety over time.
How it's done
Typically administered as weekly sessions over roughly 8–16 weeks, combining in-session guided exposure with structured between-session homework; delivered by a clinical psychologist or trained therapist, with pacing set collaboratively with the patient and never forced.
Conditions it treats
Why Brain Bridge
Consistent with Brain Bridge's evidence-bounded, individualized-outcomes commitment, exposure work here is paced to the patient rather than delivered as a fixed protocol, and is offered alongside medication or neuromodulation where a combined approach is clinically indicated.
Evidence & safety
Central technique in anxiety-spectrum treatment. Pace and intensity are individualized; discontinuation or slower pacing is supported where clinically appropriate.
Related questions
It can be uncomfortable, especially early on, since it involves gradually facing feared situations rather than avoiding them; symptoms may briefly feel more intense before they ease, and the pace is set collaboratively so exposure stays manageable.
This varies by condition and severity, but a course typically runs to around 8–16 weekly sessions, combining guided exposure in-session with structured practice between sessions.