Counterconditioning
Overview & Description: A behavioral therapy technique in which an undesired response to a stimulus is reduced by pairing the stimulus with another stimulus that elicits a response incompatible with the undesired response.
Key Points:
- Use in Therapy: Often used in behavior therapies, especially for phobias and addictions.
- Example: For a patient with a phobia of spiders, a therapist might pair the sight of a spider with deep relaxation techniques.
Implications: Allows therapists to replace harmful or undesired responses with more neutral or positive ones.
References:
- Wolpe, J. (1958). Psychotherapy by reciprocal inhibition. Stanford University Press.
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