Clinical Psychology Series

Models of Change

"Is the goal to feel better, or to get better at feeling?"

Mechanisms of Exposure

Which Session is "Better"?

CASE_STUDY_001

Client A

Rapid Habituation

Client starts at 80 SUDs and leaves at 20 SUDs. They feel calm.

Client B

Expectancy Violation

Client starts at 80 SUDs and leaves at 70 SUDs. They still feel anxious, but nothing bad happened.

The Traditional Model: Habituation

Core Philosophy

Fear reduction is the mechanism of change. If anxiety doesn't go down within the session, the treatment isn't working.

Goal: "Stay until you feel better."
Relies on Emotional Processing Theory (EPT).
Anxiety is like a "fire" that needs to burn out.

Analogy: Getting used to a cold swimming pool.

The Modern Model: Inhibitory Learning

Expectancy Violation

The goal is not to reduce fear, but to violate the expectation of catastrophe. We are building a new, "safe" memory that competes with the old fear memory.

Goal: "Stay until you learn something new."
High within-session anxiety is actually BENEFICIAL for learning.
Focus on tolerability and non-occurrence of danger.

CS - US

Conditioned Stimulus - Unconditioned Stimulus

Violation!

"The spider touched me, but I didn't die."

How It Changes the Hierarchy

Habit-Based Hierarchy

1. Look at photo (SUDs 30)

2. Watch video (SUDs 50)

Wait for SUDs to drop by 50%...

3. Real spider in jar (SUDs 70)

Linear, slow, focused on comfort.

Learning-Based Hierarchy

1. Watch video (SUDs 50)

2. Photo (SUDs 30) Surprise!

3. Real spider (SUDs 80)

Test the prediction: "Will I faint?"

Non-linear, variable, focused on testing beliefs.

Reflect & Debate

"If a client leaves an exposure session feeling exhausted and still highly anxious, but realizes their feared outcome didn't happen, was the session a failure or a success?"

Team Habituation

Team Inhibitory

Fear Frontiers The Science of Exposure

Models of Change

Optimizing Extinction

The Ethical Boundary

Forensic Case Files

Integrated Synthesis

Model Match Slides

Extinction Analysis Worksheet

Theoretical Shift Teacher Guide

Surprise Strategy Slides

Variable Hierarchy Workshop

Learning Optimization Teacher Guide

Ethical Edge Slides

The Funeral Home Case Study

Informed Consent Protocol Checklist

Failure Forensic Slides

Treatment Post Mortem Case Files

Integrative Impact Slides

Holistic Hierarchy Synthesis Project

Similar Sequences

The Addicted Brain

Neurobiology of Mental Illness

Flow Force

Teri Minami

Le Pouvoir Solaire

dimitri0681

Metabolic Engines

dimitri0681

Human Origins

Scientific Method Mystery

Human Nature and Conflict

Molecular Survival Strategies

Body Systems Blueprint

Neighbor Planets

Entropy and Energy Flow

Gravity Paradox

Thermal Trackers

Picnic Particles Chemistry