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Kim Bullock, MDClinical Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
Delivering VR Exposure TherapyLesson 17 of 50
What Should Clinicians Do When Anxiety Spikes During Exposure?
1:16
Kim Bullock, MDClinical Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford UniversityLesson summary
High anxiety during exposure is an opportunity, not a problem — the goal is to help clients tolerate the highest anxiety they can. Read the SUDS and habituation curve, decide when to hold or adjust, and debrief distress constructively so the exposure keeps its therapeutic value.
Key learning points
- Reading SUDS and habituation curves
- When to hold, adjust or pause
- Debriefing distress constructively
Clinical guide
Reassurance for stuck or discouraged clients
Plain responses you can use in session when a client wants to stop.