Joseph Wolpe - Systematic Desensitization

Systematic Desensitization

Systematic desensitization is what Wolpe is most famous for. However, Wolpe was not the first to happen upon such an idea. Mary Cover Jones had used similar techniques in treating phobias in younger children. Yet, it was Joseph Wolpe who coined and perfected systematic desensitization. Systematic desensitization is when the client is exposed to the anxiety producing stimulus at a low level and once no anxiety is present a stronger version of the anxiety producing stimulus is given. This continues until the individual client no longer feels any anxiety towards the stimulus. There are three main steps in using systematic desensitization. The first step is to teach the client relaxation techniques. Wolpe received the idea of relaxation from Edmund Jacobson who studied muscle relaxation. He modified Jacobson relaxation techniques so that they took less time. Wolpe’s rationale was that you cannot be both relaxed and anxious at the same time. The second step is for the client and the therapist to create a hierarchy of anxieties. The therapist normally has the client make a list of all the things that produce anxiety in all its different forms. Then together, with the therapist, the client makes a hierarchy, starting with what produces the lowest level of anxiety to what produces the most anxiety. Next is to have the client be fully relaxed while imaging the anxiety producing stimulus. Depending on what their reaction is, whether they feel no anxiety or a great amount of anxiety, the stimulus will then be changed to a stronger or weaker one. Systematic desensitization, though successful, has flaws as well. The patient may give misleading hierarchies, have trouble relaxing, or not be able to adequately imagine the scenarios. Despite this possible flaw, it seems to be most successful.