ABSTRACT
The distinctive practical feature of this technique is that it makes the idea behind the subjective unit of discomfort (SUDs) more acceptable by the patient when she faces the perspective of exposure to distressful situations. It helps her understand that only the items of the exposure list classified as discomfort are directly challenged as homework or in-session exposure, after the therapist socializes the patient to the idea/principle that it is not possible to attain physical, mental, financial or esthetical health without tolerance to discomfort. So, ’green’ items/symptoms will always be purposefully challenged. On the other hand, those items in the list that are classified as distressful will be dealt with the consensual role-play (CRP). The color-coded symptom hierarchy (CCSH) is a technique derived from the SUDs that allows the therapist to encourage the patient to understand dysfunctional Underlying assumptions (UAs), helping both the therapist and the patient distinguish uncomfortable actions from distressful actions to deal with ambivalence.
