ABSTRACT
Planned exposure to feared or previously avoided situations is one of the most widely used psychological interventions within behavioural therapies. The evidence for its efficacy is very good and it is consistent with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) insofar as it encourages the client to widen their behavioural repertoire by making ‘towards’ moves in the direction of their chosen values. Traditionally, exposure has been implemented within behaviour therapy as a technique that uses habituation as its rationale. That is, repeated exposure to a feared event will systematically reduce the discomfort that is associated with confronting that event. Considering the key principles of psychological flexibility in tandem with the inhibitory learning model, E. M. Morris outlined a number of recommendations that might inform an ACT practitioner’s use of exposure.
