The evidence is very clear: the more we embrace fear (exposure, confrontation), the more it will release us from its grip. But what can help us to successfully confront fears? And how can therapeutic fear confrontation be made even more effective?
The video contains four tips that have been derived directly from studies and are effective both in everyday life and in anxiety therapy.

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Studies (only a small selection; more studies can be found in the book “Angst – Was hilft wirklich… “):

Craske, M. (2015). Optimizing exposure therapy for anxiety disorders: an inhibitory learning and inhibitory regulation approach. Behavior Therapy, 25(2), 134-143.

Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behavior research and therapy, 58, 10-23.

Gearing, R. E., Schwalbe, C. S., Lee, R., & Hoagwood, K. E. (2013). The effectiveness of booster sessions in CBT treatment for child and adolescent mood and anxiety disorders. Depression and anxiety, 30(9), 800-808.

Kirsch, I., Tennen, H., Wickless, C., Saccone, A. J., & Cody, S. (1983). The role of expectancy in fear reduction. Behavior Therapy, 14(4), 520-533.

Trivasse, H., Webb, T. L., & Waller, G. (2020). A meta-analysis of the effects of training clinicians in exposure therapy on knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behavior. Clinical Psychology Review, 80, 101887.

Weisman, J. S., & Rodebaugh, T. L. (2018). Exposure therapy augmentation: A review and extension of techniques informed by an inhibitory learning approach. Clinical Psychology Review, 59, 41-51.

When should you face your anxiety? Does the time of day have an influence on the success of therapy? And what role does cortisol play in this? Researchers at the University of Saarbrücken conducted a very interesting study on this…

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Studies (small sample only):

Lass-Hennemann, J., & Michael, T. (2014). Endogenous cortisol levels influence exposure therapy in spider phobia. Behaviour research and therapy, 60, 39-45.