Exposure Therapy: All you need to know.

What is Exposure Therapy? 

According to the American Psychological Association, Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that was developed to help people confront their fears. When people are fearful of something, they tend to avoid the feared objects, activities, or situations. Although this avoidance might help reduce feelings of fear in the short term, over the long term it can make the fear become even worse. In such situations, a psychologist might recommend a program of exposure therapy in order to help break the pattern of avoidance and fear. In this form of therapy, psychologists create a safe environment in which to “expose” individuals to the things they fear and avoid. The exposure to the feared objects, activities, or situations in a safe environment helps reduce fear and decrease avoidance.

In short, Exposure therapy is the idea that exposing people to their fears in controlled amounts will help people ultimately overcome their fears and decrease the chances of those people avoiding that fear.

Who can it help? 

Exposure therapy is usually used to help people with PTSD. However it can also be used to help those with phobias, anxiety and panic attacks and people with obsessive compulsive disorders.

Types of Treatment

  1. In vivo exposure: This involves the person directly facing their fears. For example, a person who is afraid of bugs may be directly exposed to them.
  2. Imaginal exposure: This involves the person mentally pushing themselves to recreate the fear or imagine and discussing it.
  3. Virtual reality exposure: This method is the same as In vivo exposure, but is used when peoples fears are not easily obtainable or difficult to recreate.
  4. Interoceptive exposure: This involves the person bringing their fear upon themselves and realizing that it can not harm them.

Rate of Treatment

Treatment can be administered three different ways. The first way is Graded exposure. In graded exposure, the person is slowly exposed to their fears and is gradually increased as the treatment progresses. For some this means starting with “easy fears” and progressing to more difficult ones. The second rate of treatment is Flooding. In flooding, the person starts with multiple fears at once and is usually exposed to their greatest fears. The last rate of treatment is Systematic Desensitization. This type of treatment places people with their fears however, they are relaxed beforehand. The idea is that they will be relaxed and therefore will not feel the fear as strongly and eliminate it altogether.

Sourced from: http://www.div12.org/sites/default/files/WhatIsExposureTherapy.pdf

Mmm mmm mmm! Octane Coffee and Bar (3).

Here you can see where the smells originate from. To the left sits The Little Tart, which is a separate enterprise from Octane. The Little Tart is where all the baked goodies are made and sold, and to the right is where the coffee is stacked and poured. I choose this spot because it mixes the smells of the dough and sugar from the bakery, with the bitter and smooth smell of coffee beans as they are being crushed and poured.

Where all the coffee magic happens.
Where all the coffee magic happens.

Let the light shine: Octane Coffee and Bar (2)

This is what Octane is known for. Students make up the majority of the customers and assemble here to study and with good reason. Notice the amount of light that enters inside of the building. This is because the entire building is surrounded in glass, letting in light and making everything much more inviting. The interior is a blend of nature and modern styling. Wood makes up the tables and the stools along the walls, while the chairs are metal.

Another angle of the shop from the bar.
Another angle of the shop from the bar.

Octane Coffee and Bar Exterior (1)

This is the exterior of Octane Coffee and Bar. The first thing I noticed was the rustic/modern design of the building. While it may look like its literally rusting away, the style and appearance gives the building character. Also, parking is easily available as well as parking and ramps for those who are handicapped, making this building easily accessible for all. There is also an exterior patio like area which allows customers to sit outside if they choose to.