Systematic desensitisation was first described by Wolpe in the 1950s. He demonstrated that cats could overcome their acquired fears by being gradually exposed to the feared situation. In other words, they could slowly get used to experiencing things that they had previously avoided.
The use of systematic desensitisation as a stand-alone therapy is out of favour. However, in this article we will consider how it is being integrated into contemporary psychotherapeutic techniques, rather than being seen as a distinct and separate intervention. To explore this further, let’s first consider the history of behaviourism, and especially how it has developed since the 1950s.
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