reciprocal-inhibition therapy

• Verhaltenstherapeutische Technik, bei der Patientinnen und Patienten lernen, eine unerwünschte Reaktion (z. B. Angst) durch eine angenehmere, mit ihr unvereinbare Reaktion (z. B. Entspannung) zu ersetzen, indem der auslösende Reiz mit einer inkompatiblen positiven Reaktion gekoppelt wird.

A therapeutic technique in behavioral psychology where a patient is taught to replace an undesirable response (such as anxiety or fear) with a more desirable one (such as relaxation) by pairing the triggering stimulus with an incompatible, positive response.

1. Behavioral therapy techniqueC1formal

   A psychological treatment method where a relaxation response is used to inhibit or reduce anxiety, fear, or other negative responses to a stimulus.

   Reziproke Hemmungstherapie

   • The therapist used reciprocal-inhibition therapy to help the patient overcome a phobia of flying.
   • Reciprocal-inhibition therapy often pairs deep breathing with gradual exposure to a feared object.
   • This approach is based on the principle that two incompatible responses cannot occur simultaneously.