Final answer:
Sophal is using an application based on exposure therapy, aimed at reducing self-injury behavior by pairing images of self-injury with aversive images, like spiders. The application is a form of treatment that utilizes devices as tools for managing and altering behavior and emotional responses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sophal is most likely using a smartphone application that is based on the principles of exposure therapy. This therapeutic technique is often used to help individuals confront and reduce the fear associated with traumatic memories or phobias by exposing them to the feared object or context without any danger, in order to help desensitize them to it. In the case of Sophal, the pairing of images of self-injury with aversive stimuli like spiders could be part of a treatment program aimed at reducing the urge or behavior of self-injury.
Exposure therapy has been effectively utilized in various forms, such as virtual reality exposure therapy, as noted in research by Gerardi et al. (2010), to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders. The therapeutic use of smartphones, as discussed by Miller, illustrates how personal devices can become tools for expressing and managing social identities, including the management of psychological conditions.