Final answer:
Exposure Therapy is the approach that exposes individuals to the sources of their anxiety, such as in the treatment of PTSD, and has been validated by research. It works by helping individuals confront and process their traumatic memories, reducing anxiety over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The therapeutic approach that repeatedly exposes a person to the thoughts, events, objects, activities, and situations causing them intense anxiety is known as Exposure Therapy. This type of therapy is particularly impactful for treating anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research, such as that by Gerardi et al. (2010), has shown that exposure therapy can be an effective treatment method. For example, the use of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy has shown promise in treating PTSD by simulating the environments that trigger stress, which allows individuals to confront and gradually decrease their anxiety in a controlled setting.
Psychotherapeutic interventions might also involve techniques such as hypnosis, which is most effective in individuals open to suggestion. Additionally, a variety of other therapeutic approaches and medications, including psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, deep-brain stimulation, taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are used to treat various psychological disorders. In the context of defense mechanisms, exposure therapy counters repression by bringing repressed memories to conscious awareness, confronting them directly, rather than inadvertently allowing their influence on one's behavior and emotional state.