You searched for: “reciprocal inhibition and desensitization
reciprocal inhibition and desensitization (s) (noun); reciprocal inhibitions and desensitizations (pl)
In psychiatry, a form of behavior therapy in which the patient, while made to relax in comfortable surroundings, is gradually exposed to increasing amounts of anxiety-provoking stimuli.

In this way the patient can tolerate these stimuli and may eventually learn to dissociate the anxiety from them.

This entry is located in the following units: habit-, hab-, -hibit; habili-, habil- (page 5) reciproc- (page 1)