Arrange the following stages of systematic desensitisation technique in correct order.

(A) Interviewing the client to elicit fear provoking situations
(B) Asking the client to think about the least anxiety provoking situations
(C) Preparing a hierarchy of anxiety provoking stimuli
(D) Progressing to more severe fear provoking situations while maintaining the relaxation of the client

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(A), (C), (B), (D)

The correct answer is Option (3) → (A), (C), (B), (D)

The correct sequence of the systematic desensitisation technique is:

(A) Interviewing the client to elicit fear provoking situations – This is the first step where the therapist gathers information about the client’s fears.

(C) Preparing a hierarchy of anxiety provoking stimuli – A list is made from the least to the most anxiety-inducing situations.

(B) Asking the client to think about the least anxiety provoking situations – The desensitisation begins with the least stressful item on the hierarchy.

(D) Progressing to more severe fear provoking situations while maintaining the relaxation of the client – The client is gradually exposed to more intense stimuli while practicing relaxation, aiming to reduce the fear response.

"Systematic desensitisation is a technique introduced by Wolpe for treating phobias or irrational fears. The client is interviewed to elicit fearprovoking situations and together with the client, the therapist prepares a hierarchy of anxiety-provoking stimuli with the least anxiety-provoking stimuli at the bottom of the hierarchy. The therapist relaxes the client and asks the client to think about the least anxiety-provoking situation. The client is asked to stop thinking of the fearful situation if the slightest tension is felt. Over sessions, the client is able to imagine more severe fearprovoking situations while maintaining the relaxation. The client gets systematically desensitised to the fear"