Arrange steps in the correct sequence followed in systematic desensitization technique:

(A) The therapist relaxes the clients and asks him to think about the least anxiety provoking situation.
(B) The client is interviewed to elicit fear provoking situations.
(C) The therapist prepares a hierarchy of anxiety provoking stimulus with least anxiety provoking at the bottom.
(D) The client is asked to stop thinking of the fearful situation if the slightest tension is felt.
(E) Over the sessions, the client is able to imagine more severe fear provoking situations while maintaining the relaxation.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

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

The correct answer is Option (2) → (B), (C), (A), (D), (E)

Systematic desensitisation is a technique introduced by Wolpe for treating phobias or irrational fears. The client is interviewed to elicit fearprovoking situations (B) 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 (C). The therapist relaxes the client and asks the client to think about the least anxiety-provoking situation (A). The client is asked to stop thinking of the fearful situation if the slightest tension is felt (D). Over sessions, the client is able to imagine more severe fearprovoking situations while maintaining the relaxation (E). The client gets systematically desensitised to the fear.