Systematic desensitisation can be viewed as a "deconditioning" or a "counter-conditioning" process. This procedure is very effective in eliminating fears and phobias.
The idea is to weaken a maladaptive response by strengthening an incompatible or antagonistic response. We might take the example of relaxation being antagonistic to anxiety - it is difficult to be both relaxed and anxious at the same time. One method of systematically desensitising a person to a feared situation involves first training the client to relax and then gradually exposing him or her to the feared situation, either in imagination or in reality.
The idea is to weaken a maladaptive response by strengthening an incompatible or antagonistic response. We might take the example of relaxation being antagonistic to anxiety - it is difficult to be both relaxed and anxious at the same time. One method of systematically desensitising a person to a feared situation involves first training the client to relax and then gradually exposing him or her to the feared situation, either in imagination or in reality.