avoidance therapy

[ə-ˈvȯi-dən(t)s ˈther-ə-pē]
nounpl: avoidance therapies
terapia de evitação
1. A behavioral therapy technique where a person is trained to avoid or escape from a stimulus or situation that triggers anxiety, fear, or unwanted behavior, often used in treating phobias and anxiety disorders
The therapist used avoidance therapy to help the patient overcome his fear of flying by teaching him to recognize and avoid anxiety-triggering situations.
O terapeuta usou terapia de evitação para ajudar o paciente a superar seu medo de voar, ensinando-o a reconhecer e evitar situações que desencadeiam ansiedade.
2. A psychological treatment approach where patients learn coping strategies to prevent exposure to distressing stimuli
Avoidance therapy was less effective than exposure therapy in treating PTSD symptoms.
A terapia de evitação foi menos eficaz que a terapia de exposição no tratamento dos sintomas de TEPT.
In both Brazil and the USA, avoidance therapy has become less favored in modern psychological practice, with exposure-based therapies considered more evidence-based for treating anxiety and phobias. However, the term remains important in clinical literature and historical discussions of behavioral therapy approaches.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
avoidance conditioningescape therapystimulus avoidance
Antonyms / Antônimos
exposure therapydesensitization therapyimmersion therapy

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
terapia de evitação
Most common term in Brazilian psychological and medical contexts
São Paulo
terapia de evitação
Standard usage in major medical institutions
Portugal
terapia de evitação
Same term used in Portuguese psychology, though exposure therapy is more commonly recommended
USA
avoidance therapy
Used in clinical psychology but often contrasted with more modern approaches like exposure therapy

Related Words

behavioral therapyanxiety disordercoping mechanismstimulusphobiaconditioning

Related Idioms & Phrases

facing your fears
confronting anxiety
running away from the problem
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