Systematic desensitisation
Short definition
Systematic desensitisation is a behavioural technique, described by Joseph Wolpe, that combines relaxation with gradual exposure to a hierarchy of feared situations, from least to most difficult.
In plain language
First the person learns to relax. Then, with the therapist, they rank the situations they fear by difficulty and face them one at a time, moving on only when the previous one no longer causes intense anxiety. An example is fear of flying, worked through from looking at photographs to entering a cabin.