Exposure Therapy -- What Is It That We Are Selling?

Abstract

This discussion is a response to Muller and Schultz’s (2012) thoughtful commentary on our case series on treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) in this issue of the Pragmatic Case Studies in Psychotherapy. We join Muller and Schultz in their dedication to exposure treatment. We  elaborate on their perceptive comments on what exposure is, and how it is presented, applied, and implemented most effectively, in the context of  BDD specifically. We conclude by briefly exploring some of the complexities of the theory underlying exposure therapy.