Abstract
Research shows that exposure therapy is vastly underutilized in the routine treatment of fear-related disorders due to a variety of barriers. This study explored the barriers to the utilization of exposure-based treatment and if educational interventions about exposure therapy improves therapist trainees' attitudes towards it. The sample consisted of 140 participants who identified as graduate students in an APA-accredited clinical or counseling doctoral psychology program. As expected, demographic variables had no effect on trainees' attitudes towards exposure therapy. Higher anxiety sensitivity among trainees was significantly predictive of having more negative attitudes towards exposure therapy. A lower reported level of previous experience with exposure therapy was predictive of both more negative beliefs about exposure therapy and greater likelihood of excluding clients from exposure therapy. Participants who watched the exposure therapy lecture video had significantly more positive views towards exposure therapy at posttest, and were significantly less likely to exclude clients from exposure therapy at posttest and one-week follow-up compared to participants who watched a non-educational video. The findings of this study emphasize the value of dissemination of exposure therapy through didactic information and provides new information about dissemination specifically to doctoral psychology students. This study also provides support for past suggestions that didactic training may help to modify therapists' negative perceptions of exposure therapy.