ing to a point of comfort, and slowly exhaling through the mouth. The second step is for the client to use self-regulatory self-statements (i.e., “relax” and/or “be cool”). Third, the client should be told that learning to use relaxation training and breathing control procedures are skills that require practice. Finally, the client obtains data to support that such controlled breathing can have a direct physiological effect (Meichenbaum, 1994). This may be accomplished by directing the client to record his/her heart rate before and after relaxation to confirm that the client has accomplished the task of achieving relaxation. In systematic desensitization (developed by Joseph Wolpe) the fearful client, while deeply mentally relaxed, is asked to imagine a series of progressively more fearsome situations that fall along a continuum (Meichenbaum, 1977). The responses of relaxation and fear are incompatible and as a result, fear is dispelled. Phase three involves restructuring the client’s story. This includes restructuring the meaning of the story and perhaps changing the meaning of the story for the client. As the therapist begins to understand the significance of the meaning behind the story and discovers how the stressful occasion was experienced, he/she accomplishes the first task of altering the meaning (Meichenbaum, 1994). The therapist maintains a here-and-now focus to restructure what happened by taking the client back to the location through imagination and allowing the client to respond to the stress. The client is asked to report any feelings and thoughts that preceded, accompanied, and that followed the incident. This process enables clients to recognize how they behave, appraise situations, think, and feel, which may inadvertently contribute to their problems. As the client to come to terms with the traumatic experience, the therapist teaches the client how to develop supportive relationships (perh...
