Exposure Practice Record
A session-by-session log for tracking distress ratings, duration, and outcomes during exposure exercises
Exposure Practice Record
A session-by-session log for tracking distress ratings, duration, and outcomes during exposure exercises
Consistent tracking during exposure therapy is essential for both clinical progress and client motivation. Recording Subjective Units of Distress (SUDS) ratings at the beginning, peak, and end of each exposure session allows you and your therapist to observe habituation patterns and inhibitory learning over time (Craske et al., 2022). This log also helps identify safety behaviors that may interfere with treatment, and it provides concrete evidence of progress that can sustain motivation through challenging exercises. Rate your distress on a 0 to 100 scale, where 0 means no anxiety, 50 means significant anxiety, and 100 means the most extreme anxiety you can imagine.
Before starting each exposure, write the specific exercise and note any safety behaviors you plan to avoid (e.g., distraction, reassurance-seeking, counting). Record the date, duration of the exercise, your SUDS rating at the beginning, at the peak, and at the end. Continue the exposure until your peak SUDS reduces by at least half. Add any observations or reflections in the notes column.
| Date & Exercise Description | Duration | SUDS: Start | SUDS: Peak | SUDS: End | Notes & Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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