Exposure therapy for
performance anxiety
Exams, presentations, auditions, sports - school performance anxiety is increasingly common. To help our children, we have to challenge them, but doing this can be scary and it's not always clear if its working. Our therapists can help you work through a step-by-step plan so you can make consistent progress.
Therapists who can work with you
Reading the live directory…Signs this is the problem
- Blanking under timed conditions despite knowing the material
- Perfectionist preparation that never feels sufficient
- Avoiding oral assessments, or dropping subjects that require them
- Physical symptoms that arrive the moment it counts
School and performance anxiety
- A timed mock, marked, handed to someone else to read
- Presenting to two people, then a class, then the year group
- Deliberately answering one question wrong in a seminar
- Handing in work that is good rather than perfect
The Myths and Misconceptions of Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy sounds awful. It's usually the last thing any of us ever want to consider doing. The truth is, the word "exposure" is often misused, and exposure therapy is one of the most highly effective and researched treatments for anxiety, and it's not as scary or awful as it sounds.
Fear is a natural response in the brain, and keeps us safe in many cases. However, our fear response can become 'out of balance' and start impacting the quality of our life. Exposure is about practicing, in small, incremental steps, facing our fear to recalibrate this balance.
You don't have to do things actually dangerous. You don't have to 'like' the thing you are afraid of. There are no tricks, traps, or surprises. Exposure works best when you have a plan and you work through it.
Contamination OCD · weeks 1–6
Where exposure therapy is available today
Exposure therapy can be hard to find. Our mission is to make effective, evidence-based exposure therapies accessible to all. Our map updates in real time as new providers join and our coverage increases. You can help by sharing this page and inviting any therapists that would be a good fit.
Other conditions in the directory
Connect with Motivated Clients. Support Their Recovery with Guided Digital Exposure.
Listing in the Find Exposure Therapy directory is free. We offer a separate tool that improves the efficacy and adherence of exposure treatment by providing real-time adaptive exposure on a catalog of content.
Connect with clients who are ready or already starting on exposure practice and looking for support.
Create your free profilePre-built hierarchies, curated exposure content, homework tracking - improve treatment adherence, reduce drop outs, and save time with Bia's provider portal.
Invite a therapist
Know someone who does real exposure work? Invite them to join the directory.