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Akiko, age 42, has always been afraid of flying.

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Whenever she got on a plane, her heart began to pound and her palms got sweaty.

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During takeoff and landing, Akiko’s fear was so intense that she could hardly breathe.

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The experience of flying was so painful that Akiko hadn’t flown at all during the past ten years.

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But now she’s been promoted to regional sales manager

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and the new position requires her to fly several times a month.

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Because she doesn’t want to lose her job,

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Akiko started seeing a therapist who specializes in treating the fear of flying.

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The therapist planned a series of sessions for Akiko, arranged in a sequence of gradually increasing realism.

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The first session was in the therapist’s office. She taught Akiko how to become deeply relaxed.

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Then she showed Akiko pictures of airplanes again and again until Akiko could look at them without feeling afraid.

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In subsequent sessions this same process was repeated,

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first with Akiko imagining that she was on an airplane, then with Akiko taking a tour of a stationary airplane,

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and finally with Akiko boarding an actual flight.

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At the end of these sessions, Akiko was able to fly whenever her work required,

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without the fear that was such a problem for her earlier.