A Review of the Theoretical Rationale and Empirical Support for the Extinction Approach of Implosive (Flooding) Therapy

A three tier evaluation of PTSD among Vietnam combat veterans

“…There should be no confusion regarding implosive therapy being unduly harsh. Levis and Hare (1977) and later others (e.g.. Shipley and Boudewyns, 1980) have argued that conditioned cues have no inherent power to harm patients. And, with the exception of psychotoform symptoms with PTSD (Mueser and Butler, 1987), there is little evidence that accessing trauma memories causes any problem.…”

PTSD among Vietnam veterans: An early look at treatment outcome using direct therapeutic exposure

“…68-215. The technique is similar to that originally described in Stampfl and Levis (1967) and called Implosive Therapy and which is described in more detail in Levis and Hare (1977). It is also quite similar to that used by Keane and Kaloupek (1982) and described in detail by Lyons and Keane (1989).…”

A metamodel of theories of psychotherapy: a guide to their analysis, comparison, integration and use

“…The same intervention may be conceptualized differently by different theories. For example, exposure therapy for treating anxiety disorders looks one way through the lens of social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) and another way through the lens of implosive therapy (Levis & Hare, 1977). Viewed through the lens of social cognitive theory, exposure provides information that enhances the client's self-efficacy expectation of being able to handle the anxiety-provoking situation.…”