Computer-aided in situ cognitive behavioral therapy

This article describes the development of a system intended to aid the treatment of certain phobic conditions by the use of computer telephony integration (CTI).A phobia is an irrational fear to some situations or things and interferes with the functioning of the individual that suffers from it. One of the most common and successfully used treatments for phobic conditions has been Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which helps people learn to detect thinking patterns that trigger the irrational fear and to replace them with more realistic ideas. The health and financial impacts in society present a strong motivation to find ways to help in the treatment of these disorders. Access to treatment can be limited by the availability of trained mental health professionals, and more patients could get help if the therapist could delegate part of the treatment to computer-aided CBT. The system presented here is being designed in a modular and scalable fashion. The web-based module can be accessed anywhere any time from a PC connected to the internet and can be used alone or as supplement for a location-based module for in situ gradual exposure therapy.