Which of the following is one of the three rules of systemic desensitization?

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Graded exposure, gradually facing your fears, is the defining approach in systemic desensitization. The therapy builds a fear hierarchy from mild to more intense situations and you move through those steps at a pace you can tolerate, using relaxation to stay calm at each level. This stepwise progression is what makes the treatment effective, because you learn that anxiety decreases as you approach and handle each progressively harder moment. Repetition and practice support the process, reinforcing coping skills and reducing avoidance, but the central feature described here is the gradual, staged exposure. Prolonged exposure to a feared situation without that gradual ladder is more aligned with flooding and isn’t the standard rule of this method. The term itself describes the technique, not a separate rule.