Abstract
A 30-year-old housewife with agoraphobia had been the victim of sexual assault, and of incest by her older brother and father. The purpose of this single case study was (a) to investigate the relevance of the incestuous experience for the treatment of agoraphobia, and (b) to evaluate a prolonged, gradual exposure in vitro for the treatment of the sequelae of sexual assault and incest. Emotional processing was carried out in two phases, each preceded and followed by exposure in vivo for the treatment of the agoraphobia. Direct behavioral measures indicated that following exposure for the traumatic experiences agoraphobia dramatically increased. As a result of a comprehensive treatment program, agoraphobic anxiety and avoidance substantially decreased and client's emotional perception of her self and her father changed. It is concluded that the treatment of the sexual trauma was essential for the treatment of the agoraphobia, and that imaginal exposure may be a useful treatment for victims of incest.
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