Targeting Safety Behaviors in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders: A Case Study of False Safety Behavior Elimination Treatment

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health diagnoses. Moreover, comorbid anxiety psychopathology is common among these disorders, pointing to a need for treatments designed to treat multiple anxiety disorders concurrently. This case study illustrates the use of an eight-session transdiagnostic treatment protocol for anxiety, False Safety Behavior Elimination Treatment (F-SET), that focuses on the elimination of safety aids (i.e., strategies used to reduce anxiety). This article provides an overview of the F-SET protocol with a focus on the use of specific treatment techniques, such as developing exercises to fade safety aids and creating antiphobic exercises. Use of the F-SET protocol is demonstrated by following the course of treatment for a client given a primary diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia and a secondary diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder. The client’s treatment progress is discussed session by session and at formal assessment points: midtreatment, posttreatment, and 11-month follow-up.