Using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with Exposure for Anxious Students with Classroom Accommodations

Millions of college students across the United States experience anxiety disorders, evidencing a high need for evidence-based counseling techniques. At the same time, impairment resulting from anxiety often necessitates classroom accommodations at the postsecondary level. Cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure (CBT ERP) involves a thorough assessment of the function of a client’s behaviors and a personalized treatment plan that gradually exposes them to feared stimuli. Yet students often underutilize classroom accommodations, and accommodations may conflict with the theoretical underpinnings of CBT ERP. We present a brief and accessible explanation of CBT ERP, discuss common classroom accommodations, and suggest methods for successfully integrating accommodations into cognitive-behavioral interventions.