Wolpe was entrusted to treat soldiers who were diagnosed with what was then called "war neurosis" but today is known as post traumatic stress disorder. The mainstream treatment of the time for soldiers was based on psychoanalytic theory, and involved exploring the trauma while taking a hypnotic agent - so-called narcotherapy.
Full Answer
Who is Joseph Wolpe?
Joseph Wolpe (20 April 1915 in Johannesburg, South Africa – 4 December 1997 in Los Angeles) was a South African psychiatrist and one of the most influential figures in behavior therapy . Wolpe grew up in South Africa, attending Parktown Boys' High School and obtaining his MD from the University of the Witwatersrand .
What is Joseph Wolpe's approach to treating anxiety?
Joseph Wolpe developed methods to help people with anxiety problems like these. Wolpe (1915 - 1997) was a South African psychiatrist who specialized in a behavioral therapy that is highly regarded today as an effective treatment for anxiety issues. What Are Anxiety and Panic Disorders?
How did Joseph Wolpe change the field of psychology?
In this lesson, you will learn how Joseph Wolpe revolutionized the field of psychology by developing a way to treat anxiety and phobias. Wolpe's technique is called systematic desensitization, and it has helped many people recover from fear and panic.
What is Wolpe’s exposure therapy?
Joseph Wolpe was a pioneer of exposure therapy. Exposure therapy exposes individuals to that which they fear or causes them anxiety. Through repeated exposures, sufferers gradually learn how to keep their anxiety from overwhelming them, and their panic begins to lessen.
My Approach to Helping
East End Psychological Services, P.C. is a highly trusted and reliable psychological evaluation and treatment center. Across Long Island and the greater New York area, family physicians, pediatricians, school personnel and many others have depended on EEPS to offer expert psychological assessment and psychotherapy.
More Info About My Practice
People in search of answers come to EEPS because our staff psychologists have numerous specialties and expertise. EEPS offers comprehensive psychological testing, as well as individual, family, marital and couples psychotherapy. Most appointments with our clinical staff are given within one week. Phone consultations are available by request.
Specific Issue (s) I'm Skilled at Helping With
We are experts in the assessment and treatment of ADHD in children, adolescents and adults. We offer many specialties. Our website has many details of our extensive services and programs.
Who is Joseph Wolpe?
Joseph Wolpe was a pioneer of exposure therapy. Exposure therapy exposes individuals to that which they fear or causes them anxiety. Through repeated exposures, sufferers gradually learn how to keep their anxiety from overwhelming them, and their panic begins to lessen. Once they begin to control their anxiety, their confidence starts to rise, ...
What is Wolpe's therapy?
For many people seeking help with fears and phobias, Wolpe's systematic desensitization therapy can provide needed relief from overwhelming anxiety.
What did Wolpe do to help people with anxiety?
Once they begin to control their anxiety, their confidence starts to rise, and they slowly understand that they can tackle the disorder. Wolpe perfected the art of exposure therapy and was a game changer in the field of psychology.
What did Wolpe believe?
Wolpe believed an individual cannot be anxious at the same time as they are relaxed, so he aimed to get individuals to gradually relax when confronted with activities or objects that caused anxiety. Wolpe laid out three stages of systematic desensitization:
What is Wolpe's method of exposure therapy called?
Wolpe's method of exposure therapy is called systematic desensitization.
How high is Wolpe's recovery rate?
Wolpe's techniques were found to have recovery rates as high as 95% for patients with phobias, and his techniques are still used today.
What is Wolpe's behavioral approach?
The behavioral approach examines how we learn by association, rewards and punishments, and observation.
What was Joseph Wolpe's dedication to psychology?
Joseph Wolpe's dedication to psychology is clear in his involvement in the psychology community, a month before his death he was attending conferences and giving lectures at Pepperdine University even though he was retired . Moreover, his theories have lasted well beyond his death.
Who is Joseph Wolpe?
Joseph Wolpe (20 April 1915 in Johannesburg, South Africa – 4 December 1997 in Los Angeles) was a South African psychiatrist and one of the most influential figures in behavior therapy . Wolpe grew up in South Africa, attending Parktown Boys' High School ...
How did Wolpe develop reciprocal inhibition?
In Wolpe's search for a more effective way in treating anxiety he developed different reciprocal inhibition techniques, utilizing assertiveness training. Reciprocal inhibition can be defined as anxiety being inhibited by a feeling or response that is not compatible with the feeling of anxiety. Wolpe first started using eating as a response to inhibited anxiety in the laboratory cats. He would offer them food while presenting a conditioned fear stimulus. After his experiments in the laboratory he applied reciprocal inhibition to his clients in the form of assertiveness training. The idea behind assertiveness training was that you could not be angry or aggressive while simultaneously assertive at same time. Importantly, Wolpe believed that these techniques would lessen the anxiety producing association. Assertiveness training proved especially useful for clients who had anxiety about social situations. However, assertiveness training did have a potential flaw in the sense that it could not be applied to other kinds of phobias. Wolpe’s use of reciprocal inhibition led to his discovery of systematic desensitization. He believed that facing your fears did not always result in overcoming them but rather lead to frustration. According to Wolpe, the key to overcoming fears was "by degrees".
Why did Wolpe use eating?
Wolpe first started using eating as a response to inhibited anxiety in the laboratory cats. He would offer them food while presenting a conditioned fear stimulus. After his experiments in the laboratory he applied reciprocal inhibition to his clients in the form of assertiveness training.
What was the role of Wolpe in the South African army?
One of the most influential experiences in Wolpe's life was when he enlisted in the South African army as a medical officer . Wolpe was entrusted to treat soldiers who were diagnosed with what was then called "war neurosis" but today is known as post traumatic stress disorder. The mainstream treatment of the time for soldiers was based on psychoanalytic theory, and involved exploring the trauma while taking a hypnotic agent - so-called narcotherapy. It was believed that having the soldiers talk about their repressed experiences openly would effectively cure their neurosis. However, this was not the case. It was this lack of successful treatment outcomes that forced Wolpe, once a dedicated follower of Freud, to question psychoanalytic therapy and search for more effective treatment options. Wolpe is most well known for his reciprocal inhibition techniques, particularly systematic desensitization, which revolutionized behavioral therapy. A Review of General Psychology survey, published in 2002, ranked Wolpe as the 53rd most cited psychologist of the 20th century, an impressive accomplishment accentuated by the fact that Wolpe was a psychiatrist.
What is Joseph Wolpe known for?
Wolpe's effect on behavioral therapy is long-lasting and extensive. He received many awards for his work in behavioral science. His awards included the American Psychological Associations Distinguished Scientific Award, the Psi Chi Distinguished Member Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, where he was the second president. In addition to these awards, Wolpe’s alma mater, University of Witwatersrand, awarded him an honorary doctor of science degree in 1986. Furthermore, Wolpe was a prolific writer, some of his most famous books include, The Practice of Behavior Therapy and Psychotherapy by Reciprocal Inhibition. Joseph Wolpe’s dedication to psychology is clear in his involvement in the psychology community, a month before his death he was attending conferences and giving lectures at Pepperdine University even though he was retired. Moreover, his theories have lasted well beyond his death.
What did Wolpe's use of reciprocal inhibition lead to?
Wolpe's use of reciprocal inhibition led to his discovery of systematic desensitization. He believed that facing your fears did not always result in overcoming them but rather lead to frustration. According to Wolpe, the key to overcoming fears was "by degrees".
What is Joseph Wolpe known for?
Joseph Wolpe is best known for developing theories and experiments about what is now called systematic desensitization and assertiveness training.
What was Wolpe's most important contribution to psychiatry?
Perhaps Wolpe's most important contribution to psychiatry was that he managed to combine two seemingly disparate disciplines. Many psychologists and psychiatrists felt that methods based in applied science lacked the humanistic touch they felt was so important when dealing with people. What Wolpe did was show that effective, compassionate therapy could be combined with empirical methods in a way that used both to their best advantage. Among his writings, his books Psychotherapy by Reciprocal Inhibition (1958) and The Practice of Behavior Therapy (1969) are considered classics in behavioral therapy studies.
When did Wolpe retire?
Wolpe retired in 1988 and moved to California. Once he had settled in California, however, his retirement did not last long. He began lecturing at Pepperdine University and continued until a month before his death. He was married twice. His first wife, whom he married in 1948, was Stella Ettman. She died in 1990, and he married Eva Gyarmati in 1996. He had two children and three stepchildren. Lung cancer claimed Wolpe's life on December 4, 1998.
What did Wolpe find out about the woman's husband?
The usual methods did not work; then Wolpe found out that the woman's husband, with whom she had not been getting along, was nicknamed for an insect. The key then was to work on the marital problems. Once these had been dealt with, the woman's phobia gradually disappeared.
Dr. Joseph S. Volpe, Ph.D., Director
East End Psychological Services provides expert care for those in need of a psychologist in Miller Place, New York (NY). Their experienced staff can help to provide lasting resolution to a host of issues (like anxiety, depression and ADHD) through the various specialties and extensive experience of their practitioners.
Psychologist
Services East End Psychological Services in Miller Place, New York (NY) presents solutions to many difficult life issues like PTSD, ADHD and anxiety. The psychologists possess years of experience and can help to free individuals from the grips of various conditions and return them back to their life.
Clinical Psychologist, Executive Director
East End Psychological Services, P.C. (EEPS) offers the highest level of care for psychological issues experienced by people of all ages. EEPS specializes in:
Director
Oversee Psychological, Educational and Neuropsychological Testing for children, adolescent and adult populations by staff Psychologists
