Avoidance: Exposure Therapy Informed Communication for Serious Illness Care

The authors explore how exposure therapy principles can enhance communication strategies for patients with serious illnesses who exhibit avoidance behaviors due to anxiety about death. They aim to demonstrate how adapting these therapeutic techniques can facilitate patient engagement in values-based decision-making while reducing distress and promoting psychological resilience. By integrating exposure-informed approaches into palliative care, the authors seek to improve the alignment between patients' emotional readiness and their care discussions.