Therapy is a frequent topic in the pages of New York, and, naturally, among the editors. We’re perpetually interested in the kinds of people who are training to be therapists, what people do and don’t talk about in their sessions, whether it works, and what it costs. Through all our skepticism and criticism, I’ve noticed that one form of therapy — cognitive behavioral therapy — often rises above the scrum, seemingly impervious to our mild accusations of quackery. So when health journalist Katie Arnold-Ratliff emailed me to propose writing about a wrinkle to one form of CBT — exposure therapy, which is used to treat phobias — I was intrigued. Katie’s entertaining and insightful story elucidates a little-known fact about the treatment: Though it initially works for almost everyone, in more than half of patients, the terror comes raging back. Is there value in facing a fear that is destined to follow you forever? It’s worth reading the piece to find out.
—Julia Edelstein, features editor, New York
