What technique is employed to desensitize patients to anxiety-provoking stimuli?

The technique referred to in the question, which is employed to desensitize patients to anxiety-provoking stimuli, is systematic desensitization. This method involves gradually exposing a patient to the anxiety-inducing stimulus while teaching them relaxation techniques to help reduce their anxiety over time. By starting with less anxiety-provoking situations and advancing to more challenging ones, patients learn to associate the feared stimuli with relaxation instead of fear.

Flooding, while it does involve exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli, does so without the gradual approach that systematic desensitization takes. Flooding can often lead to overwhelming anxiety and is less commonly used as a first-line intervention due to the distress it may cause. Techniques like mindfulness meditation and progressive muscle relaxation focus more on general anxiety management and relaxation rather than the specific desensitization process that addresses the fear response directly through a structured exposure hierarchy. Thus, systematic desensitization is the most appropriate choice for desensitizing patients to their specific anxiety triggers.