Katherine is terrified of dogs. To help alleviate her fears, her therapist first teaches her how to relax her muscles. Next, the therapist uses virtual therapy to expose Katherine to different dogs and asks her to stay relaxed. Which of the following is the basis for the virtual therapy used by Katherine's therapist?

A) aversive conditioning
B) resistance
C) systematic desensitization
D) transference

The virtual therapy used by Katherine's therapist is based on systematic desensitization, a type of behavior therapy that gradually exposes the person to the object or situation they fear while paired with relaxation techniques to decrease anxiety. The virtual exposure allows for a controlled environment where the therapist can gradually increase the level of exposure as the person becomes more comfortable and relaxed. Aversive conditioning involves pairing an unpleasant stimulus with a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring in the future. Resistance is a term used to describe a client's unwillingness to engage in therapy or change their behavior. Transference occurs when a client unconsciously transfers emotions and feelings about someone in their past onto their therapist.