Fear Ladder

How to use it

1. With a qualified clinician, choose a goal that matters to you and decide whether this activity fits.
2. Build steps from more manageable to more difficult, including rest, review, and support options.
3. You may pause, revise, step back, or stop; no step should be forced or done without agreed support.

Reflection prompts

• What would make the first step manageable enough?
• How will you know when to continue, adjust, or stop?
• What support and recovery time do you want available?

Facilitator guidance

Use only within an individualized, clinician-led graded-exposure plan with informed collaboration, assessment, consent, pacing, and review. Do not use for flooding, coercion, unsupported exposure, or as a generic homework assignment.

Adaptations & accessibility

• Use fewer steps, flexible paths, or a stepping-stone layout.
• Represent steps with pictures, objects, or role-play planning.
• Include access needs, support people, recovery time, and alternate routes on every plan.

Review considerations

Specialist anxiety-treatment and licensed-clinician review required before use.