a technique often used in behavior therapy and exposure therapy that focuses on modifying physiological responses (e.g., low blood pressure) by teaching and having the client practice the technique of muscle tensing and releasing. This technique was primarily developed and is still oftentimes used for blood, injury, and injection phobias.
APPLIED TENSION: “A person using an applied tension technique would tense and relax muscles in order to change physiological responses to a noxious stimulus.”