EMU Today

YPSILANTI – Ellen Koch, the director of clinical training for the Eastern Michigan University doctoral program in clinical psychology, helped a women overcome her fear of heights in a dramatic live demonstration on ABC-TV’s Good Morning America national news program this morning (Friday, Feb. 17, 2017).

Koch, whose research interests include exposure-based treatments for various anxiety disorders,  demonstrated a one-session treatment for heights phobia, with a technique she utilized as a graduate student.

During the segment, Jane Fisher, 35, of Atlanta, climbed a 21-foot ladder live on “GMA” before anxiously stepping onto a trapeze platform to go flying high through the air. Helped by Koch's coaching, she savored her triumph as the program's hosts, led by former NFL star Michael Strahan, cheered her on.

“I feel fearless,” Fisher said. “Well, not fearless, but I just feel good.”

The GMA story noted that Koch’s "one-session exposure therapy” is based on the premise that if you repeatedly flee from your anxieties, you actually reinforce that fear. But if you stay put and face the fear a little at a time, the anxiety will eventually subside.

“For Jane, she was very motivated to overcome her fear and that was really helpful for her,” Koch said this morning. “And it was really important for her to learn about the anxiety process and that it was important for her to confront her fear, and let the anxiety come down and that she’ll be fine with that, as opposed to trying to fight it or avoid it like she had done in the past.”

Koch provides clinical supervision for doctoral students at the EMU Psychology Clinic and teaches the first-year doctoral seminars. She earned her master’s and doctorate in clinical psychology at Western Michigan University, as well as her bachelor’s degree.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest university in Michigan. It currently serves 22,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.