You are doing really well.
Avoidance only ever builds fear when we avoid out of irrational fear. In therapy we are taught to change avoidance into healthy adaptive behaviours.
How do you feel before, during and after? Is the anxiety always there or does it come at certain points in the process?
Exposure therapy is incredibly hard so be proud of yourself for facing your fears and continuing to challenge those irrational beliefs that have been built. It takes time to change or adapt core beliefs as the fear system is meant to build lasting fears so it responds more slowly to "oh, that's a tame bear, I think I'll stroke him" as opposed to "where's my spear, CHARGE!" or "argh, ruuuunnnnn!"