Phobia Therapy and Treatment

Phobia, that is, the seeming irrational fear of a specific thing or process, is learned directly through experience, indirectly through another person (such as a parent), or possibly by mere chance. Some examples follow:

Specific Phobias                                                        
• Heights, or bridges, or elevators                                
• Spiders, or dogs, or snakes, etc.                            
• Small, closed in spaces (claustrophobia)          
Process Phobias
• Fear of driving
• Fear of flying
• Fear of social situations (see Social Anxiety)
• Fear of leaving Home (see Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia)

We know that overcoming the urge to flee from fear requires courage.You are taking the first step by facing the problem and seeking a solution.

Research demonstrates that facing, rather than avoiding, the creature, situation, or activity that one fears is very effective in overcoming phobias. This is called “in vivo exposure therapy” and is the treatment of choice because of it’s effectiveness with phobias. Since the phobic person has long practiced avoidance, some are unwilling to begin in vivo therapy.

There have been many individual case and larger study reports that EMDR has been effective with phobias. If you want to try treatment with an EMDRIA-Certified EMDR therapist, do consider that when it comes to randomized clinical research trials comparing EMDR to in vivo exposure, the results indicate that in vivo was superior. However, these studies are weakened by inaccuracies in the EMDR protocol as practiced by those researchers. In cases where the full and true EMDR protocol has been applied to spider phobia, for example, the research findings have been good (De Jongh et al., 1999; De Jongh, van den Oord, & Ten Broeke, 2002)*. There is still a need for much more research on phobias.

In the trauma therapy approach the first goal is to desensitize the distress through imagined exposure. The therapy continues with resource development to prepare you for transitioning your new relaxed response to the imagined object of fear, to the final real exposure in a homework assignment. This can be done initially with a support person present. Once success is achieved, it can be done alone. Our clients report this treatment plan is easier to accomplish than they expected.

Many people seeking a freedom from old fears have chosen to try a few sessions to see for themselves if they experience improvement in their own lives. We invite you to do the same by calling today for an appointment.

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