Phobia therapy
Phobia therapy & counselling – replace phobic behaviour and thinking with logic. If you are suffering from a phobia, you are not alone. Whatever your phobia is, it can become a thing of the past.
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What are phobias? Phobia therapy explained
Phobias are an extreme or irrational fear of an object or situation and can cause a lot of distress. They can restrict day-to-day life and, in severe cases, an individual may organise their life around avoiding the thing they’re afraid of. If the phobia can’t be avoided entirely, intense anxiety will result.Around ten million people in the UK are affected by phobias. Phobias don’t care about your age, sex or social background. Anyone can be impacted.Phobias are often developed in early childhood, teenage years, or even as late as early twenties. Within those early years, negative experiences can snowball in a child’s mind and lead to a very specific phobia.It’s easy to see how a phobia might develop; for example being stuck in a lift for a few hours as a child can later manifest itself as claustrophobia. Similarly, the impact of a parent or sibling’s fear can have a knock on effect too. This is quite often found with phobias of dogs or spiders for example; where the child has watched the behaviours of their family members, and their behaviours go on to mirror that person.The key is to replace that phobic behaviour and thinking with logic. That’s the tricky bit, but with expert help it is one hundred percent possible. If you, or someone you care about is suffering from a phobic disorder, then you are most certainly not alone, and rest assured, whatever that phobia is, it can be a thing of the past.Therapist, coaching psychologist and founder of Pinnacle Wellbeing, Richard Reid, is a specialist in phobia treatment psychology and has helped many clients overcome their phobias.
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“The temptation is often to avoid the things that make us fearful. However, this often compounds our anxieties. Our therapies help you to find constructive and supportive ways to confront your phobias one step at a time; meaning that you find a pace which is appropriate to your individual situation and which allows your brain to develop a new outlook to those situations or triggers.”
Therapist, coaching psychologist and founder of Pinnacle Wellbeing, Richard Reid
Understanding the different types of phobia
Phobias can be split into three main categories:● Specific phobias – where the specific individual has a specific phobia that relates to a specific object or situation; for example the fear of dogs, spiders, or flying.● Social phobias – these are phobias relating to an excessive or unreasonable fear of social situations such as fear of public speaking or social anxiety.● Agoraphobia – the fear of being alone in a public place or a fear of open or public places.
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Recognising the symptoms of a phobic disorder
Sufferers will be impacted to varying degrees, and their symptoms will be very different. However, if you experience any of the following symptoms, it is perfectly normal (albeit highly unpleasant).Symptoms include:● Excess sweating● Hot and cold flushes● A feeling of dizziness or light headaches● A pounding heart or palpitations● Trembling or shaking● Stomach upset or nausea● Shortness of breath or not being able to breathe properly● Discomfort in the chest or chest pain
Behavioural treatments for phobias - our approach
We believe that therapy is an effective way to treat phobias. The use of therapy can help you overcome your phobia as well as its symptoms and triggers. We can then build a tailor-made programme that works for you.One of the most effective phobic disorder treatments is a form of psychotherapy called exposure therapy. Here, understanding the cause of a phobia is actually less important than focusing on how to treat the avoidance behaviour that has developed over time.As you learn how to better manage and relate to your reactions, thoughts and feelings, you’ll find that your anxiety and fear are reduced and no longer in control of your life. Treatment is usually directed at one specific phobia at a time.We know that ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ and that each client has their own set of unique needs and circumstances. As well as exposure therapy we typically use a combination of therapies to treat phobias; these include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and hypnotherapy alongside talking therapies such as counselling and psychotherapy.
Together, our network of therapists have treated thousands of patients
Client success stories
“I just wanted to thank you for all your help. I really feel like I’m getting better and starting to become the person who I really am.”
“I’m so grateful to Pinnacle for giving me the chance to get rid of my fears and for my new found confidence.”
“The best investment I have ever made, how can you put a price on quality of life? Would recommend for anyone suffering from anxiety.”
A phobias case study
This female client had recently become pregnant and needed to have regular blood tests due to the risk of her baby having Down’s Syndrome. However, she had suffered from a phobia of blood and needles since the age of 10; she regularly fainted at the sight of blood.We suggested four hypnotherapy sessions focused on reprocessing her experience of the original trauma that caused her phobia. It involved teaching NLP-style coping techniques for emotional state management and self-hypnosis for relaxation.Whilst she was open to the idea of hypnotherapy, she was nervous about the prospect of having to confront her fear. Much of the first session involved metaphorical hand-holding – pacing the session and leading her according to her level of comfort. After the four sessions, she was able to take the required blood tests without any adverse effect.She later returned for further help in physically and mentally preparing herself for the birth of her child using hypnobirthing techniques. She is now the proud mother of a healthy baby girl.
What can you expect from a phobia therapy and counselling session?
Our London-based phobia specialists will tailor your treatment to suit your needs. We work with individuals, couples, teens, and groups. Each session usually lasts from 30 minutes to an hour; and our courses usually consist of around 6 to 12 sessions.
