Premium Online Therapy & Coaching Services

Cynophobia – fear of dogs therapy and dog phobia treatment

Fear of dogs therapy and dog phobia treatment - replace phobic behaviour & thinking with logic. Through specialist hypnotherapy for dog phobia we can help your phobia become a thing of the past.

What is cynophobia?

Cynophobia, or the fear of dogs, is often referred to as a specific phobia. This is where the specific individual has a specific phobia that relates to a specific object or situation; for example the fear of spiders, heights, or flying. The other two main types of phobia are 1) social phobias where the phobia relates to an excessive or unreasonable fear of social situations such as fear of public speaking or social anxiety; and 2) agoraphobia - the fear of being alone in a public place or a fear of open or public places. Cynophobia is one of the most common specific phobias. It will vary from person to person; whereby some may be afraid of dogs in totality and some may be afraid of specific sizes or breed of dog. There are often incidents that have led to this type of phobia and it is key to isolate those incidents in order to put this phobia in the past.

Jump to section

What are phobias? Taking a closer look.

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.

Our approach to dog phobia treatment and therapy

The key is to replace phobic behaviour and thinking with logic. This is the tricky bit, but with expert help it is one hundred percent possible. If you, or someone you care about has a fear of dogs, then you are most certainly not alone, and rest assured, we can help your phobia become 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.

Fear of dogs therapy and treatments

We believe that therapy is an effective way to treat phobias. The use of therapy can help you overcome your cynophobia as well as its symptoms and triggers. We can then build a tailor-made programme that works for you. One of the most effective 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, whilst your main phobia may fall under cynophobia we can also help you overcome any secondary phobias or anxieties you may be experiencing. 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 hypnotherapy alongside talking therapies such as counsellingand psychotherapy[LINK]. One of the most effective treatments we use for someone who has a fear of dogs is hypnotherapy.

Client success stories

What is hypnotherapy?

We actually experience hypnosis all the time naturally. Daydreaming is a form of hypnosis, for example. Similarly, when we arrive at a destination in our car without being aware of how we got there. That’s a form of hypnosis too. We drift in and out of the state all the time. All we really do with this form of treatment is harness that state to create a form of deep relaxation that enables us to access parts of the brain that are blocked by conscious thought. By altering your state of consciousness, through the use of hypnosis and positive suggestion, we can help you to change aspects of yourself – for example your behaviour or your feelings.

How does hypnotherapy for dog phobia help?

Hypnotherapy can have a positive effect for people who are suffering from a fear of dogs. Through hypnosis we can teach you simple alternatives of how to express yourself so that you can strengthen relationships rather than damage them. Through hypnosis, you will change how you feel about yourself and how you interact with those closest to you, and the world in general. You’ll learn to express your feelings and needs positively and start to transform your thought patterns for the better.
“There is often a totally understandable apprehension around hypnotherapy. The first thing we always say to our clients is to try and forget what you might have seen passing as hypnosis or hypnotherapy on-stage or on-screen, as most of it is ridiculous. In actual fact we all experience light stages of hypnosis all the time in our daily lives.” Richard Reid - CEO, Therapist & Coaching Psychologist

How does a hypnotherapy session work?

During your first session of hypnotherapy, the clinical hypnotherapist will ask you specific questions about your lifestyle and overall health in order for you both to decide on what your goals will be during the therapy. While under hypnosis, a patient will exhibit enhanced awareness and responsiveness, which allows the hypnotherapist to bypass the rational part of the brain to the more receptive subconscious and introduce new, positive thoughts and perspectives. You will also be more open to suggestion so that together we can help you change behaviour and overcome your phobia.

What can you expect from a hypnotherapy for dog phobia session?

Our hypnotherapy sessions are tailored to suit your needs. We work with individuals, couples, teens, and groups. Each session usually lasts from 30 minutes to an hour; our courses usually consist of around 6 to 12 sessions.

Our insurance partners

Take the first step toward a better you!

If you’re still unsure whether you need us or not then simply send us any questions you may have via the enquiry form on the right.

Contact Us

Have a question? Get in touch today for a no-obligation chat.
Your cart
  • No products in the cart.
0