WHAT IS A PHOBIA THERAPY?
Phobia Therapy is often needed when a specific fear has taken over and is causing problems in daily life. Phobias are a form of anxiety, and an irrational fear of something (place, situation, animal, object, etc.). Phobias interfere with normal functioning and usually result in strong avoidance behaviours. Many people suffer from phobias – one in 10 Canadians, so it is more common than you might think.
Phobias are acquired in a variety of ways, including a traumatic past experience, an installed phobia (from a hypnotic experience such as a “Sharks” movie), or a learned phobia (installed by witnessing parents’ or family members’ phobias).
Phobias can show up in three categories:
- Fear of public spaces (agoraphobia)
- Fear of social situations (social anxiety disorder)
- Fear of a particular animal, situation, object or environment (specific phobia)
SYMPTOMS OF PHOBIAS
When a person with a phobia faces the situation, they may begin experiencing severe symptoms of anxiety or panic. This can present as sweating, elevated heart rate, hyperventilation, and an intense desire and attempt to escape the situation. Many people with phobias avoid it altogether, or if they must be exposed to it, they may plan for it and take medication beforehand. Phobias can impact the quality of life for those suffering from them, and even impact people in their life around them.
TYPES OF PHOBIA THERAPY
There are a variety of methods available to treat phobias. Phobia therapy can include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Hypnosis, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), and Rapid Resolution Therapy (RRT).
FreeMind Therapy offers a variety of methods to help you clear your specific phobia.
Rapid Resolution Therapy is one of the Phobia Therapies we offer, which is an emerging, brain-based modality, that utilizes components of NLP, hypnosis and other methods to create new neural pathways relating to the feared subject and lessen or eliminate the phobia completely. To learn more, schedule a consultation.
