A phobia is an extreme or irrational fear or aversion to something that is unlikely to harm. Sufferers often recognise their fears to be unfounded, but still struggle to confront them. People with phobias can experience fear so intense and debilitating that it affects the way they live their lives. When confronted with the phobic situation they may experience some of the symptoms of the fight or flight response: panic, sweating, trembling, feeling faint. Once you’ve had that reaction and made it through the day – albeit very unpleasantly – your brain may encourage you to have the same reaction again. As you develop your self-awareness you will be able to see through this counter-productive process and develop more resourceful responses. You will also feel the pride and satisfaction that comes with your own personal triumph.
It is quite common for clients to feel a degree of trepidation at the start of this process – this is quickly dispelled as we do not use aversion or exposure techniques. Instead, we use highly effective techniques which safely remove the phobic response template and creates a new positive template for how you choose to react in the future. We do this in a way that encourages you to use your own creativity and humour – and you don’t even have to tell me what you come up with.
In your initial consultation, we will discuss the nature of your phobia(s) and, together, decide the best way to help you. It may be that fears and phobias indicate a more generalised anxiety – especially if you are experiencing phobic responses to a wide or growing range of issues. Or it may be that your phobic response is specific to one situation. From this discussion we will agree the optimal course of action to best meet your needs and budget. As a general guide, the protocol for specific phobias extends to four sessions. Where there is a more generalised anxiety, we will discuss progress regularly. As the client, and therefore the expert of your own situation, you will always remain in control. A basic ethos of the Solution Focused Brief Therapy approach is that we do the minimum number of sessions for you to achieve your desired outcome.