Anxiety Disorders I Treat:
Phobias
A phobia is an intense, persistent fear of a specific situation, object, or activity that causes overwhelming anxiety or avoidance. It’s not just discomfort — your body reacts as if you’re in real danger, triggering panic-like symptoms and an urgent need to escape. Even thinking about the feared situation can create a surge of dread. Over time, what starts as a single fear can begin to shape your daily choices, routines, and sense of freedom — sometimes without you even realizing how much it’s taken over. Over time, this fear can start to shape your choices and limit your life
.Common phobias include fears related to flying, heights, driving, needles or medical procedures, animals or insects, choking or vomiting, thunderstorms, germs or contamination, and situations involving blood or injury. Some people avoid these triggers altogether, while others endure them with extreme distress — bracing themselves, white-knuckling through, or relying on safety rituals to get by.
Whether your phobia is something others consider “minor” or something more widely understood, the intensity of your reaction is real — and it deserves real support.
Common Types of Phobias
Flying (Aviophobia)
Driving or highways
Heights (Acrophobia)
Enclosed spaces (Claustrophobia)
Vomiting (Emetophobia)
Driving or highways
Needles or medical procedures (Trypanophobia)
Blood (Hemophobia)
Insects (Entomophobia)
Animals such as dogs, cats, monkeys etc.
With the right support
You can learn how to:
Face feared situations without panic taking over.
Rewire your brain’s danger signals so triggers no longer feel threatening.
Stop avoidance from running your life.
Build confidence in your ability to tolerate discomfort — and move toward what matters.
Regain your freedom one step at a time.
Treatment Options for Phobias
Phobias are highly treatable — and recovery doesn’t start with force or pressure. It starts with safety, education, and gradual exposure designed to retrain your nervous system. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). CBT helps you challenge the catastrophic predictions your brain makes, while ERP retrains your nervous system by gently facing feared situations without escaping or relying on safety behaviors. Over time, your brain learns: “This is uncomfortable — but it’s not dangerous.”
It’s not too late
Change happens one choice at a time
If you’re ready to feel less controlled by fear, I’ll walk you through the options and help you find the level of support that fits. Whether you need Standard Individual Sessions to Extended Sessions and Intensive Treatment programs that include home-based sessions for more severe cases.
Start by filling out a short inquiry form, and we’ll take it from there together.