Phobia
A strong, persistent fear of a particular thing or situation, out of proportion to the actual danger.
How it shows up
A dog, heights, an injection, flying, an enclosed space. The person avoids the object, and the avoidance strengthens the fear. Phobia is among the best researched and most treatable difficulties.
What we do with it in therapy
Gradual exposure works: a graded ladder of approach, at your pace, with supporting techniques. The aim isn’t for the fear to disappear, but for it to stop stopping you.
See also
Psychosomatics
Physical symptoms in which mental state plays a significant part — real, not imagined.
Infertility and distress
Long waiting, procedures and losses that weigh on the individual and on the couple.
Schema therapy
An approach working with deep patterns formed in childhood, and with the ways we defend against them.
