Specific Phobia Therapy in Colorado

Specialized Phobia Therapy Using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Experiencing this degree of fear is absolutely terrifying. And you go to great lengths to avoid whatever it is that causes you to feel this way. It feels worth it to avoid, but it also makes you feel powerless, and you wonder if you’ll ever be able to live your life as fully as you want to.

People can develop phobias of many things, but some common ones include:

• Germs or contaminants

• Medical procedures (needles, blood, doctors, etc)

• Insects (such as spiders, bed bugs, etc)

• Animals (dogs, cats, snakes, etc)

• Heights

• Driving (merging onto highways, etc)

• Confined spaces (Claustrophobia)

• Public transportation (buses, planes, trains, etc)

I help people with phobias overcome their fears and increase confidence in their ability to live their lives fully.

Together we will make a plan to address your personal fears so you can get back to doing what’s important to you. I use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, which involves slow, gradual exposure to your fears, while intentionally delaying or refraining from safety behaviors (such as avoidance, having someone with you, etc). This process helps build up your tolerance to fear, which over time rewires your brain and decreases fear and anxiety. During this process I also use elements of Internal Family Systems (IFS) to deepen your self-understanding and encourage self-compassion every step of the way.

The people I work with report feeling more confident and skilled in being able to navigate fear. They understand how the fear cycle works and how to interrupt the patterns that are holding them back. They no longer have to live in fear; they can do the hard scary things and feel happier and more fulfilled because of it!