- Research has shown that the most potent form of overcoming your fears is by facing them in a gradual, controlled, and safe manner. This approach is commonly referred to as exposure therapy
- Traditional exposure therapy approaches can be limiting, expensive, or difficult to access for many phobias, such as fear of flying, dental phobias, or fear of MRI machines.
- Through our unique virtual experiences, you will be able to safely engage in situations not otherwise easily accessible.
- This will provide you with valuable chances to practice the skills and techniques you’ve learned and stop letting your fears control your life.
- The Phobia Clinic helps you to overcome your fears with Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy. In recent years Virtual Reality has become an increasingly popular alternative to hypnosis and traditional therapy.
- One benefit of Virtual Reality is that it enables clients to practice the skills learned in therapy before facing a real-world phobic scenario. With virtual reality you will be able to gain confidence through practising with a psychologist and a VR headset.
To help you through this process book an intake call below.
Below are a few of our most frequently asked questions about the Phobia Clinic
Have a read through and if you cannot find what you’re after feel free to contact us via the form on this page or reach out to us on the contact page.
Phobias are excessive and irrational fears that have come to impact one’s life, often as a result of avoidance behaviours that have become limiting to an individual.
Phobias are one of the most common mental health difficulties. Many people who seek treatment do so mainly due to their symptoms disrupting their work, relationships, or leisure activities. If you feel your fears are limiting your enjoyment of life, treatment may be worthwhile.
Following a brief initial assessment, the program will be delivered over 5 sessions. You will be expected to practise the strategies you learn in the sessions to get the most out of the treatment.
The first step is a phone conversation with one of our friendly clinicians. They will assess whether our programs may be suitable for you.
We combine the latest in VR technology and treatment methodology to provide a one-of-a-kind, comprehensive evidence-based treatment program with a strong focus on exposure therapy.
You will learn what happens in your brain when you feel anxious, what you can do to manage it, and how to change it long term.
You will get a unique opportunity to practise these strategies in the complete safety and security of Virtual Reality, before graduating to real-life situations.
At Mind Up’s Phobia Clinic you will be taken through the skills to manage your fears accompany patients to the feared situations so that they can:
A face-to-face consultation with our Psychologist is designed to identify the actual cause of your fear and commence your treatment process. The first step of learning to face your fear is to understand why fears develop, what unhelpful thoughts drive your fear and how your body responds to fear. Knowing this provides you with the information you need to begin to address your fear.
Approximate duration: 1 hour
Another important part of reducing your fear is to understand how you THINK about the feared object or situation. Based on the approach, YOU THINK THEREFORE YOU FEEL, This information can help you to challenge your unhelpful and often irrational thoughts about your fear. The evidence gathered in step 2 will create a foundation for the challenge learned in step 3.
Approximate duration: 1 hour
The third step of the phobia course provides strategies to challenge your fearful thoughts, manage your emotional reactions, and prepare for exposure. These techniques are based on Cognitive Behavioural and Exposure Therapy principles. You will be encouraged to practise these techniques regularly for best outcomes.
Approximate duration: 1 hour
Exposure to real-life scenarios can be overwhelming for some. In fact, most people who try to address their phobias with exposure therapy alone can be at risk of not continuing treatment. The development of VRET technology has helped phobia sufferers SLOWLY and gradually habituate their brain from becoming overwhelmed and distressed. Depending on your type of fear, your psychologist will recommend the most appropriate form of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
Approximate duration: 1.5 hours
Finally, putting all the learnt skills of the course into practice is the key aim for helping people overcome their phobias. At this stage of the course, you will have the confidence to address your fears in a real-life exposure session. Your psychologist and if needed an external expert in your specific situation (eg. heights, flying) or object (eg. animal handler, pathology nurse) will help you manage your fear.
Approximate duration: 1.5 hours
It’s an amazing accomplishment to overcome a phobia. We know you can do it and are excited to help you through your fears.
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