Specific phobias can significantly limit life — preventing career choices, travel, healthcare, and everyday activities. They are also among the most rapidly and completely treatable conditions in psychology.
Our registered psychologists in Melbourne provide evidence-based phobia treatment across four clinic locations and via Telehealth.
WorkCover, NDIS or TAC approved? YOU PAY NOTHING.
If your claim has been approved, we bill your funder directly. Zero out-of-pocket cost — no gap, no upfront payment, nothing.
A specific phobia is a marked, persistent, and excessive fear of a specific object or situation — producing immediate anxiety on exposure and typically significant avoidance. The fear is out of proportion to the actual danger posed (American Psychiatric Association, 2022).
Common phobias we treat include:
A specific phobia may be present when you notice:
Specific phobias affect approximately 7–9% of the population and are the most common anxiety disorder (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023). Most people never seek treatment — yet treatment is highly effective and typically brief.
Phobias are maintained by avoidance — every time the feared stimulus is avoided, the anxiety is temporarily reduced, negatively reinforcing the avoidance behaviour and strengthening the phobia (Mowrer, 1960). The phobia never gets the opportunity to extinguish because it is never tested.
Effective treatment works by:
A single session of exposure therapy can produce significant and lasting reduction in specific phobias, particularly for animal and blood–injury–injection phobia (Öst, 1989).
Our psychologists use approaches with the strongest evidence for specific phobias:
Graded, systematic exposure to the feared stimulus is the most effective treatment for specific phobias (Öst, 1989). Exposure is always planned collaboratively, explained fully, and conducted at a pace agreed with you. In vivo (real life) exposure is typically more effective than imaginal exposure for most phobia types.
A single extended session (approximately 3 hours) of intensive exposure therapy developed by Lars-Göran Öst for specific phobias. OST produces significant and lasting improvement in up to 90% of cases for animal and blood–injury phobias (Öst, 1989). Highly efficient and effective.
Blood–injury–injection phobia involves a unique fainting response due to blood pressure drop (not panic). Applied tension — tensing muscle groups to raise blood pressure — is the specific evidence-based technique for this phobia type (Öst & Sterner, 1987).
Flying phobia, driving phobia, and other complex situational phobias benefit from CBT combining cognitive restructuring (addressing misappraisal of danger) with graduated exposure, often including virtual reality exposure as an adjunct.
Specific phobia treatment is often brief — many people achieve significant improvement within 1–5 sessions. Your psychologist will advise based on your specific phobia type and severity.
Your first appointment assesses your specific phobia — its history, severity, avoidance patterns, and the impact on your life. We develop an exposure hierarchy together.
We are experienced in one-session intensive treatment for animal and blood–injury phobias. Please advise at booking if you are interested in this format.
Exposure sessions are conducted at a pace you control. You will never be pushed into exposure before you have the skills and understanding to benefit from it.
We offer appointments in-clinic at our Mooroolbark, Wheelers Hill, Reservoir, and Melbourne CBD locations, as well as Telehealth sessions from anywhere in Australia.
WorkCover, NDIS or TAC approved? YOU PAY NOTHING.
If your claim has been approved, we bill your funder directly. Zero out-of-pocket cost — no gap, no upfront payment, nothing.
How many sessions does phobia treatment take?
Many specific phobias — particularly animal and blood–injury–injection phobias — respond significantly within 1–3 sessions. More complex phobias like flying or driving may require 5–10 sessions. Your psychologist will advise after the initial assessment.
I know my fear is irrational. Why can’t I just get over it?
Because phobias are not maintained by rational knowledge — they are maintained by avoidance. Knowing the fear is irrational does not extinguish it. Graded exposure with a psychologist creates the new learning that actually changes the response.
Do I have to touch or be near the thing I’m afraid of?
Exposure is the key ingredient in treatment — but it is always conducted gradually and collaboratively. You start with the least anxiety-provoking step on your personal hierarchy and progress at a pace that is manageable. You are always in control.
Can I do phobia treatment via Telehealth?
Yes for the initial assessment and some components of treatment. For in vivo exposure — particularly for animal phobias — in-clinic sessions are typically more effective. Your psychologist will advise on the most appropriate format.
Phobias are highly treatable. Our team will help you face your fear — at your pace.
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American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). APA. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023). National study of mental health and wellbeing, 2020–2022. ABS. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing/latest-release
Mowrer, O. H. (1960). Learning theory and behavior. Wiley.
Öst, L.-G. (1989). One-session treatment for specific phobias. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 27(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(89)90113-7
Öst, L.-G., & Sterner, U. (1987). Applied tension: A specific behavioral method for treatment of blood phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 25(1), 25–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(87)90111-2
