You might know perfectly well that something is unlikely to harm you, but that doesn’t stop the fear.

Perhaps you put off blood tests, dread going to the dentist or feel panicky at the thought of entering a hospital. Or perhaps your fear involves spiders, flying, driving or enclosed spaces. Your heart races, your stomach turns, and everything in you is telling you to get away. No matter how much other people tell you that there is nothing to be sacred of and not to worry, if it were that simple you probably would have done it already.

I offer a supportive space where we can make sense of your fear and work towards it having less control over your life.

What is a specific phobia?

A specific phobia is an intense fear associated with a particular object, situation or activity. It goes beyond simply disliking something; for some people, even thinking about it can bring on anxiety, and they may go to considerable lengths to avoid it. You may recognise and understand that your response is completely out of proportion to the immediate danger, but this does not mean you are able to respond differently. Knowing something logically and feeling safe are often two very different things.

You might recognise that your response is out of proportion to the immediate danger, while still feeling unable to respond differently. Knowing something logically and feeling safe enough to do it can be two very different things.

Specific phobias can include fears of:

• Needles, injections and blood tests

• Blood, injury or medical procedures

• Dental treatment

• Spiders, dogs or other animals

• Flying or heights

• Lifts and enclosed spaces

• Vomiting

• Driving or travelling in a car

You don’t need a formal diagnosis to ask for support. What matters is how the fear is affecting you.

Medical phobias and fear of healthcare

Medical phobias can make accessing healthcare particularly difficult. You may understand why an appointment or procedure is important, but feel overwhelmed at the thought of going through with it.

The fear might involve pain, needles, blood, fainting, feeling trapped or losing control. Sometimes it is about being touched, not knowing what will happen or worrying that you won’t be listened to.

While some people develop a phobia following a frightening or painful healthcare experience. For others, there is no obvious starting point.

You might find yourself:

• Worrying for days or weeks before an appointment

• Struggling to sleep as the date approaches

• Feeling shaky, sick or panicky in waiting rooms

• Cancelling appointments or delaying treatment

• Feeling embarrassed about your reaction

• Needing someone with you to help you attend

If you have fainted during blood tests or injections, that is important to mention to the healthcare professional treating you. Support needs to take account of your physical response as well as your anxiety.

Why does avoidance make things harder?

Avoiding something frightening brings relief. Cancel the appointment, leave the waiting room or ask someone else to deal with the spider, and your anxiety may drop quite quickly.

That relief is understandable. Unfortunately, it can also keep the fear going. You get through the immediate situation, but have fewer opportunities to discover that you could cope with it.

Over time, you may find yourself planning more of your life around avoiding the thing you fear.

We can explore this without criticism. Avoidance is something you have been doing to manage distress, and finding another way takes understanding and support.

How can counselling help with phobias?

We start by looking at what happens for you. What triggers the fear? What do you imagine will happen? How does your body respond, and what do you do to get through it?

Together, we might work on:

• Understanding your particular fear and what keeps it going

• Exploring previous experiences that may be contributing

• Finding ways to respond to anxious thoughts and physical sensations

• Building confidence in your ability to cope

• Identifying small, manageable steps towards something you want to do

• Preparing questions or requests that could make healthcare appointments easier

My approach is person-centred and integrative. This means we begin with you and your circumstances, drawing on other approaches where they may be useful.

Gradually approaching something you fear can be an important part of phobia treatment. Any steps we discuss will be planned together, with a clear purpose and your agreement. You won’t be surprised with something frightening during a session.

Where specialist treatment would be more appropriate, we can talk about that too.

Rewind Therapy and phobias

I also offer the IARTT Rewind Technique, which we can discuss where a phobia is connected with a frightening or traumatic experience.

Rewind uses guided imagery and does not require you to describe the details of the experience to me. It involves working with the memory, so we would first consider whether it is appropriate for you and explain what the process involves.

It is one possible approach within my practice, rather than something everyone with a phobia needs.

Working towards what matters to you

Your goal might be to attend a blood test, book dental treatment, begin driving lessons or feel more comfortable in your own home during spider season.

We don’t have to start with the biggest challenge. We can begin with where you are now and what you would like to become possible.

As a counsellor with a nursing background, I have a particular interest in medical anxiety, medical trauma and phobias. I understand how difficult it can be to need healthcare while also feeling frightened of it.

You can read more about medical trauma here.

Get in touch

If a medical or specific phobia is affecting your life, you are welcome to contact me to discuss support and current availability.

I offer counselling in Glastonbury, Somerset, and online, with a free 15-minute introductory call to explore whether working together feels right for you.