How to Seek Psychotherapy for Phobias

Опубликовал Admin
6-01-2021, 12:30
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Everyone feels fear from time to time. People may feel scared of common things, like heights, planes, or snakes. However, if a fear interferes with your daily life and affects your decisions, then it is considered a phobia. If you have a phobia, you can undergo psychotherapy to treat it.

Determining If Psychotherapy Is Right for You

  1. Decide if you need psychotherapy for your phobia. Some people have normal fears of things, some have intense fears, and others have phobias. If your phobia doesn’t affect your life in a significant way, then you may not need psychotherapy. However, if your phobia keeps you from doing normal everyday things, then you should seek help.
    • The fear caused by a phobia may affect your day-to-day activities. For example, if you are afraid of dogs, then you might avoid walking around your neighborhood out of fear that you might encounter a dog.
    • Keep in mind that even if a fear does not affect you on a daily basis, it may still affect you in significant ways. For example, if you live in a large city, and you are afraid of heights, then you might avoid tall buildings out of fear. Therefore, the phobia may limit your job opportunities, social opportunities, and/or living arrangements.
    • Medication can help if the phobia is pervasive and constant, but therapy is generally more effective, so you should try that first. In the case of being afraid of a dog, your therapist might have you look at pictures of dogs, then watch a video of a dog, then have you look at a real dog from far away, ensuring you master each level before you go up.
  2. Pay attention to your other symptoms. Phobias can sometimes lead to panic attacks or panic symptoms. If your phobia ever causes you to experience panic, then you should seek therapy. Some of the symptoms you might have include:
    • difficulty breathing
    • racing heart and/or tightness in your chest
    • trembling
    • dizziness
    • sweating or feeling hot
    • turning sensations in your stomach
    • feeling anxious
    • feeling detached or unreal
    • being afraid that you might go crazy, pass out, or die
  3. Consider the benefits of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for phobias. During your therapy sessions, you will talk one-on-one with a mental health professional. Some of the mental health professionals who provide psychotherapy include psychologists, counselors, and psychiatrists. Psychotherapy helps you to confront your phobias and work on developing effective coping skills so that your phobia will be more manageable.
    • Through psychotherapy, you will learn more about your phobias and the circumstances and thoughts that may have caused it.
    • Psychotherapy includes counseling, talk therapy, psychosocial therapy, and other kinds of therapy.
  4. Keep in mind that therapy will take time. Overcoming and confronting your phobias is a process. There is no quick fix. Psychotherapy can help you learn how to stop letting your phobias control your life, but it may take a while. However, some people start to feel better after just a few sessions.
    • Keep in mind that because you are facing your fears and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, you may feel bad instead of better at first. This is normal and it should not be a reason to quit. Overcoming phobias can be a hard and stressful experience. Just remember, each time you confront your fears, you’re making progress.

Choosing a Psychotherapist

  1. Use your resources to find a therapist. There are lots of different ways to find a therapist, but you should use your resources to help make the process less overwhelming. Some things that you can do to find a therapist include:
    • Asking your doctor for a referral. If you are unsure about how to get treatment for your phobia, then ask your general practitioner for a referral to a therapist.
    • Checking with your insurance company. Your insurance company may pay for a number of therapy sessions if you see a therapist that is in your network.
    • Asking friends and family members. If you know someone who sees a therapist, ask how he or she likes the therapist.
    • Searching for a therapist on the internet. Many mental health services have websites that give bios about therapists and information about their services and practices. You can also search for therapists via professional association websites.
  2. Consider the different types of mental health professionals. Before you look for a therapist, you may want to learn about different kinds of mental health professionals and so that you can look for one who will be able to meet your needs.
    • Psychiatrists (M.D., D.O) are medical doctors who can diagnose and treat mental health problems with a combination of medications and psychotherapy.
    • Psychologists (Ph.D., Psy. D, Ed D.) are mental health professionals with a doctoral degree in psychology. These mental health professionals can treat mental health problems using talk therapy. Psychologists do not usually prescribe medications, but some may work with doctor so that they can prescribe medications.
    • Licensed clinical social workers (L.C.S.W) can provide talk therapy.
    • Licensed professional counselors (L.P.C.) can diagnose and treat mental health conditions using talk therapy.
  3. Investigate your future therapist. Make sure that whatever psychotherapist you see has the proper licenses and certifications to practice in your state. Research the psychotherapist’s education, certifications, background, and licenses. Each state has its own certification standards, so check to see if the therapist meets these regulations.
    • You should also check to see whether or not a therapist you are considering has had any complaints.
    • If you are seriously considering someone to be your therapist, make sure that you call and ask about the therapist's fee structure to make sure that you can afford the fees.
  4. Interview your potential therapist. One of the most important factors in choosing your therapist is whether you have a rapport to them, so meet with them to introduce yourself, and pay attention to whether you feel comfortable being very truthful with them.
    • Some questions you might want to ask at your first appointment include: "How long have you been practicing?:" "How much experience do you have helping people with phobias?" "What types of treatment methods do you use to treat phobias?" and "Are these methods effective?"
    • Your therapist may also ask you very personal questions about yourself, including whether you have any history of trauma or abuse, as well as questions about your sex life, and your medical history.
  5. Familiarize yourself with different types of therapy. Most therapists use a combination of different therapeutic approaches depending on your situation. Some approaches that you therapist may use include:
    • Cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT helps you confront and address negative thoughts along with the distorted feelings, perceptions, and ideas you have about something. The goal of CBT with phobias is to take control of the way you react to your phobia by working on the thoughts that lead you to feel how you do.
    • Exposure therapy. Avoiding the source of your phobia can make the phobia worse over time. Exposure therapy helps you face your phobia to lessen its control over you. Exposure therapy works in stages. For example, if you are afraid of heights, you may start by looking at photos taken from high places, watch videos, and then look at a tall building in person. After that, you may slowly progress to going up in high buildings.
    • Psychodynamic therapy. Psychodynamic therapy works on gaining insight into your phobia, fears, and anxieties. This therapy works on any unconscious thoughts or reasons for the way you feel. You work on understanding your thoughts and gaining control over how you feel and think. This therapy involves talking with your psychotherapist. You will discuss triggers that cause your phobias, then discuss events or reasons in your life that you may have these phobias.

Tips

  • Make sure that you attend all of your sessions. Therapy works best if you go consistently for a period of time.
  • Do any homework that your therapist assigns you. There are exercises that you may need to do outside of you therapy sessions to get the most benefit. For example, you might need to write about your phobia or confront your phobia in some way.
  • Be honest with your therapist. Your therapist is there to help you, so it is important to be as honest as possible with your therapist.
  • Some people are reluctant get help for a phobia. However, keep in mind that a phobia is a mental health condition that is treatable, and you deserve to receive treatment for your condition.
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