Phobias Back Home

Does any picture here unduly trouble you? Click it if it does.


Lifts	Air travel	Snakes	Crowds	Spiders

What one person would look at and feel nothing for, another would feel decidedly uneasy about. If you are phobic about one of the subjects of these photos and have chosen not to hide the image, give yourself a pat on the back - you have taken your first step in beating your fear. If you have had to hide the image that's still OK as you are seeking help to overcome it.

Fears are something we all have, as they are perfectly natural and are actually benefitial in safeguarding us from dangers. But at what point does a fear cross the line and become a phobia?The list to the left is just the start of a very long list of phobias which have been recorded - perhaps as many as there are people.

A phobia can develop in life quite naturally by an incident in childhood or can gradually be learned and reinforced. If a child is bitten by a dog he or she may well develop a phobia about dogs in general or dogs of a particular colour or breed (that of the offending dog) or just of the particular guilty dog in question. The reasons why the phobia develops the way it does (and does not develop in another child, similarly bitten) are complex and can be gently unravelled and explored in therapy in a safe environment. Hypnosis gives you the opportunity to inch your way up close to your fear - only moving that next step when you are ready. The ultimate goal is for you to look your fear squarely in its face and see it lose all its power over you.