Vaughan Psychologist & Psychotherapy Services

How do you work with phobic concerns? 

As a psychologist, we work with fears by understanding more about what is influencing them on a cognitive level and how they are being maintained on a behavioural level. Sometimes negative thinking can influence how a fear is maintained. We also work to understand what behavioural mechanisms are influencing the fear to maintain itself. In other words, it's the safety behaviours that we participate in that keep the fear going. In my psychology practice, we have specific instruments we use to help guide us along to make sure that we are on track and are getting the support you need each step of the way.

Part of the work includes: 

• Unlearning what you may have learned about your fear concern. For instance, many people have certain negative thoughts pertaining to their specific fear. Sometimes we do this by having you speak with other experts to help you better understand your fear (for example, speaking to a pilot to gather more information on flight safety). 
• Meditation is a mandatory part of the work we do. Meditation allows for your triggers to become lower so it's much easier for you to do some of the exercises and manage the safety behaviours (the safety behaviours are the things you do to reduce the anxiety - this is what maintains the fear)
• We carefully help you confront your fear through carefully constructed exercises that are done with your comfort in mind. 

Part of the work we do is also learning to live with uncertainty. This is done by reflecting on the uncertainty you already accept in your life that could lead to the same consequences that you believe would happen if you were exposed to your fear. This exercise can be extremely powerful for many patients because it helps give a perspective that you are already taking the risk. 

The work includes a combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy specific to your phobia and Exposure and Response Prevention (this is the gold standard treatment in helping with phobias). 


There are many different phobias that we can help you with at our clinic. Some of the phobias that we work with include: 

• Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders.
• Ophidiophobia: Fear of snakes.
• Ornithophobia: Fear of birds.
• Cynophobia: Fear of dogs.
• Equinophobia: Fear of horses.
• Ichthyophobia: Fear of fish.
• Murophobia: Fear of mice or rats.

Natural Environment Phobias

1. Acrophobia: Fear of heights..
2. Astraphobia: Fear of thunder and lightning.
3. Chionophobia: Fear of snow.
4. Anemophobia: Fear of wind.
5. Hydrophobia: Fear of water.
6. Gephyrophobia: Fear of bridges.

Medical-Related Phobias

1. Trypanophobia: Fear of needles or injections.
2. Hemophobia: Fear of blood.

Please note that there are two different phobias that need to be considered. Sometimes with Hemophobia people struggle with the fear of fainting which needs to be assessed. 

1. Nosocomephobia: Fear of hospitals.
2. Dentophobia: Fear of dentists.
3. Germophobia: Fear of germs or contamination.

Situational Phobias

1. Claustrophobia: Fear of confined spaces.
2. Aerophobia: Fear of flying.
3. Agoraphobia: Fear of open or crowded spaces.
4. Nyctophobia: Fear of darkness.
5. Elevatophobia: Fear of elevators.
6. Automatonophobia: Fear of mannequins or human-like figures.

Phobias Related to Bodily Functions or Sensations

1. Emetophobia: Fear of vomiting.
2. Thanatophobia: Fear of death or dying.
3. Tachophobia: Fear of speed.
4. Pyrophobia: Fear of fire.
5. Somniphobia: Fear of sleep.
6. Hypochondriasis: Fear of having a serious illness.

Other Common Phobias

1. Trypophobia: Fear of patterns of holes or bumps.
2. Glossophobia: Fear of public speaking.
3. Phobophobia: Fear of fear itself.
4. Ablutophobia: Fear of bathing or cleaning.
5. Bibliophobia: Fear of books.
6. Pogonophobia: Fear of beards.
7. Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
8. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia: Fear of long words (ironically long itself).
9. Spectrophobia: Fear of mirrors or reflections.
10. Euphobia: Fear of good news.