Anxiety · Treatment guide
Specific Phobias
Marked, persistent fear of a specific object or situation, with avoidance.
In this guide
Overview
Single-session exposure-based treatment (Öst) achieves clinically meaningful gains in many specific phobias. The active ingredient is exposure with inhibitory learning maximizers.
First-line treatments
- CBT — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Graded in vivo exposure; one-session treatment is well-supported.
- ERP — Exposure and Response Prevention (for OCD)
Same exposure mechanics; especially when avoidance behaviors are ritualized.
Also consider
- EMDR
For phobias rooted in a discrete traumatic incident.