Phobias are defined as extreme or irrational fears or aversions to specific things. While some people may have a phobia of dogs, spiders, or snakes, others may become terrified in a situation involving heights or enclosed spaces. Some of the most common phobias include aerophobia, a fear of flying; astraphobia, a fear of lightning and thunder; and mysophobia, a fear of germs. While not everyone has a phobia, they are very common and normal and can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy by a licensed and experienced psychotherapist.

If you aren’t able to make the time to travel to a therapist’s office for regular cognitive behavioral therapy sessions (or if you aren’t able to because you suffer from agoraphobia, which is a very real phobia of leaving your home), there is good news! At East-West Therapy in Honolulu, HI, we offer teletherapy sessions with a professional psychotherapist. Teletherapy is an over-the-phone therapy method that takes place at regularly scheduled times that are convenient for you and your therapist. All you need is a phone and a quiet, private space to have a full therapy session that is every bit as effective and beneficial as a traditional, in-person session with a psychotherapist.

During your teletherapy sessions to help conquer your phobia, your therapist may delve into your background and childhood to try to find a definitive event or circumstance that may have led to your extreme fear. Were you almost drowned as a child? This may account for your fear of large bodies of water. Perhaps you were in an auto accident at a young age, which could explain your phobia of driving a car. When your therapist is able to get at the root cause of your phobia, he or she can better understand how to help you overcome it so you can get on with your life.

A key part of cognitive behavioral therapy is exposure to the thing or situation that frightens you most. You may wonder how you can accomplish this through teletherapy, but the answer is simple. When your therapist feels that you are ready to face your fear, he or she can assign you a little homework that involves coming into incremental contact with the object of your phobia. You can report back to your therapist about the success of your exposure therapy during your next teletherapy session. As you accomplish these increasingly challenging goals, you will move toward your ultimate objective of putting your greatest fear behind you once and for all!

Conquer Phobias with Teletherapy

There is nothing shameful or embarrassing about having a phobia; however, if you find that your phobia is getting in your way and affecting your quality of life by severely limiting your activities, it may be time to get a handle on your fear and overcome it for good. With convenient teletherapy sessions from East-West Therapy in Honolulu, HI, you can work to overcome even the most debilitating phobia on your own time, so you can take back your life and live it to its fullest!

Call East-West Therapy today at 213-880-8262 to schedule an initial teletherapy consultation. Life’s too short to be afraid- call East-West Therapy today!