Phobia Therapists in Marin County
Specializing in Exposure Therapy
Reframe CBT uses evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure Therapy to help children, teens, and adults overcome phobias, including fear of flying, heights, social phobia, and more, in San Rafael and throughout California via telehealth.
What Is a Phobia, And Why Can't You Just "Push Through It"?
A phobia is more than just a strong dislike or nervousness. It's an intense, persistent fear that is disproportionate to the actual danger and that significantly impacts your daily life. Phobias are maintained by avoidance, every time you avoid the feared situation, your brain learns that avoidance is the only way to feel safe.
Telling yourself to "just get over it" doesn't work because phobias are learned fear responses, not character flaws or weaknesses. The good news is that they can be unlearned with the right approach.
Specific phobias affect approximately 19 million adults in the United States. They are among the most treatable of all anxiety disorders, often responding well to focused exposure therapy in just a few months.
Encounter
You encounter or think about the feared object or situation.
Alarm Response
Your brain triggers an intense fear response, heart racing, sweating, urge to escape.
Avoidance
You avoid or escape the situation to stop the discomfort.
Immediate Relief
Avoidance brings short-term relief, which reinforces the behavior.
Phobia Strengthens
The phobia grows stronger over time because avoidance prevents the brain from learning the situation is safe.
Exposure therapy breaks this cycle by systematically reducing avoidance and teaching the brain that feared situations are manageable.
Phobias We Treat
From fear of flying to social phobia to emetophobia, Our team is trained to treat the full spectrum of specific phobias using evidence-based CBT and exposure therapy.
Fear of Flying (Aviophobia)
Intense anxiety about flying or air travel, a core specialty through our team's work at the Fear of Flying Clinic at SFO.
Heights (Acrophobia)
Fear of heights, tall buildings, bridges, or open high spaces that causes avoidance of everyday situations.
Needles & Blood
Fear of needles, injections, blood draws, or medical procedures that leads to avoidance of medical care, treated with applied tension and graduated exposure.
Emetophobia
Fear of vomiting or seeing others vomit, one of the most distressing and underdiagnosed phobias, highly responsive to CBT.
Driving Phobia
Fear of driving, highways, bridges, or being a passenger, often developing after an accident or panic attack.
Animal Phobias
Fear of specific animals such as dogs, spiders, insects, or birds, treated with systematic desensitization and exposure.
Situational Phobias
Fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), elevators, tunnels, or other specific situations, addressed with graduated exposure.
Fear of Flying Therapy, Marin County & SFO
Fear of flying (aviophobia) affects an estimated 25% of the population to some degree, and can range from mild discomfort to a complete inability to board a plane. It often co-occurs with claustrophobia, fear of heights, or panic disorder.
Our founder is a volunteer therapist at the Fear of Flying Clinic at SFO, one of the most respected fear of flying programs in the country, bringing specialized, real-world expertise to her private practice in Marin County.
Treatment combines CBT (challenging catastrophic thoughts about flying), psychoeducation about turbulence and aircraft safety, and graduated exposure, from watching videos of flights to eventually boarding a plane.
Volunteer Therapist at Fear of Flying Clinic, SFO
Real-world, specialized expertise in treating flight-related anxiety using CBT and exposure.
Treats All Severity Levels
From mild pre-flight nerves to complete avoidance of air travel, We tailor treatment to your specific presentation.
CBT + Psychoeducation + Exposure
A comprehensive approach combining thought challenging, aircraft safety education, and graduated exposure to flying-related situations.
Children, Teens & Adults
Fear of flying can develop at any age. We treat clients of all ages, including children who have never flown and adults who developed flight anxiety after an incident.
How Exposure Therapy Works for Phobias
A structured, collaborative process, tailored to your specific phobia and pace.
Assessment & Fear Hierarchy
We conduct a thorough assessment of your phobia, its history, triggers, and avoidance patterns. Together you'll build a personalized fear ladder from least to most challenging situations.
Psychoeducation
You'll learn exactly how phobias develop and why avoidance maintains them. Understanding the science behind your fear is a powerful first step toward overcoming it.
Cognitive Preparation
You'll identify and challenge the catastrophic thoughts that fuel your phobia, learning to evaluate the actual probability and impact of feared outcomes more realistically.
Graduated Exposure
Step by step, you'll face feared situations in a safe, collaborative way, starting with manageable challenges and building toward the situations you've been avoiding most.
Consolidation & Maintenance
As treatment concludes, you'll have the tools to continue facing fears independently, prevent relapse, and handle any future anxiety with confidence.
Julie H., LMFT
Nicole S., AMFT
Reframe CBT · San Rafael, CA
Phobia Therapy in Marin County
Fear of Flying Clinic Expertise
As a volunteer therapist at the Fear of Flying Clinic at SFO, Julie Hingsbergen brings rare, specialized expertise in flight anxiety to our Marin County private practice.
Evidence-Based Exposure Therapy
Our phobia treatment is grounded in CBT and systematic exposure, the most effective, evidence-based approach for specific phobias, endorsed by the APA.
All Phobia Types & Ages
From childhood animal phobias to adult fear of flying, Reframe CBT treats the full spectrum of phobia presentations across all age groups.
Parent Coaching for Children
When treating phobias in children and teens, we work closely with parents to ensure consistent support and reinforce brave behavior at home.
Phobia Therapy Questions Answered
Have more questions about phobia treatment or exposure therapy in Marin County? Reach out directly.
Ready to Face Your Fear?
Reframe CBT offers a consultation to discuss your phobia and answer questions about exposure therapy. In-person in San Rafael, Marin County, or telehealth anywhere in California.
Serving San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Sausalito, Fairfax, Corte Madera & all of Marin County.
Telehealth available throughout California.