Phobias & Fears Therapy
Freedom from
what scares you.
Phobias can make everyday situations feel dangerous, but they don’t have to control your life. At Flow, we use EMDR and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to desensitize phobias — and our goal is to ultimately eliminate the phobia, so you can get back to the life you want.
Virtual across Ontario
Registered therapists
$215/session
No consultation required
A different way forward
Phobias can be treated — and often completely resolved.
EMDR and ERP work together to reduce the intense fear response, desensitize the trigger, and help your brain learn that the danger isn’t real. With the right approach, many people are able to fully overcome their phobia and move forward with confidence.
How phobias work.
Your brain has learned to see a certain situation, object or sensation as dangerous. This activates your body’s alarm system (fight, flight or freeze), which creates intense fear and leads to avoidance. The more you avoid it, the stronger the fear becomes.
Trigger
You encounter or think about the feared situation.
Fear Response
Your brain and body react as if there is danger.
Avoidance
You avoid or escape to reduce the fear.
Cycle Strengthens
The more you avoid it, the stronger the fear becomes.
Our approach: EMDR + ERP.
We use evidence-informed treatments to directly target the fear at its root, desensitize your response and help you build new, lasting associations.
EMDR Therapy
Desensitize the fear response.
EMDR can directly target the distress, images, sensations and beliefs connected to your phobia. As these elements are processed, they lose their emotional charge, so the situation feels less threatening and your body doesn’t react as intensely.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Build new learning and confidence.
ERP helps you gradually and safely face the feared situation without relying on avoidance or safety behaviours. This helps your brain learn that the danger isn’t real and builds new, healthy associations.
The process
Step by step to overcome your phobia.
- 1
Understand your phobia
We explore your history, triggers and what is maintaining the fear.
- 2
Desensitize with EMDR
We target the feared images, sensations and beliefs so they lose their charge.
- 3
Practice with ERP
You gradually face the feared situation with support, without safety behaviours.
- 4
Eliminate the phobia
Our goal is for the fear to no longer be triggered, so you can engage in life without avoidance.
Common phobias we treat.
Flying
Driving
Medical procedures or needles
Animals or insects
Heights or enclosed spaces
Public speaking or social situations
Vomiting or illness (emetophobia)
