Educate. Empower. Equip. Encourage.
These are our aims in every phobia program
5-session phobia programs
Our structured programs involve 5 sessions over 5-10 weeks. In these sessions you will learn about what happens in your brain when you experience distress and anxiety, acquire skills to combat these effects, and practice the skills in the complete safety of virtual simulations.
therapy with a plan
By having a manualised treatment plan, we can stay focussed on your goal, increasing our chances of seeing improvement in a brief time frame. Our approach is inline with SMART goals, that is setting goals which are:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic, and
Time-limited
Most importantly, our programs are in accordance with evidence-based practice, based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and incorporating exposure.
"Our treatments are designed to promote the kind of learning that can counteract the powerful fear learning which is being maintained in the case of phobias."
— Corrie Ackland, Clinic Director
Program structure
Pre-program assessment- This assessment ensures that a brief treatment plan is most appropriate for you, or provides you with other treatment options
Session 1- Psychoeducation, physical management strategies
Session 2- Review, cognitive therapy strategies
Session 3- Review, Behavioural strategies and hierarchy development
Session 4- Review, Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
Session 5- Review, In-session exposure and skills practice, Relapse prevention
Post-program support- We can assist you if there is any further support or practice you require after the completion of your phobia program
Our programs
Animal Phobias
Dogs, birds, snakes, insects, frogs, etc, if fears of specific animals- or a number of animals- is starting to interfere with your life we can help.
Driving phobia
This program can target specific driving activities, such as bridges, tunnels, or multi-lane roads, or more general driving anxiety
Fear of heights
A targeted program for fears of heights whether related to tall buildings or outdoor environments.
other phobias
Fear something else? We can help with that, too!
arachnophobia
Whether a specific spider, such as the Huntsman, or spiders in general, we can treat your spider phobia.
Emetophobia
Whether a specific fear of someone else vomiting, vomiting oneself, or both, we can address your fear in a targeted program or in more general therapy.
Public speaking/ performance anxiety
Even if your anxiety related to public speaking/presenting is relatively mild and you are still engaging with these activities, this program can help you feel more confident and see further opportunities for improvement.
blood, injury, injection (BII) phobia
BII phobia is a general category which can include fears specific to certain medical procedures, needles, the sight of blood, dentistry, or a combination of these.
fear of flying
Our cornerstone phobia program, run in conjunction with Flight Experience Sydney.
sports performance anxiety / choking
This program can help you improve any excessive nervousness related to participating in your sport.
Claustrophobia
This program can target specific enclosed spaces, such as MRIs or lifts, or enclosed spaces more generally.
food phobias/ ARFId
This program addresses specific food phobias or a more general food anxiety related restricted eating profile.
weather phobias
This program targets fears of specific weather events, such as lightening, or more general weather-related anxiety.
Fees, Charges, and Rebates
5- session phobia programs
A typical 5-session course includes 6.5 hours of psychological therapy and two sessions of either Virtual Reality and/or In-Situ Exposure for a total of $1,660, before any rebates are applied.
Cool Kids programs
Cool kids programs consist of 8-10 1 hour sessions, with a 1.5hr initial assessment ($330). Each session attracts a fee of $220 (Total cost $1760- $2200), before any rebates are applied. In addition, there is a cost for the Cool Kids workbooks (parent and child) totalling $70 per program.
Initial assessments and single sessions
The fee for single sessions (including 1hr initial assessments) is $220, with the exception of appointments with Director Corrie Ackland. The fee for single sessions (including 1hr initial assessments) with Corrie Ackland is $260.
Medicare rebates
Fees for psychological services may attract a rebate from Medicare. To qualify for the Medicare rebate, a Mental Health Care Plan is required from a General Practitioner or Psychiatrist prior to attending the session for which you wish to claim the rebate. Mental Health Care Plans are valid from the day of the referral. Part of the fees may be covered by Private Health Insurance. Please check with your Health Insurer for eligibility.
Cancellation fees
Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about our services. Psychology services are provided and billed by Sydney Phobia Clinic. Fees apply for changes or cancellations within 48 hours of the scheduled appointment. Changes or cancellations within 48 hours must be given in writing.
While Sydney Phobia Clinic charges less than the Australian Psychological Society's recommended rate of $238 per hour, some extras do apply in the case of manualised programs and are included in the listed total costs.