Frequently Asked Questions
What are specific phobias?
More than a dislike or aversion to particular things, phobias are markedly excessive and irrational fears that are accompanied by specific physiological response and concern. Often, the focus of the fear will be avoided outright or else endured with dread, which serves to preserve or maintain the concerns over time. While phobias are relatively common in childhood and then outgrown, phobias may also be acquired or ‘learnt’ at any stage over the lifespan and require a particular learning approach to resolve.
How are phobias treated?
Cognitive-behaviour therapy, or CBT, is the treatment of choice for a range of mental health difficulties, from stress management, interpersonal issues, through to severe psychiatric illnesses. CBT takes a practical, goal-oriented approach to phobia treatment. The goal is to learn new coping skills, identify and change entrenched patterns of thinking or behaviour, and eventually change the feelings toward the phobic triggers.
Why does Sydney Phobia Clinic use Virtual Reality (VR)?
A key component of phobia treatment under a CBT approach is Exposure Therapy. Exposure Therapy involves exposing a person to their feared situation so they can practise coping skills and learn to manage their anxiety. Often exposure therapy is graded which involves designing a hierarchy of feared situations, or breaking larger situations into smaller, discreet situations in order to more gradually expose to feared situations. For many conditions it is difficult to get safe, gradual access to feared situations. For example, fear of flying, fear of MRI machines, fear of the dentist, and many animal phobias are difficult to expose to in a gradual manner. Further exposure is often not prioritised in treatment due to barriers such as time, logistics, and in some cases avoidance due to perceived risks. Recent advances in Virtual Reality (VR) technology has made it possible for us to develop virtual experiences to fill this treatment gap. This means treatment can be much more gradual than ever before, while providing many more opportunities to practise skills and techniques than ever before.Virtual reality allows us to face our fears in-house, in a safe and controlled manner. Unlike in vivo (real life) exposure therapy, virtual reality exposure treatment (VRET) is practical and easily accessible, and can be fully controlled by the individual. At Sydney Phobia Clinic, we develop our own specialised VRET programmes under the guidance of clinical psychologists and in line with cutting-edge research. For the first time, you get to be in complete control and progress at your own pace.
Does it work? What is the evidence?
Exposure Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) have decades of evidence showing its effectiveness in the treatment of specific phobias.
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) is a treatment method for Graded Exposure that uses virtual experiences for the exposure portions of the therapy. VRET has decades of research behind it and in most cases is as good as in-vivo (real life) exposure therapy1, and the reduction in anxiety translates well to real life situations2.
How much do the programs cost?
For our 5-session programs, the total amount is $1,660. A Medicare rebate of up to $622.50 is available with a referral from your doctor.
Breakdown of fees:
Hourly psychology rates are $220, which is less than the APS recommended hourly rates of $238. No GST is charged on psychology services.
Extras, such as Virtual Reality or In-Situ (real world) exposure sessions are billed at $115 per session, in addition to psychologist rates
Can I get Medicare rebates?
Medicare rebates are available with a valid Mental Health Care Plan from your GP.
The total rebate amounts vary between $420 - $622.50 with our 5-session programmes.
What will I have to do during the program?
During the program, you will attend 5 sessions which take between 60 & 90 minutes, depending on the sessions. You will be shown a range of practical skills and techniques that are helpful for reducing anxiety, breaking unhelpful behaviour patterns, and challenging unhelpful thoughts. To get the most out of the course, you will be expected to dedicate some time to practising your new skills outside of the sessions. Setting some time aside on a daily basis is often the best and easiest way to ensure progress.
The specific sessions will vary from face-to-face therapy-style delivery of material and more practical skills practise in the later sessions.
Are you going to put me in a room full of spiders?
We are not. Our programs aim to equip you with the skills to manage reasonable situations. So maybe a spider. But not a room full ;)
Can Sydney Phobia Clinic treat my social anxiety/social phobia?
Social anxiety presentations are quite varied. Uncomplicated social phobias are often associated with social performance situations, and we have a program for that! Generalised social phobia is best treated with a more individualised treatment plan, based on a comprehensive diagnostic assessment. You don’t need to know the difference though, contact us for a free brief assessment to help determine if our program will be suited to you or if we can help you a different way.
Can Sydney Phobia Clinic treat other psychological issues?
We sure can! We treat all other anxiety disorders as well as Obsessive-Compulsive related disorders. All treatment is evidence-based, cognitive-behaviour therapy and exposure and response prevention. We use virtual reality to support this treatment where we can. To get a comprehensive understanding of other psychological issues, we would start with a diagnostic assessment and then tailor a treatment plan for you. Contact us to see how you might get started.
Can anyone do a program?
As our programs are delivered like courses, anybody is able to do one if they wish. During initial phone assessment, will advise how necessary we feel the programme may be for you, and you can decide whether or not it is something you want to continue with.
I have a fear of [X}, can you treat me?
Our phobia programs are only for specific phobias, and while we primarily see the common ones, if you have a phobia of something less common, we may be able to adapt one of our programs or create one to suit you. If your concerns are related to other factors, such as other diagnosable mental health conditions or trauma, we can see you for more standard psychological treatment or may make recommendations for you to seek more appropriate treatment options.