HERE AT THE PHOBIAMAN CLINIC, we understand what it’s like to have a phobia. This is because we are the only London-based clinic that genuinely specialises in treating phobias. And if you have a phobia, doesn’t it make sense to be treated by a phobia specialist?
Think about it: If you had a problem that needed medical attention, you would probably go first to your General Practitioner – your local doctor, that is.
If it’s something simple, your GP may be able to prescribe the solution. But you wouldn’t necessarily expect your doctor to be able to treat your problem if it needed specialist treatment. You would expect them to refer you to a specialist.
Most therapists are generalists. A quick click around their websites will reveal treatments they offer for all sorts of other issues besides phobias. They try to be ‘all things to all men’.
What Makes a Phobia Specialist Different from Other Therapists?
At the PHOBIAMAN Clinic we don’t think this approach works so well. We can’t see the benefit of going for phobia treatment with someone who isn’t a phobia specialist. If you see a general therapist they might have just treated two people for weightloss, someone to stop smoking and someone else for depression.
It seems obvious to us that by specialising, a clinic will gain more experience in that particular field and therefore be better at it. You have to realise that not all phobias work in the same way, and a specialist is therefore more likely to have experience of treating a phobia that is similar to yours.
Someone who spends 100% of their time treating phobias is going to have a better understanding of phobic disorder, and be more experienced than someone who only spends 15% on phobias and the rest on weightloss or smoking clients.
How to Check if a Therapist Specialises in Treating Phobias?
So how can you tell if a clinic or therapist genuinely specialises in phobias? The answer is on their websites. Dig around and find the section detailing issues treated or treatments offered.
If they offer treatments for other issues such as stopping smoking or weight loss or coaching or anything else, then they are not a phobia specialist And if they do not specialise in phobia treatment they are less likely to have the experience necessary to treat the more severe and deep-rooted phobias.