Anxiety and phobias
Fear of flying rarely starts on the plane.
You want to travel, but your body pulls the emergency brake
Fear of flying can start at the booking. Perhaps you sleep badly beforehand, scan every sound, or only dare to fly with medication or alcohol. The fear can be about heights, being enclosed, loss of control, or the panic itself. During the intake we first work out which form applies to you.
Depending on the cause we can work with explanation, exposure, practical exercises, and EMDR when an earlier flight or a disaster image carries a lot of charge. VR can help to practise parts of a flight step by step.
Sound familiar?
What fear of flying actually looks like
Fear of flying usually covers far more than those few hours in the air.
- You put off booking, or let someone else book
- You sleep badly the night before and barely eat
- Every sound from the engines or the flaps takes on meaning
- You only dare board with medication or alcohol
- You cancel holidays, weddings or work trips
Where it comes from
What the fear is about
For some people there is an identifiable moment: a flight with severe turbulence, a panic attack over the ocean, or a news report that landed at the wrong time. For others there is no event, but there is a period in which they had little control anyway. Often claustrophobia or a fear of heights sits underneath, or a fear of the panic itself. Which of the three it is matters for the approach, so that is what we work out first.
A possible approach
A possible approach
Which route makes sense becomes clear during the intake. It often starts with explanation and step by step practice. When an earlier experience or a disaster image carries a lot of charge, EMDR can be part of it.
- Working out what the fear is really about
- An explanation of what aircraft do and why turbulence is normal
- Exposure in steps, with VR where useful
- EMDR when a memory or disaster image feeds the fear
- A concrete plan for the day of departure
Practical
- Duration
- in consultation, depending on what is going on
- Rate per session
- Location
- Sarphatistraat 14, Amsterdam city centre, or online
60 minutes
Step by step
How the support runs
- 1
Intro call
Fifteen minutes on the phone. I hear when you need to fly and whether that is realistic.
- 2
Intake
We work out what the fear is about: heights, enclosure, loss of control or the panic itself.
- 3
Working on it
Explanation, exposure and EMDR where needed, in an order that suits your situation.
- 4
The flight itself
We talk through what you do on the day, from seat choice to breathing.
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. We can schedule sessions closer together. Call and we will look at what is realistic in that time.
No. The practice happens at the practice, with VR where useful. Your first real flight is the test, not the treatment.
Not immediately, and not without your GP. The aim is that you eventually do not need it, because medication gets in the way of getting used to the flight.
Yes. For some people there is no event underneath, but there is an image or a period. We can work with that too.
Experiences
Prefer independent reviews?
In line with the professional code for psychologists I do not publish client testimonials on my own site. If you want to read how others experienced the support, ZorgkaartNederland is the place to look.
Other fears
First see whether it clicks
A free fifteen minute phone call. You do not have to decide anything yet.