Emetophobia Therapy
Emetophobia (fear of vomiting) is deceptively simple by name. In reality, it can become an all-encompassing nightmare. Avoidance, safety behaviors, and preoccupation with body sensations can become debilitating. More and more life can feel “lost” as the fear expands.
My goal is to help clients take back what emetophobia has wrongfully stolen from them.
My Approach
I conceptualize emetophobia as a presentation of OCD (and many people have additional themes present), so the treatment is the same: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Feel free to read my blog discussing this further here. As mentioned on my OCD treatment page, I also take influence from Rumination-Focused ERP (more info here). Many clients are understandably nervous about starting treatment for their emetophobia, so I’d like to emphasize this: YOU are in the driver’s seat here. Whether you’d like to get back to eating your favorite foods, travel, or overall just feel more present in everyday life, we will prioritize what matters most and take things at a pace that feels manageable. And no, purposely “making yourself get sick” is not a part of treatment. I promise!
Values-based exposures
Emetophobia tends to shrink people’s worlds by making everything feel unsafe. I love supporting clients through in-session food challenges and working toward planning outings to previously avoided places (restaurants, concerts, travel, etc.).
A proven track record
Emetophobia has been a niche of mine for several years. I’ve supported many clients in moving from a place of debilitation to living rich, thriving lives. It is a true honor to support people in rediscovering themselves.