One Session Treatment of Simple Phobias
What is OST?
One-Session Treatment (OST) is a brief, intensive exposure-based therapy designed to help individuals overcome specific phobias in just a single, extended session. OST is highly structured and focuses on gradually confronting the feared object or situation in a safe environment until the anxiety subsides.
Simple Phobias are one of the most prevalent mental health problems. They are considered a gateway mental disorder and most often occur with another phobia or anxiety disorder (e.g., GAD, OCD, PTSD). The average age of onset for a phobia is 7 to 9 years old, and phobias are perhaps the most frequent mental health problem among children and adolescents. The lifetime prevalence of phobias is 12.5%, and the average duration of a phobia is 20 years. That's twenty years of fearing and organizing your life around avoiding dogs, spiders, heights, blood, elevators, flying, or some other fear! Interestingly, most people never seek treatment for phobias, even though highly cost- and time-effective treatments exist.
People, both young and old, with simple phobias may experience difficulties with functioning at school, work, and in their relationships. When left untreated, young people with simple phobias can develop into adults with additional phobias and other anxiety disorders. Of note, young people most frequently experience animal type and the natural environment type phobias.
There are five simple phobia subtypes:
· animal type (e.g. dogs, cats, spiders, snakes, and bees)
· natural environment type (e.g. darkness, heights, storms, water)
· blood-injection-injury type (e.g. blood, needles, and shots)
· situational type (e.g. elevators, enclosed spaces, flying, trains, bridges
· and, other type, like loud noises, clowns, and ketchup bottles.
Dr. Lars Göran-Öst, the developer of this treatment, has suggested that patients who complete OST for phobias experience an increase in self-efficacy that may help them deal with other problems more constructively. Perhaps this is why patients who complete OST experience a reduction in the severity of other fears they have. This is precisely one of the main reasons we offer this treatment at MCG: we want you to feel empowered again and help you improve the quality of your life. We want you to experience that. We offer the most effective treatment for simple phobias because, with our help, we know you can.
How OST Works
The session typically lasts around 3-6 hours and involves:
Exposure: Gradually exposing the individual to the feared stimulus while blocking avoidance behaviors.
Cognitive Restructuring: Challenging irrational thoughts related to the phobia.
Skills Training: Teaching coping strategies to manage anxiety in future encounters with the phobia.
Who Can Benefit from OST?
OST is highly effective for individuals with specific phobias, such as fear of flying, heights, animals, or medical procedures. It is ideal for those seeking rapid relief from their phobia without committing to long-term therapy.
OST at the Mindfulness & Change Group
Our therapists are skilled in delivering OST and work closely with clients to ensure the treatment is safe, effective, and supportive. We provide a structured, step-by-step approach to help you face your fears and significantly reduce anxiety.