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Question 10: Hi. [Our daughter] has been diagnosed with agoraphobia and we are looking for some direction. Her family Dr. is a pill pusher but admits meds would conflict with epileptic meds. I wonder if some type of counselling is successful for this. What would an almost Dr. suggest would be the most effective course of action. She is working with a neurologist for her epilepsy. Jrvb, Ontario, CA.

Hi Jrvb!

Absolutely there are techniques that psychologists are trained in that are considered the most effective (and certainly most researched) treatment approach to phobias above and beyond medications (which may be warranted for very severe cases but only reduces the anxiety rather than curing it).

You will want to find a psychologist trained in behavioural techniques with experience in anxiety disorders; preferably someone who uses "desensitization" techniques (the most proven and "best practices" technique). There are different types of desensitization: In vivo uses exposure to the actual feared situation, while systematic uses exposure to imagined.........often therapy progresses from systematic to in-vivo (the latter is the most effective). Therapy should include some cognitive components (teaching things like self-talk to help your daughter in these situations), therapist modeling, and rewards for victories (as well as removal of any potential rewards for HAVING the phobia which can sometimes exist).

I hope this helped!
Dr. Dunc.

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