How do I find a phobia therapist in Orange County?
Written and clinically reviewed by Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC
Psychotherapist · EMDR Certified · Certified Hypnotherapist · Author of Anxiety Annihilated · Practicing since 1997
Look for a licensed clinician who treats specific phobias as a specialty and is trained in both exposure-based methods and subconscious-level approaches such as clinical hypnosis or EMDR. In Orange County, Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC treats phobias from her Newport Beach (Corona del Mar) office — flying, dental treatment, driving, needles, heights, and enclosed spaces — using a focused five-session protocol, and has specialized in phobias since 1997.
What makes someone a phobia specialist rather than a generalist
- They name the phobias they treat, instead of listing 'anxiety' generically.
- They can describe a structured protocol and a realistic session count.
- They are trained in more than one mechanism — graded exposure plus hypnotherapy or EMDR.
- They screen for what sits underneath: panic disorder, trauma, or health anxiety.
- They hold an active California licence, verifiable through the state board.
Which treatments actually work for specific phobias
Graded exposure has the strongest research base and remains a core ingredient. Clinical hypnotherapy targets the automatic alarm response directly, which is why many clients who already know the fear is irrational still get relief from it. EMDR is used when the phobia traces to a specific event — a bad flight, a painful dental procedure, a car accident.
In practice these are combined. The alarm response is retrained, the origin memory is processed if there is one, and exposure consolidates the new response in the real world.
How long it takes
A single uncomplicated phobia is commonly addressed in around five sessions. Phobias sitting on top of panic disorder, trauma, or years of avoidance take longer. Any clinician who promises a one-session cure for every phobia is overselling; one who cannot give you any estimate at all after an assessment is underselling.
Questions worth asking on the consultation call
- How many clients with this specific phobia have you treated?
- What does your protocol look like, session by session?
- What happens if the fear turns out to be part of a panic disorder?
- Do you offer virtual sessions, and does that change the approach?
- What are your fees, and can you provide a superbill?
Frequently asked questions
About the author
Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC is a Newport Beach psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, phobias, trauma and chronic pain. She provides EMDR therapy and clinical hypnotherapy and has been practicing since 1997. CA LMFT #MFC40173, LPCC #LPC54. Office: 2333 E Coast Highway #C, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625. Phone (833) 426-0303.