Dog phobia therapy where the end goal isn’t to love dogs…
… but to feel comfortable enough around them so it doesn’t restrict your life
Cynophobia therapy for those look up ‘how to overcome fear of dogs’ because it’s shrunk their life - with me, Carina, an experienced & accredited but very warm & genuine CBT therapist. Online all over the UK and internationally (with some exceptions).
If you’re afraid of dogs, you might…
Go into panic mode when you’re anywhere near dogs
Have really intense, overwhelming reactions like heart racing, shaking, chest tightness, crying, or freezing when you’re anywhere near dogs or even hear them barking or see them in videos.
Avoid going anywhere there may be dogs
Avoid going anywhere or quickly leave situations where there are/might be dogs - from parks and hikes to restaurants and shops, to your friend or family member’s place.
Take precautions to make sure you’re never around dogs
Take precautions to make sure you’re never around dogs or feel you can protect yourself - like driving when you could walk, checking the street before you leave your house or the bus before you get on, or carrying a repellent with you - and still worry and feel anxious before leaving the house.
Be afraid of dogs even in ‘safe’ situations
You might not understand why, even in situations where you intellectually know you are not in danger (such as well-trained dog on a lead across the road), you still feel afraid of dogs.
Feel invalidated by ‘dog people’
… who try to explain your fear of dogs away, insist on ‘just petting a dog’ or that ‘their dog is different’, and don’t understand some of your reasonable fears.
Feel helpless, embarrassed, or ashamed
… because you can’t just ‘get over’ your fear of dogs.
Your dog phobia may have restricted your:
Daily functioning
Ability to work, socialise, travel
Relationships
Quality of life, ultimately
Or, maybe you can just about tolerate dogs, but your whole focus and energy is spent on tracking their every move, so you’re never fully present or enjoying yourself. Even if this has been the case for years, it doesn’t mean it’s fixed or unchangeable.
It doesn’t have to stay this way. Dog phobia is actually one of the more treatable anxiety difficulties, and with the right support, you can get to a point where you feel much more in control around dogs, rather than overwhelmed by fear.
Dog Phobia Therapy
I’m Carina, an accredited and experienced, but very human therapist, and I offer dog phobia therapy (cynophobia treatment) online across the UK and beyond, helping you overcome your fear of dogs in a gentle, practical, and realistic way. You set your own goals, and we work on achieving them together, with you in control all throughout, so you feel empowered.
How online dog phobia therapy works
Cynophobia therapy with me is evidence-based and skills-based (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy / Exposure Therapy / Acceptance and Commitment Therapy / Mindfulness), and importantly, includes learning about dog body language - so dogs feel less unpredictable, and you can better judge what’s actually safe. This is the gold-standard approach for treating phobias, including cynophobia.
This might be for you if your fear of dogs is starting to limit where you go, what you do, or how present you feel in your life - even if part of you knows the fear feels bigger than the actual danger.
We’ll spend time both exploring things so we understand exactly what’s going on for you, and using active interventions - including gradual, real-life steps during and between sessions - to help you spend less time and energy on avoiding dogs, so you can actually enjoy life wherever you are, even if there are dogs around.
All of this can be done fully online, wherever you are. We can cover gradual exposures, skills practice, and understanding your fear virtually - with optional in-person support only if that ever feels helpful or necessary (and if it’s feasible).
An important note: If your dog phobia has come about as a result of a dog attack or incident from which you may have developed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), therapy might include the above steps, but also a trauma therapy element. This is because your PTSD symptoms may be keeping you stuck, and addressing them directly (which is different to addressing ‘just’ the phobia) may be necessary for you to truly overcome your dog phobia. We will of course discuss and agree on all this during our first session.
Being afraid of dogs is not something you can just ‘get over’ on your own overnight
That’s why dog phobia therapy with me does *NOT* look like:
Convincing you that your fear of dogs is unreasonable, or that dogs are great and you should love them
Pushing you in uncomfortable situations, or asking you to do more than what you can handle
Surprising you with things we’ve not discussed and agreed on together
Just talking about your fear and trying to unpick where it comes from without actively helping you change things
What may have led to your dog phobia… and what may be keeping it going
This is something lots of people with cynophobia wonder about - and getting a basic understanding of it can be really helpful.
Possible causes of dog phobia
In general, phobias are caused by a mix of genetic and environmental factors - things like a genetic predisposition to anxiety, but also experiences you may have had or observed growing up.
Dog phobia in particular may be rooted in experiences like:
Observing family or people you grew up around be anxious or caution you about the dangers of dogs
Being barked at, chased, or bitten by a dog
Growing up in a culture that deems dogs to be outside/guard animals with little regard to their motives or emotions - leading to a limited exposure and understanding of dogs and dog body language
Possible maintenance factors of dog phobia
These experiences massively influence how we see ourselves and the world - and, in this case, dogs (even if we’re not quite aware of this). This gives rise to a set of beliefs and rules we create for ourselves to feel safe - which, because we hold onto them quite tightly, then affect how we operate in the world.
Some common beliefs and rules in cynophobia include:
I am vulnerable / I am weak
Dogs are dangerous, predators, unclean
Dogs are unpredictable and uncontrollable
Dog handlers are irresponsible and untrustworthy
If I am close to a dog, I will lose control
If I am close to a dog, I will get attacked or bitten
The only way to stay safe is to avoid dogs
I must always be aware of my surroundings
These, understandably, lead to behaviours such as:
Avoidance
Scanning / checking
Seeking reassurance
… all of which make sense as they keep you from experiencing the fear, or limit it.
However, they may also keep your phobia going, as you never get the opportunity to actually test out (safely) if your fears come true quite in the way your mind predicts - so the fear stays just as convincing and intense.
What dog phobia therapy with me looks like:
Getting a shared understanding of how your fear of dogs has developed and what may be keeping it going
Setting your goals so we both know what we’re working towards, and uncovering the values behind this - what is your fear of dogs keeping you from, which is deeply important to you
Gradually working with your cynophobia through structured, manageable exposure
Learning to relate differently to your thoughts and feelings about dogs
Understanding dog body language so things feel less unpredictable - because if you understand even basic dog body language, you’re more likely to be able to tell what a dog might do next or how safe it is to interact with, reducing some of the unpredictability and threat
Moving towards what matters to you - rather than organising your life around avoidance
Creating a summary of important points and a plan for the future, when we feel it’s time to end therapy
How to get over a fear of dogs… and get your life back
Working on your dog phobia may mean you could…
No longer avoid every place where there might be dogs
No longer leave situations where there are dogs, leaving everything behind
No longer rearrange your whole life to make sure you’re never around dogs
No longer spend the whole day worrying and feeling anxious if you’re planning on going somewhere where there might be dogs
No longer experience full-blown panic at the sight of dogs or hearing barking
Take reasonable precautions instead of out-of-ordinary life-changing ones
Understand what may lead to cynophobia and what may be keeping it going
Understand basic dog body language and safety
So that you can…
Go about your day as you otherwise would - without mental gymnastics to help you avoid dogs
Go to the pub, cafes, your friend or family’s house who have dogs, the park - and enjoy yourself even if there are dogs around
Be neutral or reasonably anxious around dogs - without panicking, avoiding, or constantly tracking where they are
Assert yourself when it comes to what you feel comfortable and what you don’t when it comes to dogs - so you don’t feel invalidated, ashamed, or helpless anymore
Feel more empowered when it comes to everything dog
This doesn’t happen overnight - but with consistent work, things can shift more than you might expect.
I’m an experienced dog phobia therapist. I also have a (very managed now) needle phobia.
I’m a former senior cognitive behavioural therapist in the NHS, a university supervisor, a mindfulness teacher, and I’ve worked in lots of different mental health services for many years, and also in academic research and healthtech. I also have 4 degrees (BSc Psychology, MSc Clinical Neuroscience, PGDip Psychological Intervention CBT, MSc Psychological Therapy).
But I think that all of that means squat if you don’t feel safe, heard, and understood by me. So, I want you to know that, while I’m not afraid of dogs myself, I get it. I have a close family member who has been afraid of dogs, and my needle phobia has meant that I avoided blood tests and injections when I could, would only go if someone came with me, and needed the whole day to be about this (before, to prepare, and after, to recover).
I have felt panicked, embarrassed, and invalidated about something that seemed so not a big deal to others.
Then I turned things around - with CBT, exposure, ACT, mindfulness - and also learning about procedures and understanding what is reasonable for me. I learned to face my fears in a gradual, safe, and practical way.
I know I’m never going to be that person that works all day then donates blood, and does so as often as allowed. But I can now have two vaccines in one visit, have blood tests, donate blood, and prick my own finger. And that’s good enough for me.
Do I still get anxious or a bit embarrassed sometimes? Yes. But I know how to handle it - and it no longer runs my life.
And it’s so freeing - which is exactly why I want to help others do the same.
I’m also passionate about dog body language and behaviour (and am getting training from The Institute of Modern Dog Trainers/IMDT, a leading education provider for dog trainers and behaviourists), and have spent a lot of time understanding my own reactive dog - so I’m very aware of both sides: the person who feels unsafe, and the responsibility of dog owners to manage their dogs properly.
So, I’m about as specialist as can be (without tooting my own horn…)
Interested in working together? I’m so glad!
You deserve a life that feels like yours. And if your fear of dogs has been limiting that, this is something we can work through - at your pace, and in a way that feels manageable.
Having said that, I know reaching out can be a bit of a nerve-racking (and also amazing) step. So, because everyone’s different, here are your options to get started (and a more detailed overview below):
If you feel most comfortable starting in writing, contact me via this form
If you’d like to see if we click live and if this approach would actually help, book a free 15-min consultation below
If you’ve decided you want to go straight for an initial session (for weekly therapy only!) to explore things in a bit more depth, book it below
Your options:
Weekly Therapy
The traditional weekly therapy model
Might be for you if you prefer a longer-term, regular approach
Book in week by week, for 3-6 months or more
Therapy sessions: £125
Therapy Intensives
Concentrated, accelerated model
Might be for you if you prefer a focused, extended approach, with extra flexibility (some weekend availability)
One-off packages of 5h or 8h to be completed within 1-3 weeks, each including: 1x preparation session; 1x main session; 1x follow-up session (see below for more details)
5h-intensive package: £750 / 8h-intensive package: £1200
Here’s how it all works…
Reach out in writing OR have a free 15-minute intro call
Everyone’s different - some people prefer to get a feel in writing first, others want to see if they connect with someone live. Or you might even be ready to try a first session directly (if you’re going for weekly therapy; for intensives we’ll have an intro call to make sure it’s right for you). Choose what feels right for you!
Weekly Therapy for Dog Phobia
1
Initial session (up to 60 minutes), during which we’ll discuss:
Current difficulties, some background and history, & impact on your daily life
Goals & previous experiences of therapy (if any) - what was helpful and what wasn’t
How this all may link together & how ACT/CBT could help
What you need to make this work best for you
Your first between-sessions task
2
Ongoing sessions (45-50 minutes), during which we will:
Go deeper on our shared understanding of what may have led to development of your difficulties, and what may be keeping them going (called a ‘formulation’), to use as a basis for your treatment plan
Use a variety of interventions (ACT/CBT/mindfulness) to support you in achieving your goals
Set a plan / agenda at the start of each session to keep us on track (but this is not fixed and we can adapt according to your needs)
3
Ending therapy (which we both agree on):
We will discuss ending therapy a few sessions before the final one (and we will of course agree on this)
It’s natural to feel a little apprehensive about ending, so we really think together if it’s ‘just’ this, or if we’ve actually missed anything
During this final session, or perhaps last two sessions, we will work together to produce a summary of important points and a plan for the future
Therapy Intensives for Dog Phobia
1
Prep session (up to 60 minutes), during which we’ll discuss:
How your dog phobia is manifesting itself, what may have led to it, what may be keeping it going & impact on your daily life
Goals & previous experiences of therapy (if any) - what was helpful and what wasn’t
How this all may link together & how ACT/CBT/exposure helps
You treatment plans: The exposure steps we may go through, and the particular beliefs we may target
What you need to make this work best for you
2
Main session (3h / 5h), during which we will:
Set a plan / agenda at the start of to keep us on track (but this is not fixed and we can adapt according to your needs)
Go through 3-4 exposure steps (for the 3h option) / 5-6 exposure steps (for the 5h option) - may be more or less depending on how you find this
Learn how to handle your anxiety in these situations
Address the beliefs that may be keeping your dog phobia going
3
Follow-up session (up to 60 minutes), during which we will:
Draw together and make sense of the progress and learning you’ve made
Develop a summary of important points and a plan for the future
FAQs
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It may be for you if:
Your dog phobia has taken over your life and you’re tired of trying everything to get rid of it or avoid it
You’ve tried other approaches and they’ve left you feeling invalidated, confused, or stuck
You want a therapist who, while always being on your side, will sometimes gently call you up on your BS to help you move forward
You want to live your life fully without being at the whim of your dog phobia, and are willing to put in some work for this to happen
(and also, you can reach out in writing or book a free 15-min intro call to ‘vibe’-check :-)
It may not be for you if:
You want an open, explorative space with no structure, practical skills, exercises, or things to do between sessions
You want to never feel anxious again and experience only positives (hint: it’s not really possible)
You want an uber-’professional’, blank-slate kind of therapist who will nod in agreement to everything you say and never challenge you
You want a quick fix or expect that things will change by you attending a session a week and continuing as you are outside of it
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Short answer - almost. The only limitation is that I can’t offer therapy to clients based in the US or Canada due to licensing (but please note that I work under UK jurisdiction as I’m based and accredited in the UK).
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I’m online-based only at the moment - so all sessions take place on Zoom/Google Meet. I love online therapy as research shows it’s just as effective as in-person therapy, but we can work together even if we live miles apart, and you get the comfort and flexibility that comes with it.
As long as we both have good cameras and microphones, we can recreate most, if not all, of what we would do in a therapy room. I’ve creatively supported clients with phobias online!
You get high-quality therapy AND you can show up in a familiar, comfy space, with a hot drink.
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That’s a fair question - the good news is that most steps of dog phobia therapy are just as effective online as in person. Even a lot of exposure, depending on your triggers, can be done online effectively (like exposing you to pictures, videos, or sounds).
The rest of your therapy plan happens outside of sessions anyway, whether we meet online or in-person, and we’ll plan it together in detail.
The only exception is going out into real-life situations with you - but I’ve worked creatively around this before: involving a trusted person for support, guiding you over the phone/video, or occasionally meeting in person if that’s feasible.
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ACT/CBT are goal-oriented and a therapy episode is usually completed in 3-6 months of weekly therapy sessions, but some people carry on for longer (we’re all different!)
The recommended frequency of therapy sessions is weekly - this is the ‘sweet spot’ frequency to allow for momentum to build but also allow for enough time for information to consolidate and skills to be practised between sessions
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I work with adults (18+) only who want to work on their dog phobia, and/or PTSD from dog attacks or incidents, in the gold-standard way.
My other speciality is working with high-achievers whose fear of failure or rejection shows up as low self-esteem, ‘high-functioning’ anxiety, or OCD, and leaves them feeling not good enough, keeping them from living as their real, authentic selves - see here.
I also have a particular interest and knowledge in working with people who are neurodivergent or LGBTQIA+.
Having said that, I am highly trained in working with a range of mental health difficulties, including stress, depression, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, health anxiety, social anxiety, low self-esteem, perfectionism, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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I generally do not work with people who present with severe and enduring mental health difficulties, including, for example, active symptoms of psychosis, or severe difficulties with emotional regulation - this is because such difficulties are best addressed in specialist services which consist of multi-disciplinary teams of clinicians.
Importantly and relatedly, I also do not work with people who are presenting with concerns related to their own safety or that of others - as in private practice I do not have access to professionals and facilities which would support managing such concerns, and therefore, it would be unsafe and unprofessional.
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I am not set up to provide crisis support, so I am not able to respond to any urgent queries between sessions, nor am I able to work with people who have concerns about their own safety or that of others.
If you are having such difficulties and are in the UK, please call 999 or go to A&E. You can also contact your GP or local NHS mental health service for urgent support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, text Shout to 85258, or use the Stay Alive mobile app.
If you are outside of the UK, please contact your local emergency services.
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I have quite a few, bit of a nerd here :-) The most relevant ones are my PgDip in Psychological Intervention (CBT) from the University of Surrey, which I then topped up with an MSc in Psychological Therapies from the University of Exeter, and my accreditation with the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies) as both therapist and supervisor. I also completed the Mindfulness Teacher Training Pathway with The Mindfulness Network/University of Bangor.
I’m also getting training in dog body language from The Institute of Modern Dog Trainers/IMDT, a leading education provider for dog trainers and behaviourists.
But I also hold a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of York, an MSc in Clinical Neuroscience from UCL, and plenty of experience - read more about me here
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The type of therapy I offer is evidence-based and structured, goals-oriented, and forward-focused.
We’ll spend time both exploring things so we understand what exactly is going on for you, and using active interventions to help you spend less time and energy on avoiding dogs, so you can actually enjoy life wherever you are, even if there are dogs around.
Read more about ACT here (although this may or may not specifically speak to dog phobias)
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You’re definitely not alone! Talking to a complete stranger about your deepest thoughts and feelings can feel quite daunting when you think about it, and I really get that - and many clients tell me the same thing.
That’s why I offer a few options so you feel as comfortable as possible:
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Although I don’t know your specific case, here’s a non-exhastive list of possible things that may lead to the development of dog phobias:
You did not grow up or interact with dogs as a child - so you find them unfamiliar and unpredictable
You grew up or lived somewhere where dogs are considered dangerous (in many countries dog are kept as guard animals and trained to protect livestock, for example - and they take their job very seriously!)
You grew up or lived in a culture where dogs are considered dirty/disgusting
A family member or someone close and important to you is afraid of dogs - so you have taken this on as well
You’ve been through or heard first-hand about an attack or scary incident involving dogs
You’re scared of getting contaminated or infected, which may or may not be part of difficulties with health anxiety or OCD
You’re scared of sudden, unpredictable, agitated things, which may or may not be part of neurodivergence
Nothing in particular - sometimes dog phobias just happen and it’s hard to pinpoint why!
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Not at the moment, no. It means fewer limitations around logistics (like number of sessions) for you, too!
… and breathe. You may just have found a way to go from spending all your time and energy on avoiding dogs to a life you can actually enjoy wherever you are, even if there are dogs around.
I’m here when you’re ready.