When I was undergoing CBT emetophobia treatment I always found it frustrating that I didn’t know what my therapist was thinking or doing. I also had a deep desire to figure out what was going on in my own brain, what may have caused the emetophobia and why phobias in general defy logic. I had to ultimately become a therapist myself to understand it, which shouldn’t be necessary.
So, with my own clients I used to take time during the first or second session for something I called “The Brain Made Easy.” It was basically a 20-minute “Two-dollar lecture.” Eventually I did a monologue podcast with the same name and directed clients there (I also paid my therapist enough to buy him a small car, so as a result I like to try to save my own clients as much money as possible).
Since writing our book* I’ve put together a small booklet for each client to read after their first session, before they begin the Exposure and Response Prevention work. It’s just the psychoeducation of emetophobia. I’ve included a .pdf of it here, so hopefully it will be helpful to any of you who are providing emetophobia treatment.
*Anna Christie and David Russ, Ph.D., Emetophobia: Understanding and Treating Fear of Vomiting in Children and Adults, (2023) Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London.
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