Cynophobia therapy for adults
Break free from your fear of dogs.
Expert help to feel calmer around dogs and more confident handling everyday encounters — at a pace you choose, with no surprises.
- Evidence-based therapy
- Individualised
- You set the pace
- Telehealth or in-person
Dogs are everywhere these days, so a fear of dogs can really narrow your world — the parks you avoid, the social events you turn down. It's exhausting but it doesn't have to be like that any longer.
Step 1 — Plot a path to success
The Roadmap session
Every journey starts with a Roadmap session: a comprehensive 90-minute telehealth consultation with Anthony where your phobia is finally taken seriously.
Together we'll build a clear picture of your fear, set goals that matter to you, and map out exactly what's needed to get you there.
You'll leave the session with clarity and purpose — and feel empowered to choose what to do next.
Step 2 — Take back control
Therapy sessions & coaching
Following the Roadmap session, therapy sessions and coaching are available — in person in Sydney, or by telehealth wherever you live.
We use an evidence-based approach combining psychology and dog training expertise to help you achieve the goals that matter to you.
As well as feeling less anxious around dogs, you'll also learn what to do to take control of interactions with them. Dog behaviour makes sense once you learn their unique language — and we're here to teach it to you.
Start at a level you feel comfortable with, and progress step-by-step as you gain confidence. No two phobias are quite the same, so this process is completely tailored to your needs.
Standard therapy program
Our standard program consists of five one-hour therapy sessions, plus a final two-hour session in which you'll have the opportunity to build confidence with a variety of dogs.
The majority of clients achieve their therapy goals in just six to ten sessions, however additional sessions can be arranged if you need more time.
If for any reason you decide not to continue after the first session, we'll refund your remaining sessions in full.
Intensive therapy program
Our intensive therapy program is designed for clients visiting Sydney for therapy, and is usually completed over two or three consecutive days.
The sessions are extended so you'll have plenty of time to learn skills and build confidence with several different dogs, at whatever pace you're comfortable with.
Of course, we can continue to support you with telehealth sessions when you return home.
Telehealth consultations
If travelling to Sydney isn't an option, we can still support you with therapy or coaching consultations, wherever you live.
We love giving guidance and sharing our knowledge with clients across Australia and around the world.
Whether this fear is new or something you've lived with for years, we're here to help you make your fear of dogs smaller and your life bigger.
Home visits
Bringing home a cute puppy might sound like a great way to change how you feel about dogs, but it doesn't always go according to plan, leaving you feeling anxious and overwhelmed in your own home.
If you're struggling with your own dog, Anthony can help you feel safe and in control in your home, and learn to build confidence with other dogs too.
Medicare rebates, NDIS funding, workers compensation, and private health extras can all reduce how much you pay.
See funding and rebatesBacked by science
Exposure therapy is endorsed as the frontline, evidence-based treatment for specific phobias by the Australian Psychological Society, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The idea is simple: by gradually and safely facing the thing you fear, at a pace you're comfortable with, your brain learns that it isn't as dangerous as it feels. Over time, the fear response fades as your confidence grows. Decades of research back this up:
- A meta-analysis of 33 clinical trials found that around 85% of people who received exposure therapy for a specific phobia showed significant, lasting improvement.
- Structured exposure protocols report improvement in 85–90% of people treated for a specific phobia — among the highest response rates for any psychological treatment.
- Improvement tends to hold: in follow-up research, around 95% of people who responded still maintained their gains a year later, with no further therapy in between.
- It can also work quickly. A meta-analysis of 67 clinical trials found both single-session and multi-session exposure therapy to be highly effective, and a randomised trial found that a single well-designed session can match the results of months of other therapy.
The research is clear: exposure therapy is effective, fast-acting, and long-lasting. We take pride in offering an individualised approach to exposure therapy that is both informed by research and tailored to your unique circumstances.
How we work
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Collaborative
Therapy begins at a level you're comfortable with and progresses only as your confidence grows. We're here to make you feel safe and supported. We will never push or take away your control.
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Evidence-based
We don't do woo. Our approach is based on the science of fear and learning. Your therapy is led by a clinician who is an expert in both human psychology and dog behaviour.
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Goal-focused
Whether you want the confidence to own your own dog or just be able to enjoy a stress-free walk in the park, we'll help you achieve the goals that are meaningful to you.
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Neurodiversity-affirming
We recognise and respect different ways of thinking and experiencing the world, meeting each person with curiosity and care rather than treating differences as deficits to correct.
Ready to get started?
Book a Roadmap sessionCommon questions
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Exposure therapy is well supported by research as a highly effective approach, but success means something different for everyone. For some clients, going about everyday life without panicking at the sight of a distant dog is more than enough; others want to become confident dog owners. Of course, outcomes can't be guaranteed, but every effort will be made to help you achieve goals that are meaningful to you.
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You won't have to do anything. We never push clients to do anything they're not ready to do — that wouldn't just be unethical, it would be counter-productive. That said, the idea that you can overcome a fear of dogs without ever interacting with them is unrealistic, so we build up to it gradually and safely.
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We completely understand — the idea of therapy can feel terrifying for someone with a phobia. That fear usually comes from a misunderstanding of what therapy involves. We create a very controlled environment, with no surprises, and we'll never make you do anything you're not willing to do. It's about building a different experience with dogs — one where you feel safe and in control.
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For many autistic clients, fear of dogs makes complete sense — dogs move unpredictably, make sudden noises, and can make contact without asking. Therapy starts there, not from treating the fear as irrational. We optimise exposure therapy to be more effective and affirming for autistic clients by following the ASCENT model, which emphasises autonomy and accommodating sensory, communication and other differences. In practice that means that nothing happens without your consent, information is concrete rather than reassuring, and the pace is always set by you. Supports and adjustments are straightforward to build in. Just tell us what you need.
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We aim to be as inclusive as we possibly can. Tell us what you need and it will be built into how sessions run — access, communication, a support worker attending, sessions in a different location, anything else.
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If you're a Medicare card-holder, make an appointment with your GP and request a 'mental health care plan' to get a psychologist referral for your fear of dogs. See funding and rebates for details.
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Yes. Both in-person therapy and telehealth consultations are classified by the NDIS as 'therapeutic supports'. See funding and rebates for details.
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Not everyone needs the full number of sessions to overcome their fear. If that's you, you can use the remaining sessions to deepen your understanding of dog behaviour and build more confidence, or finish therapy early if you prefer.
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Our programs are based on what works for most clients, but every phobia is different and it's impossible to say exactly how many sessions you'll need. If you haven't quite reached your goals by the end, we can arrange additional sessions as needed — as long as you're keen to keep going, so are we.
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Yes. Our intensive program is designed for people visiting Sydney for therapy. If you can't come to Sydney, we can work with you remotely via telehealth, or you can access our self-paced online therapy program, Unleashed.
Ready to take the first step?
Are you ready to break free from fear and take back control? Start with a Roadmap session with Anthony — we'll take it from there, at your pace.
Book a Roadmap sessionUnleashed
Looking for a lower-cost, self-paced option?
Unleashed is a world-first online self-help program for adults with cynophobia.
Learn how to move beyond your fear of dogs, one manageable step at a time, with Anthony's expert guidance.
