Fear
Everyone feels afraid sometimes, whether it is speaking in public, facing the unknown, or dealing with a painful memory. But when fear starts to take over your thoughts or limit your life, it might be time to explore what is behind it.
What Is Fear?
Fear is a basic human emotion that alerts us to danger or threat. It triggers a survival response, commonly known as “fight, flight, or freeze”, to help protect us.
Types Of Fear
Fear can take many forms, depending on the situation or your life experiences. Common types include:
- Acute Fear: A temporary response to a specific threat (e.g. a dog barking or loud noise)
- Chronic Fear: Ongoing fear that lingers even when the threat is not present.
- Phobias: Intense fear of specific objects or situations (e.g. heights, spiders, flying)
- Social Fear: Fear of embarrassment, judgment, or rejection in social settings.
- Existential Fear: Deep fear related to death, meaninglessness, or loss of control. There is fear of responsibility and the weight of choice present.
We can also classify fear into two forms: acute (immediate response) and chronic fear (long-term, persistent and often with a clear cause).
Symptoms Of Fear
Fear affects the body, mind and behaviour. Common symptoms include:
- Rapid heartbeat or shortness of breath
- Sweating or chills
- Muscle tensions or restlessness
- Dizziness or nausea
- Avoidance behaviours
- Trouble concentrating
- Feeling out of control or detached from reality
Causes of Fear
Fear can be caused by:
- Traumatic experiences (e.g. accidents, abuse, bullying)
- Learned behaviour from caregivers, media, or past events
- Genetic and biological factors: Some people are more sensitive to fear due to brain chemistry or family history
- Mental health conditions such as phobias, panic disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Medical trauma
When To Seek Help?
You should consider seeking professional help if:
- Fear prevents you from doing things you want or need to do
- You avoid everyday activities because of fear
- Your fear causes panic attacks or intense distress
- You feel stuck, helpless, or overwhelmed by your fear
You can overcome fear. Therapy can help you understand its roots and develop effective coping tools.
How Can Us Help You?
Experienced Therapists
Our processes and quality assurance is led by Dr.Emma Waddington, a UK-trained senior clinician psychologist and Founder of Us Therapy, with over 20+ years of experience in helping individuals in Singapore.
Holistic & Personalised Approach
Our clinicians draw from various therapeutic models to create a holistic approach. At Us, we have seen hundreds of clients and we recognise that each individual is unique. Our approach is tailored to you but always includes customised treatment plans and integrative techniques.
Thorough Assessment
At Us, we pride ourselves on our comprehensive assessment processes. We will undergo a thorough assessment process with you in your first sessions before we come up with a plan for your therapy.
Therapy Approaches
Fear can become overwhelming when it interferes with daily life, relationships, or well-being. Thankfully, several evidence-based therapeutic approaches can help individuals understand, manage, and gradually reduce their fears. The choice of approach depends on the nature of the fear, its intensity, and the person’s unique needs.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most widely used and effective treatments for fear-based conditions, including phobias, social anxiety, and generalised anxiety. It helps individuals identify irrational or distorted thoughts that fuel fear (e.g. “If I speak up, I’ll be humiliated”) and replace them with more realistic, balanced thinking. Clients also learn practical coping tools and problem-solving skills
Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
Mindfulness-based strategies help clients observe their fear without judgment, reducing reactivity to fear triggers. Techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and grounding exercises calm the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the fight-or-flight response.
Narrative Therapy
Fear often comes with internalised stories such as, “I’m not safe,” “Bad things always happen to me,” or “I can’t handle this.” Narrative Therapy helps clients externalise these fears and re-author their life stories in a more empowering way. It can be especially effective for individuals whose fear is linked to identity, trauma, or cultural narratives.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy explores the unconscious roots of fear, such as unresolved childhood experiences, internal conflicts, or early relationship patterns. For example, someone who fears abandonment may trace this fear to early experiences of neglect or loss. By bringing these patterns into conscious awareness, clients can break free from repetitive emotional responses.
Exposure Therapy
A specific technique within CBT, Exposure Therapy, involves gradual, controlled exposure to the feared object or situation. This may start with imagining the feared scenario, progressing to real-life exposure. Over time, the brain learns that the situation is not as dangerous as it once perceived, reducing the fear response through a process called habituation.
What To Expect
Initial Consultation – A Space to Be Heard
The first session is all about getting to know you. It is a conversation—one where you can share what is been on your mind, what has been feeling difficult, and what you would like support with. Your therapist will ask questions about your background, experiences, and goals, but there is no pressure to answer any questions—just a safe space to begin.
Questionnaires & Onboarding Surveys – Understanding the Full Picture
To help tailor therapy to your needs, you may be asked to fill out some brief questionnaires before or after your first session. These can give insight into things like mood, stress levels, relationship patterns, or coping strategies. They are not tests—just tools to help your therapist understand how best to support you.
Individual Therapy Sessions – Your Journey at Your Own Pace
Each session is a step forward in your journey. Therapy is not just about talking—it is about discovering new ways to navigate life’s challenges, make sense of emotions, and feel like you are getting the most out of your life. Depending on your needs, sessions may focus on:
- Exploring patterns of thought and behavior
- Understanding past experiences and their impact on the present
- Developing practical coping tools
- Strengthening emotional resilience
Feedback Sessions – Reflecting and Adjusting
After the first few sessions (or after assessments), a feedback session provides space to reflect on how therapy is going. This is a chance to talk about what has been helpful, what you would like more of, and how therapy can continue to best serve you.
Intervention – The Heart of Therapy
Intervention is where meaningful change happens. Every therapy journey is unique, and the approach will be shaped around what works best for you. Some common approaches include:
🌱 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Helping to identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns, reduce anxiety, and develop healthier ways to cope and new patterns of behaviour.
🧠 Schema Therapy – Deep, transformational work to uncover long-standing patterns that might be keeping you stuck, often rooted in early life experiences.
💙 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Learning to handle difficult emotions with self-compassion and move towards what truly matters in life.
🌊 Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – A powerful approach for healing trauma and distressing memories, helping the brain reprocess them in a way that feels less overwhelming.
🧘 Mindfulness-Based Approaches – Building self-awareness, grounding techniques, and ways to manage stress and emotions with greater ease.
Fees
Individual Counselling Rates
Clinician type
Fees
Clinic Founder
$310
Principal Psychologist
$290
Senior Clinical Psychologist
$262
Educational Psychologist
$262
Clinical Psychologist
$236
Counsellor
$170
Expressive Arts Therapist
$170
Associate Psychologist
$130
Phone calls / Emails
Clinicians rate pro-rata (10 Mins)
Frequently Asked Questions About Fear
Is fear the same as anxiety?
Fear is a response to a clear and present danger, while anxiety is more about future-oriented worry or vague threats. They share similar symptoms but are triggered differently.
How do we differentiate between fear and phobia?
Fear is a normal emotional response to a real or perceived threat. It helps keep us safe by alerting us to danger, like feeling afraid when a car speeds toward you or when you are walking alone at night. Fear usually fades when the threat is gone.
A phobia, on the other hand, is a type of anxiety disorder. It involves intense, irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity—even when the threat is minimal or non-existent. People with phobias often go out of their way to avoid the trigger, which can disrupt their daily life (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). For example, someone with a spider phobia (arachnophobia) may feel panic at the sight of a small spider and avoid basements, sheds, or even pictures of spiders.
In short:
- Fear = protective and proportionate to a real threat
- Phobia = excessive, persistent, and out of proportion to the actual danger
Phobias are also longer-lasting and may cause physical symptoms like sweating, rapid heartbeat, or nausea. They typically require therapeutic support to manage effectively.
How do I stop being afraid?
While it is not possible to eliminate fear entirely, therapy can help reduce its intensity and impact. Techniques like CBT, exposure therapy, and mindfulness can help you manage fear more effectively.
What are common irrational fears?
These are called phobias. Some common ones include fear of heights (acrophobia), flying (aviophobia), confined spaces (claustrophobia), and social interactions (social phobia). They may seem exaggerated, but feel very real to the person experiencing them.
How can I overcome fear?
Gradual exposure, learning to reframe thoughts, and building a strong support system are key. Therapy helps you safely explore and challenge fear responses so you can move forward.
How can I remove fear from my mind?
You may not be able to erase fear completely, but you can learn to understand it, face it, and reduce its power. Techniques like mindfulness and cognitive restructuring can help you break free from fearful thought loops.