Therapy for Fear of Flying

Depending on your specific flying fears, an individualized treatment plan at Union Square Practice might include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT helps you challenge and restructure negative thought patterns and irrational beliefs about flying. This might include education about the science of flying to demystify air travel and offer a factual foundation for building effective coping mechanisms and increasing resilience to anxiety.
• Mindfulness and relaxation techniques. Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and nonjudgmental awareness of your body’s stress responses can all empower you to take control of your anxiety as it emerges.
• Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy. VRET creates a safe, controlled environment for gradual exposure to simulated flying experiences. This allows you to apply CBT and mindfulness strategies in a realistic setting before graduating to an actual flight.
• Medication. The goal of therapy is to eliminate fear of flying or reduce it to a manageable level. In some cases, though, it can be good to have short-term anti-anxiety medications on hand. It can even help curb the anxiety to have this backup. At USP, we offer integrated therapy and psychiatry services so you have the stepping stones you need as you work to conquer your flying fears.