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SPECialist phobia clinic · London & Amsterdam

Feel free again, without emetophobia.

A therapist-guided, focused CBT treatment that helps your brain unlearn your fear – often within 2 sessions.

Book a free introductory call

Or call, Whatsapp or email one of our psychologists

man sitting in the train without emetophobia

3,500+

patients treated

95%

SIGNIFICANT FEAR REDUCTION
in our clinic*

< 1 week

until first contact

* Results based on routine clinical data from 3,500+ patients treated since 2018. 82% remission, 13% clinically significant improvement at 2–5 month follow-up.

Our team

Our CLINIC

Do you recognise these symptoms of emetophobia?

the effect on your daily life

You avoid situations where you might see others being sick. You monitor how others feel, and small signs of nausea can quickly trigger anxiety.
Common symptoms of fear of sick:

Intense fear

Rapid heartbeat

Sweating

Shaking

Constant vigilance

Urge to run

WHAt’s happening in your brain

If you have a fear of vomiting, you know that nausea or vomiting is a normal bodily response. Yet your body reacts with intense fear when someone around you feels sick.

what we do about it

Our treatment targets the fear at its root — so the automatic reaction stops being triggered in the same way. Most patients notice the difference the very next day.

What people are able to do again after treatment

I avoided situations for years and kept adjusting my life around the fear. Now I just get on with things without thinking about it.

I just wanted to let you know that I just sat on the bus without any worry whether anyone might feel sick!

Nina’s experience at kindt clinics
“For years, I tried everything to get rid of my fear of vomiting. For a long time, it had a major impact on my life. I underwent various therapies and had already come a long way. And yet it still regularly got in my way”
“I did believe that exposure would be the best method, but I thought it simply wasn’t something you could organise. That changed when I heard about the therapy at Kindt. I felt that my fear was taken very seriously, and I was guided with great care from start to finish. And with great success. On the second day, I quite literally faced my fear, without feeling real fear anymore. So incredibly special!! I cannot thank the person who vomited before me often enough, and of course also the therapist who supported me. I will never forget this experience.”
friends having dinner and smiling without emetophobia

How the treatment works

Our Memrec approach builds on research by Prof. dr. Merel Kindt (University of Amsterdam), who discovered that adding a single dose of medication to a specific CBT-based approach can accelerate the process – enabling most phobias to be treated in just two sessions.

A psychologist guides you through the process from start to finish.

We plan 3 appointments

01
Online diagnostic assessment

Intake

We talk through your fear in depth – what it is, how it affects you, and what would help most. You leave with a clear picture and a treatment recommendation, whether that’s Memrec or something else.

02
at the clinic

Treatment session

At our clinic, a psychologist guides you through a single session designed around your specific fear. You then take a single dose of a beta blocker, which prevents the fear from being re-stored in the same way.

03
at the clinic

Test the effect

You return the next day. Most patients are surprised by what they notice – the automatic fear that was always there is much weaker or no longer there. Together we practise real-life situations to experience that for yourself.

If Memrec isn’t suitableWe find the right approach for youNot every treatment suits every person or every phobia. That’s why we offer different evidence-based approaches, including CBT and exposure therapy. During the intake, your psychologist will advise which option is likely to fit your situation best.

Built on 25 years of fear research

Phobias are learned, not something we are born with. They are irrational fears – intense, automatic, and treated by the brain as if the danger were real. Research published in Nature in 2000 showed that under specific conditions, these fear networks in the brain can become open to change.

Professor Merel Kindt translated this finding into clinical practice. Through her research at the University of Amsterdam, she developed Memrec – a specific form of CBT with the addition of a single medication to target the reconsolidation process.

Kindt Clinics is the first specialist clinic to apply this method outside of academic research. Featured in the Channel 4 documentary The Fear Clinic (2024).

Kindt, M., Soeter, M., & Vervliet, B. (2009). Beyond extinction: erasing human fear responses and preventing the return of fear. Nature Neuroscience, 12, 256–258.

Merel kindt is the founder of kindt clinics and the scientist behind the memrec method

Prof. dr. Merel Kindt
Founder of Kindt Clinics · Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam

Common questions.

What is emetophobia?

Fear of vomiting (emetophobia) is an intense fear of vomiting or seeing others vomit. People may avoid certain foods, travel, social situations or illness because of this fear.

What is the best treatment for emetophobia?

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the recommended treatment for emetophobia. You learn to respond differently to thoughts about nausea and vomiting, and practise step by step with situations you avoid. A newer form of CBT is Memrec, developed at the University of Amsterdam. Memrec targets the fear memory itself: the fear is briefly activated once, after which you take a single dose of a beta blocker. During your assessment we discuss which approach suits you best.

Does Memrec work for all types of emetophobia?
Memrec works best when the fear is specific and clearly defined, which emetophobia usually is. During the free introductory call, a psychologist will assess whether it is suitable for your situation.
How many sessions does emetophobia treatment take?

That depends on the treatment. Every treatment starts with an online diagnostic assessment. With Memrec, you then usually need two sessions at our clinic, on consecutive days: the treatment session and a follow-up the next day to test the effect. Regular CBT or exposure therapy usually takes 3 to 8 sessions after the assessment. Before you start, you can book a free 15-minute call with one of our psychologists.

Why is a beta blocker used in Memrec and is it safe?

The beta blocker is a widely used medication that normally temporarily reduces the physical stress response. It is taken as a single dose and does not cause sedation. Your psychologist will discuss any contraindications during the assessment.

How much does fear of sick treatment cost?

The complete Memrec programme costs £1,595. We also offer exposure therapy and one-to-one consultations or CBT, online or hybrid, starting from £250 per session. The introductory call is free.

Where is Kindt Clinics located?

Our London clinic is at 22 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8GQ, in the Harley Street Health District. We also have a clinic in Amsterdam, at Karel du Jardinstraat 33-4, 1072 SG Amsterdam. Memrec treatment takes place on two consecutive days, so patients travelling from further away often plan a short stay of two days.
What if I'm not sure if I'm ready for phobia treatment?
That’s completely normal. The free introductory call is designed exactly for this — just a conversation. Our psychologists are used to helping people think through whether and when treatment feels right for them.

Ready to take the first step?

Speak directly to one of our psychologists.