SPECialist phobia clinic · London & Amsterdam

Feel free again, without dog phobia.

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

dog phobia treatment

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 dog phobia?

the effect on your daily life

You avoid parks, beaches or streets where dogs might be present. When a dog comes near, especially if it is active, you feel tense and alert.
Common symptoms of fear of dogs:

Intense fear

Rapid heartbeat

Sweating

Shaking

Constant vigilance

Urge to run

WHAt’s happening in your brain

If you have a dog phobia, you likely know that most dogs aren’t dangerous. Yet your body still reacts with intense fear when you encounter certain dogs, or in many cases any dog at all.

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 enjoy walking again now I can walk past dogs without crossing the street.

Roos’s experience at kindt clinics
“The tension I felt during the treatment and, in fact, my whole life around dogs was completely gone.”
“Remarkable. On the day of the treatment I really went into my fear. My heart was truly in my throat, and I felt tension everywhere. Then the pill, and I followed the guidelines. I really didn’t know what to expect from the test, but when I walked in and was confronted with the dog again it was so different. I felt that the tension I had felt during the treatment and actually my whole life was completely gone. As if nothing had ever been wrong… And during encounters with other dogs it also went very well. I dare to pet them, let them lick my hand, let them run around me. Only barking still startles me a bit, but not so much that I want to run away.”
dog phobia treatment

How the treatment works

Our 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.



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

Common questions.

Is Memrec suitable for all types of dog phobia?
Memrec works best when the fear is specific and clearly defined, which dog phobia usually is. During the free introductory call, a psychologist will assess whether it is suitable for your situation.
What is the beta blocker 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.
What if I’m not sure whether I’m ready?

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.