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SPECialist phobia clinic · London & Amsterdam

Feel free again, without snake 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

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 snake phobia?

the effect on your daily life

You avoid zoos, parks or holidays where snakes might be present. Even seeing one on TV can make you uneasy, and you stay alert in nature.
Common symptoms of fear of snakes:

Intense fear

Rapid heartbeat

Sweating

Shaking

Closing eyes

Urge to run

WHAt’s happening in your brain

If you have a fear of snakes, you likely know that although some snakes can be dangerous, most snakes avoid people and pose little risk. Yet your body still reacts with intense fear when you see a snake, and often also when you see a picture of one or see one on television.

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 visited a reptile house and almost enjoyed it!

Peter’s experience at kindt clinics
“Very professional and a pleasant interaction with the therapist. My fear of snakes – even toy snakes – was so strong that it limited me in my daily life. I didn’t even dare to touch a plastic snake and would become truly panicked.”
“After the first exposure I even dared to hold a python. You hardly believe it — you have to experience it yourself. It is such a relief to live without fear. Now that this fear is gone, everything else feels easier because you have overcome your greatest nightmare.”
ophidiophobia treatment snake fear

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 snake phobia?
Memrec works best when the fear is specific and clearly defined, which snake 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.