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SPECialist phobia clinic · London & Amsterdam

Feel free again, without spider 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 spider phobia?

the effect on your daily life

You avoid basements, gardens or even TV scenes with spiders. You scan rooms the moment you enter, and you don’t feel at ease when it’s spider season and you’re home alone.
Common symptoms of fear of spiders:

Intense fear

Rapid heartbeat

Sweating

Trembling

Scanning rooms

Urge to run

WHAt’s happening in your brain

A phobia is not just a strong dislike or nervousness. It’s an intense, automatic fear response – not a conscious choice. You know spiders aren’t very dangerous, but your body reacts as if they are.

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.

Just saw a spider and didn’t panic, first time ever!

Marye’s experience at kindt clinics
“I still can’t believe how well the therapy has worked. Where I previously didn’t dare to enter my own home because of the webs around my front door,”
“didn’t dare to sit in the garden, and was always tense and on edge in my own house (the fear dominated my entire life), now the only thing I can think is: ‘fine – if I see a spider, then I can practise and see how I’ve moved past my fear.'”
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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 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 spider phobia?
Memrec works best when the fear is specific and clearly defined, which spider 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.