Case Sofia: Overcoming a Specific Phobia with Brief Strategic Therapy

Even strong, competent, and highly functional people can feel completely powerless in the face of a specific fear. This real case illustrates how phobias can persist through well-intentioned coping strategies—and how Brief Strategic Therapy can break these patterns.

Sofia, a confident paediatric nurse, was terrified of spiders. Despite her resilience, encountering one left her paralysed and dependent on others. Through a structured, strategic process, she learned that fear diminishes not when avoided, but when approached in the right way—transforming how she perceived and responded to the phobic object.