Help! I've got a phobia

John Fashanu isn't the only one to suffer from phobias - they affect one in ten Britons (twice as many women as men) and can prove devastatingly disruptive. But help is at hand from EFT, a new acupressure treatment that 'taps' into the problem. Three phobics put it to the test.

Stephanie Young, 32, suffers from ophidiophobia - a fear of snakes - so bad that mere images of them trigger phobic symptoms. She was sent to the reptile house at Drusillas Park, East Sussex.

The sight of a 6ft snake, coiled around a branch, just inches from my face, sent me reeling backwards, my heart in my mouth, hands wet with sweat.

Understandable perhaps? But this was merely part of a painted mural, and the symptoms I was experiencing were all classic signs of phobia - a persistent and irrational fear of an object or situation.

I've always hated snakes. Their dead eyes and slithering motion literally make my skin crawl. The mere sight of snakeskin shoes made me shudder. So when I heard that EFT claimed to banish phobias such as mine within one two-hour session, I decided to confront my fears.

EFT is a form of energy psychology sharing the same principles as acupuncture. It works on 'energetic pathways' within the body, called meridians, which are said to be key to the body's overall health.

An EFT session involves gently tapping a sequence of meridian points on the body and face with the fingertips. This rebalances energies, releases unwanted emotions and allows inner calm to return.

I arranged to meet Val and Paul Lynch, EF practitioners, at Drusillas Park near Eastbourne.

Paul asked me to close my eyes and picture a snake and then explain what I disliked. I pictured the way its muscles moved beneath the skin and shivered.

He then asked me to repeat the statement 'I don't like the way the muscles move beneath the skin' while he tapped points around my eyes, below my nose and mouth, on my neck and on my hand.

The sequence was repeated, addressing each aspect of my phobia, ranging from the feel of its skin, the unpredictability of its movements, its weight in my hands - to what if I dropped it?

With each point a mantra was suggested and the tapping continued.

The tapping made me feel queasy and, as I chanted phrases about 'accepting myself despite my fear', I felt like a twit.

After half an hour of the £60-asession tapping, I did feel calmer but I failed to see how fingertips were going to protect me against a man-eating serpent.

I decided we wouldn't make any progress until I confronted a live snake. The reptile in question was Zoe, a 5ft-long South American rainbow boa constrictor apparently incapable of ingesting anything larger than a mouse.

My hands began to sweat but I nodded that I was ready to meet Zoe, and Paul recommenced tapping my hand .

When the handler brought Zoe in I couldn't control myself. I shrieked obscenities, burst into tears and bolted for the door. Nevertheless, Paul and Val continued tapping. I was supposed to be echoing their words but was unable to focus on anything other than the snake.

However, a couple of minutes later the blind panic subsided. I began asking questions about her and found myself curious to feel her skin.

I tentatively touched the snake's leathery back but still felt anxious and didn't want to hold her.

Val and Paul explained that I shouldn't have to use willpower and that when the treatment had worked I would no longer feel afraid. As they tapped, I relaxed, unconsciously letting out deep sighs.

I progressed to letting the snake wrap around my wrist, and finally, two hours after the treatment began, I could hold her unaided. I felt euphoric and elated.

I was amazed by the treatment, although I couldn't see a logical reason why it worked.

So far, my fear has not resurfaced - but I know what to do and where to tap if it does.

Giles Bryan, 32, a heritage business consultant from Bermondsey, South-East London, suffers from arachnophobia to such a degree that he once jumped through a closed window in order to escape a small house spider his brother threw at him. We introduced Giles to Bob the tarantula.

In general, I'm fairly fearless. I drive cars fast, enjoy skydiving, caving and white water rafting and have braved storms sailing the Atlantic. It has therefore always been a source of embarrassment to me and amusement to my friends that the mere thought of a spider sends me shrieking from the room.

Years of tormenting by three older brothers has left me unable to enter a room without checking corners for cobwebs.

I wasn't sceptical about EFT. Why shouldn't a technique based on energy balance work? I was fascinated by the idea and eager to give it a go. The treatment is acupressure and psychotherapy rolled into one. Paul tapped on points around my face while Val asked questions about my phobia.

The tapping was calming and I could feel a warmth come in waves. I think the tapping helps you to stay focused on the object of your fear. For me this was key, as I'd spent my life avoiding thinking about spiders, so didn't know exactly what it was about them that scared me.

One of the main things I found I hated was their sideways movement. Val and Paul spent three-quarters of an hour tapping me and talking me through the history of my fear and made me realise that I had unconsciously been using my fear as an attention-seeking tool.

In my childhood a spider always heralded the arrival of my mother, who'd get rid of it and take care of me.

When Bob the Mexican red-knee tarantula arrived with his handler I suffered a setback. He was enormous and the sight of him made me shudder. However, I continued tapping a point under my eye as instructed and felt myself calm down. After a minute, Bob emerged from his cage. As he sat motionless, I felt bemused. I kept expecting the fear to come back, but it didn't.

I found I could sit quite happily next to Bob and, with my fear gone, asked to hold him. I ended the session with him sitting on my head. I wasn't the least bothered by the feeling of him crawling towards my face. I was more concerned for his safety than mine.

EFT unravelled my fear, making it easier for me to understand and conquer. This was a life-changing event.

Amber Nuttall, 26, an events manager from London - daughter of Miranda Stockton, third wife of Peter Sellars, and baronet Sir Nicholas Nuttall - suffers from acrophobia - the fear of heights. It is so severe that she can't stand on a stepladder to decorate her Christmas tree. Self sent her abseiling at The Westway Climbing Centre in Notting Hill

For as long as I can remember I've been afraid of falling from a height. Over the years my phobia has got worse and begun imposing too many limitations on my life to be ignored. I can't stand on a balcony, ride a chairlift or go up tall buildings. I've never been able to relax and admire a beautiful view.

The events of 9/11 caused my phobia to extend to planes. This posed real problems, especially since my father and sister both live overseas.

On the occasions when a plane journey was unavoidable I'd delay booking the ticket - often paying high fares for last-minute reservations - have nightmares-panic at the thought of packing my suitcase and spend the flight in tears with my eyes clamped shut.

The push I needed to confront the fear came when a family friend asked me to organise a charity abseil down St Bart's Hospital in aid of the Winfield Trust, which trains people with mental illnesses, so they become employable. I could hardly refuse to take part.

Val and Paul began with an hour-long telephone consultation before meeting me. They faxed me a diagram of the points I should tap. I felt weird sitting alone in my office on the phone tapping my face.

However, when I got over the initial strangeness I started to relax and concentrate on talking through the things that might have led to my fear.

It was comforting just to discover that the feelings I had were normal, as I've always felt ashamed of my phobia.

The next day I arranged to meet Val and Paul at the climbing centre in Notting Hill. After an hour of tapping, crying and working through deep-seated emotions that had caused my fear of heights, I felt drained but ready to proceed to the climbing hall.

I peered up at the sheer face of a 43ft wall that my instructor explained I'd have to climb in order to be able to abseil down. I was amazed to be feeling calm as I was helped into the harness and given instruction. The feeling of calm persisted until I reached the top. My instructor told me to lean back and I felt my stomach flip. My legs began shaking uncontrollably but I took one hand off the rope and began tapping my collarbone to calm myself down.

Then, to my amazement, my leg muscles stopped wobbling. I enjoyed the session so much that I did five descents. I felt - and still feel - completely baffled by the treatment. I can't understand why it worked, but to be honest I don't care. I'm delighted.

I've booked a flight to see my sister in New York and for the first time I'm not having nightmares about the trip. I can't wait to see the view from the top of the Empire State Building.

To find out more about EFT, call The Heart Centre on 01323 505263 or visit www.the-heart-centre.com.