Transactional Analysis Journal

ISSN: 0362-1537 (Print) 2329-5244 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rtaj20

Phobias

Mary McClure Goulding

To cite this article: Mary McClure Goulding (1977) Phobias, Transactional Analysis Journal, 7:1,
44-54, DOI: 10.1177/036215377700700111

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1177/036215377700700111

Published online: 28 Dec 2017.

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SECTION IV: CLINICAL

PHOBIAS
© Mary McClure Goulding (1976), all rights reserved

harming us right now. In spite of the

literature calling phobics passive-
dependent and manipulative, I find them
to be no more so than the population at
Mary McClure Goulding, large. In fact, phobics are the population
MSW, is a Clinical Teach- at large.
ing Member of the ITAA There are 38 therapists in our current
and Co-Director of the
Western Institute for Group
Four Week Workshop. Today I lectured
and Individual Therapy. on phobias and afterwards asked how
many are phobic. Seventeen raised their
During my second year field work for hands. I then asked how many are phobic
my MSW, I was assigned a phobic patient and pretend they are not, by telling them-
and then warned, "Never tackle a phobia selves, "I just don't like" this or that.
directly or it may go underground and Another six raised their hands. Some of
proliferate." Since this sounded ominous, them have kept themselves from being as
I certainly did not tackle his phobia, and important as they might be, by being
he left as phobic as he'd entered. I hate afraid to give speeches in public. Most,
failing and have spent the last few years however, use their phobias to curtail their
perfecting my treatment of phobias. fun. They don't permit themselves full
We (Bob Goulding and I) cure phobias sexual enjoyment or the fun of swimming,
easily and quickly by using methods to walking in woods, riding roller coasters,
promote Child Redecisions: or climbing heights.
Some phobics do use their phobias to
1) T A/Gestalt reworking of old scenes
manipulate others. Women in our culture
(Goulding, 1972)
2) Desensitization (Wolpe, 1974) get men to empty mousetraps by being
3) The Gestalt technique of being the feared afraid of mice. Our Indian client
object and claiming projections, (Goulding, 1975) who had not gone out
4) Any combination of the above. and of his house alone in years, did, of course,
5) Any of the above plus teaching needed
keep his family with him. However, when
skills, such as curing water phobics while
teaching them to swim. he was no longer phobic, he was delighted
not to have them around all the time.
Who are phobics? Unfortunately, most Why are people phobic? We have
of the literature is esoteric, unhelpful, found that phobias are Child Decisions
and often insulting to the phobic. Phobics made to protect self, usually at an age
are any of us who are afraid of something when the child believed in magic. How-
that probably isn't harmful (planes and ever, in response to a new trauma, a Child
cars sometimes are), and certainly isn't of any age may become phobic. A

44 Trans. An. J., 7:1, January 1977

 PHOBIAS

counter-phobic parachutist developed a Carrie: "I won't as long as there are

severe plane phobia after a jumping COWS." (She tells about a frightening
accident. A depressed woman developed incident with a cow that had been shot
a car phobia. Because phobias are Child and wounded.) I try to set up a desensiti-
decisions, I prefer to classify them accord- zation, but she remains anxious about
ing to Injunctions. what the cows might do. I ask her to
scare the others in the group by telling
"DON'T BE" them wild stories about cows; she does
Typically, the phobias in response to and feels better.
Don't Be Injunctions and Decisions are: Mary: "OK. Now are you willing to
heights, water, driving, flying, ferris pick out a cow up there on the hillside and
wheel, roller coaster, ski lift, being alone. talk to her? Tell her how close you will
Sometimes the fear of crowded spaces come to her."
and elevators and closed rooms are in Carrie: "It'S .. .it's not just the shoot-
response to Don't Be, but more often ing. There may be a bull up there I
they are responses to Don't Trust. can't see, an injured one somewhere, or a
calf I can't see, and I might accidentally
1) A child receiving this Injunction do something the cow doesn't like, like
may decide to kill self "and then they'll get between the mother and the calf."
be sorry," and become sufficiently Mary: Tell the cow that the world is full
panicked at her own Decision to set up of a million scares, and you have to stay
phobias to protect herself. on top of all of them."
2) A child may survive a situation seen Carrie: "Yeah, that's it. That ties into
by the child as potentially lethal, such some old stuff."
as a swimming accident, and Decide never Mary: "You have to have everything
to go near water again. In this case, worked out."
there may not be a Don't Be Injunction, Carrie: "That's exactly where it is."
except for that "given" by the situation, Mary: "OK, I'm going to give you a
and the Child may never have made a fantasy I wouldn't usually give, but I
Decision to die. think you can handle it. Will you fanta-
3) A child may be frightened for her size that you have accidentally walked
life and not be able to protect herself, between the cow and her calf. You are
and decide to displace the fear onto some- there now, and the cow starts to move
thing more controllable. A woman whose toward you. And now fantasize that you
father died suddenly of pneumonia when bellow" Boo" as loud as you can bellow.
she was young, transferred all her fears And now fantasize that the cow starts to
of death to fear of planes, would not bawl, because cows are the biggest sissies
fly, and thereby felt safe. in the world. Fantasize that you have
plenty of time to move away."
Example
Therapist (Mary): "Whatcha got?" Following this work, Carrie walked
Client (Carrie): "Cows." easily near the cows ... and so did I. I'd
Mary: "What?" cured my phobia while treating her.
Carrie: "Cows. I was going to take a All of these phobic decisions are "pro-
walk out there, and then I saw the cows. life." Later, however, the person may use
And I do want to walk around your them to justify suicide. The person afraid
property and I can't. .. " to go out of his or her home may say,
Mary: "Won't" "I might as well be dead as live like this."
Trans. An. J., 7: I, January 1977 45
MARY McCLURE GOULDING

"DON'T" Betty: "OK. I see them."

This injunction is given by phobic Mary: "Tell them about jumping or
parents; if the Child decides to accept, he driving off."
or she also accepts the phobia. Betty: "Yes. Hey, I can drive over this
bridge without going off of it."
Mary: "What does your mother say?"
Example Betty: " 'Be careful' ,,* (Laughs a "re-
Betty: "Can I work on a bridge? I'd cognition" laugh.) "My Daddy says,
like to give up a bridge phobia." 'Sure.' "
Mary: "Sure. Got a particular bridge?" Mary: "Say some more to your
(Betty describes the bridge near her home mother."
and her panic when driving over it.) Betty: "Look, Mother, I've never
Mary: "OK. So will you be willing to driven off before, and I'm not driving off
start driving? Put your hands on the steer- now. And you're telling me to be careful
ing wheel. Get the feeling of being in your doesn't help."
car. OK?" Mary: "What are you feeling?"
Betty: " I feel calm."
Betty: "OK."
Mary: "OK, would you put your
Mary: "Drive to where the bridge
mother in the car with you?"
starts. "
Betty: "Oh, Jesus. NO! That's the
Betty: "I'm there."
problem. I'm taking her out."
Mary: "Get out of the car and look
Mary: "Want to drive further?"
over the edge. OK?"
Betty: "I am driving. Wow, for the first
Betty: "OK."
time I am not tense. This is wonderful.
Mary: "Will you test out saying, 'I'm
I am slowing down at the top. I can just
not going to jump off the bridge, and I'm
relax and look out at the view. I feel
not going to drive my car off the
fine. "
bridge'?"
Mary: "Great. And if you ever scare
Betty: "I'm not going to jump off you,
yourself again, will you tell your mother
and I'm not going to drive off you."
in your head that you are competent,
Mary: "True?"
whether she knows it or not?"
Betty: "True. Definitely." (Slowly, we
Betty: "I sure will."
continue, stopping each time she is
Persons with multiple phobias were
anxious, until she is almost to the crest
often raised by pan-phobic parents. If
of the bridge, where she is particularly
everything the child thinks of doing is
anxious.)
called dangerous by a terrified parent,
Mary: "Get out and look over the rail-
the child has a hard time learning to cope
ing and say, 'I'm not going to jump off
and therefore uses phobias to avoid,
or drive off.' "
rather than Adult functioning to assess,
Betty: "I'm not going to jump off or
situations.
drive off. I AM NOT."
Mary: "Do you feel OK standing
there?"
Betty: "Yes; uh huh. (I ask Betty to
describe what she sees, to get her to
enjoy the scene. She does.)
Mary: "Now will you see your parents *Be Careful! is what is said by the scared Child
way down there below you on the edge (of Mother), has no Adult meaning, so translates
of the river?" into "Be Scared!"

46 Trans. An. J., 7:1, January 1977

 PHOBIAS

"DON'T BE CLOSE" or darkness. The fear may be a projection of

"DON'T BE SEXUAL" the Child's own self-destructive decisions,
A woman, who was phobic of dancing, or may be a fear based on Child informa-
Redecided that it was all right to be close tion that the world contains people who
to men. After her fine work, we asked if "want" to kill her (doctors who take out
she was ready to be desensitized. She tonsils, cruel parents or teachers). Often
laughed, said, "I am desensitized," the "cause" is buried in the past and does
picked a partner from the group, and not need to be dealt with.
danced. Her phobia had been designed to Jay: "I want to stop being afraid of
support her Child decision about close- the dark." (He describes his fear as
ness and sexuality. minor, a "creepy" feeling, and recalls
There are many specific sexual phobias, an intense fear as a child after seeing
and often orgasmic difficulties are caused "The Wizard of Oz.' ')
by one's own or one's partner's phobias. Mary: "How did your parents react?"
When women do not have orgasms, for Jay; "I don't remember."
example, either the woman or her partner Mary: "I bet I know what they didn't
may be phobic about some aspects of do. I bet they didn't give you a flash-
foreplay. light. "
Also, as Freud knew, sexual phobias Jay: "No. They didn't." (Jay lives
may be projected. We worked once with a alone. We set up the scene in his present
person who was afraid of cats. We asked home, and he explored his darkened
her to be a cat and describe herself. She house, turning on his imaginary flash-
was amazed to discover that what she light whenever he was anxious. When he
defined as a cat was a lithe, beautiful, was afraid to open a door, as for example,
seductive and sexual being! She claimed the door to the cellar, I asked him to call
these attributes and dropped her phobia. out, "I'm scared to open you, because
As is often the case, her phobia was a the Wicked Witch may be down there."
remnant from a childhood Decision. As an He enjoyed this and began laughing as he
adolescent she Redecided about sex and realized that the witch is no match for his
had no difficulties being a beautiful strong, 6 31/ present self.)
I

sexual being.
Jay: "So I open the door. You don't
scare me, Wicked Witch. I turn off my
flashlight.. .and I run like hell." (Gallows
laughter from group.)
"DON'T TRUST"
Mary: "Wait. .. that's not going to help
you any.
People who Decide not to trust may be
phobic in any situation where their lives Jay: "Nope."
are literally in someone else's hands. This Mary: "Turn your light on again. What
seems to be the basic component of fear do you see? (He describes and explores
of flying or of riding in a car or elevator. the basement and says he is calm again.)
All of the fears listed under the "Don't Mary: "OK. Turn off your flashlight.
be" injunction apply to the nontrusting What do you see?"
person if the fear is of being killed, rather Jay: "Blackness. I see the window on
than of killing self. (Usually, those who the north wall."
decide not to trust have a primary "Don't Mary: "Blackness has many colors and
be" injunction.) Fear of the dark is a fear textures. Look carefully."
of those creatures out there, hidden by the Jay: "The windows have a lighter tone.
Trans. An. J., 7:1, January 1977 47
MARY McCLURE GOULDING

In the northeast corner it is very dark. have-snake and mice phobias. I do not
(He continues to get in touch with colors know that their phobias were related to
and textures.) The branches against the their early sexual identity confusions;
window are beautiful." however, they used their phobias to
Mary: "Are you ready to walk back harass themselves for not being
into your bedroom?" "sufficiently" male. One woman, who
Jay: "Yeah." was supposed to be a boy, was an
Mary: "Want your flashlight on or excellent baseball player until adolescence,
off?" when she developed such an intense fear
Jay: "I want to do it with the flash- of the ball that she stopped playing. This
light off. I am walking down the hall. phobia seemingly was in the service of
(Pause) As I walk, I feel this little shiver her becoming what she thought of as
down my spine." "more female."
Mary: "Will you enjoy that? Feel your
shiver just for a moment as a little sexy
"DON'T MAKE IT"
shiver?"
Jay: "Yeah, OK. Yeah, it is. Down my Sometimes a phobic decision prevents
back and down my sides. Whew. I like a person from being successful. One client
that. I want to run and jump in bed and (Goulding, 1975), would not give up his
enjoy my shiver. Yeah, right now, I feel plane phobia in spite of desensitization,
a lot of movement in my body. I am in until he decided not to be president of
bed." (He goes on to enjoy the lighter and his firm. When he resigned, he took his
darker aspects of his own room and his family on a plane trip to a resort. This
own body. Then he says he is fine, and we was his first plane trip in twenty years
finish.) (except for one trial in a small plane after
Group Member: "Did you have a his first desensitization), and he enjoyed
domineering mother?" it.
Other Group Member: "Wouldn't it be Whenever a person uses a phobia to
better to explore the meaning of the keep herself from being successful, I
witch?" also look for other aspects of a "Don't
Mary: "It doesn't matter what the make it" decision. Fear of the streets,
witch represented. That was a long time high buildings, bridges, flying, driving,
ago, so don't fuck around with his may be used to keep the person from
ex-witch. " advancing professionally.

"DON'T HA VE FUN"
"DON'T BE IMPORTANT"
Many successful therapists decided
In all public speaking phobias I have early not to have fun: to work rather than
found a Decision not to be important, play. Otherwise, how would we have
not to "go public" again. Most often, the forced ourselves to get "A" marks in
decision was made the first time the uninteresting courses, year after year? It
Child, full of excitement and self- is more than coincidental that most
importance, was shamed or ridiculed by phobic therapists have phobias that limit
parents, peers, or teachers. their fun.

"DON'T BE THE SEX YOU ARE" "DON'T GROW"

We cured two men of phobias they All phobias which involve someone else
considered to be "fears only women having to do something because the
4X Trans. An. J.• 7:1, January 1977
 PHOBIAS

person won't do it herself reinforce a pant haven't found the right "key," we
Decision not to grow. This does not mean may work up to 30 minutes on two or
such people are passive dependent; it three consecutive days. When a partici-
simply means that in a particular way the pant contracts to cease being phobic, we
person has used fear to limit her inde- first make certain that she has "closed
pendence. Such a person may rid her the escape hatches" (as Harry Boyd
house of mice by independently contract- says). If the person is in any degree
ing with an exterminating company, or suicidal, homicidal, or psychotic, work in
she may in this area remain dependent on these areas takes precedence. Any person
a non-phobic spouse. who is using phobia to collect stamps
Cultural conditioning supports insect, for suicide must decide, "I won't kill
rodent, and reptile phobias in women. myself even if I never get rid of my
Little girls are loved, comforted, held and phobia" before I will work with her to
called "cute" when they are afraid, drop her phobia. Next, I'll ask for the
whereas boys are shamed, ridiculed, even details of a phobia to make sure that what
punished. Further, should a little girl the person wants to do is, in fact, safe. (It
bring one of these creatures into the is not phobic to be afraid to dive to
house, she may well witness mother depths where any error could mean
screaming and father taking charge. We death.) I ask about advantages and dis-
find more women than men who say advantages of the phobia and about who
they are afraid of small creatures. In will be affected by the participant's cure.
other areas, men and women seem to be Finally, I want the client to clear up any
equally phobic. unrealistic expectations. Learning to swim
or to enjoy sex will not necessarily make
her spouse love her. Being a good public
speaker will not necessarily lead to self-
TREATMENT respect; in fact, since self-respect is a
more important issue than public speak-
Because phobias are based on Child
ing, I'd work first on respecting oneself
Decisions, cure consists of a Child rede- while phobic.
cision of "I am not afraid!" Our goal,
then, is for the participant to experience
without fear that which was previously
feared.
Bob and I treat all participants in
group, both because doing so is eco- TA-GESTALT RE-WORKING OF
nomical (in terms of our time and effort PAST SCENES
and clients' money) and because group I will use this approach first when the
support and encouragement is an integral ramifications of the old decision include
part of our approach. Though we almost more than the phobia. Re-working an old
always work together, we find that in scene, then, may involve Deciding solidly
desensitization-as in dream work-two to live, be close, grow up and be impor-
therapsists are distracting, so one or the tant. I may also use it as a participant
other sits back, coming in only if some- remembers developing a phobia in
thing important has been overlooked. We response to a traumatic incident.
never work more than 30 minutes with a Example. A participant learned to be
patient and usually cure phobias in about afraid of heights because his father used
fifteen minutes. If the participant is ex- to dangle him over a ledge when he was
tremely phobic, or if we and the partici- three to six years old. He went back into
Trans. An. J .. 7:1, January 1977
MARY McCLURE GOULDING

the scene. He became enraged at Father kinds of little animals. And since I live
and told him, "You are a bastard... a in , there are a lot of
bully ...a little nothing man ...a cheap little animals."
nothing... You cant prove you're a man Mary: "OK, so you see an insect, and
with other men, so you mess with me... what do you do?"
I'd like to beat you ...1 hate you ... " When Lupe: "I scream and someone kills."
he had finished with his anger, he felt (Giggles. I might have gone with her
sad, a feeling he had not previously giggle, asking how old she is giggling,
allowed himself to feel towards his.father. and taken her back to that time, in order
"I'm sorry for you. You always felt so to work with an early scene. I decided to
inferior. You really were inferior in stay in the present instead.)
ways." He cried. Then, several minutes Mary: "What would you rather do?"
later, he laughed, "You know what, you Lupe: "I'd rather kill that animal."
bastard, you weren't trying to kill me like Mary: "Why? You have a fine system.
I thought. If you had decided to kill me, You scream, others kill." (Lupe explains
you'd have dropped me. I was not in that she is teaching the autonomy of
danger. And I'm not in danger now." women throughout South America, and
He came back to the present. "Shit, I'm she considers phobias to be non-
a foot taller than my father. Nobody's autonomous.)
going to dangle me like that. I take care Mary: "OK. Let's pretend. Let's start
of myself fine." When he was finished, with a small one. Ant. You know ant?"
he hiked up our road on the cliff side. Lupe: "Yes. "
That weekend he had a good time walking Mary: "OK. There's a little ant on the
safely and enthusiastically near the floor right there. Just a little tiny, tiny
"cliffs" at Point Lobos State Park. one."
Lupe: "I can do that. "
Mary: "Go ahead."
Lupe: (Gets up and steps on the ant,
squashing it with her shoe.)
DESENSITIZA TION Mary: "What do you feel?"
Wolpe (1974) uses the parental philo- Lupe: "OK. No, I don't like to kill
sophy, "Calm down." He teaches parti- him."
cipants relaxation techniques prior to Mary: "How come?"
desensitization. We prefer the Fritz Perls' Lupe: "I don't like to hurt that little
philosophy that excitement is the best animal."
replacement for anxiety. Sometimes we Mary: "OK. See another ant. Say to it,
use the classical approach of having the 'My house is your house. You may stay in
person sit, keeping hands visible to the my house and bring all your brothers and
therapist. The person is then instructed to sisters and cousins.' "
raise the left forefinger when uncom- Lupe: "No. No. If it is one ant, I am
fortable and the right forefinger when with a (gestures sweeping)."
comfortable. Beginning where the partici- Group: "Broom."
pant is least anxious, he or she is led on Lupe: "Yes. I do this." (Pretends to
a fantasy trip or acts out the scene. sweep the imaginary ant out the door,
opens door and sweeps it out.)
Lupe: "I am scared since I am a little Mary: "OK?"
girl. I have always been scared about the Lupe: "OK!"
little animals-spiders, cucarachas, all Mary: "Now see a cockroach ...
'if) Trans. An. J.• 7:1, January 1977
 PHOBIAS

cucaracha... over there. OK?" insects," or even, "I scare myself about
Lupe: "Yes." insects. "
Mary: "First tell it what you want. In 3) The participant needs to reinforce
the house or out of the house." a fantasy desensitization with a reality
Lupe: "Out of the house." experience as soon as possible after the
Mary: "Tell it what you are going to desensitization.
do."
Lupe: "Well, what I do is... (pause)
I call for somebody. No, I don't want to BEING THE FEARED OBJECT
call for somebody. (Pause)."
Just after Lupe had finished her work,
Mary: "So tell it what you are going another woman brought up her fear of
to do." spiders. She was specifically afraid that
Lupe: "I am going to bring the ... what they would crawl on her. I had her be the
is the name?" spider, crawl on her arm, and accept the
Group: "Broom." qualities she attributed to the spider:
Lupe: "Broom. Broom. I am going to inquisitiveness, excitement, and fear of
bring the broom. 'Out of my house!' being too little to protect herself. That
(She sweeps.) I open the door. (She was all the work I did with her because
sweeps it outside.)" she had already "piggybacked" on
Mary: "OK. You OK?" Lupe's work. During the break, the two
Lupe: "Yes" women hunted spiders on our property,
Mary: "Ready for a spider?" let them crawl on their hands, and killed
Lupe: "Yes" them.
Mary: "OK, see it and tell it." (She
sweeps.)
Mary: "What are you thinking?"
COMBINED TECHNIQUES
Lupe: "They are going to come."
Mary: "Sure, they are going to come Mary: "Why do you want to give up
back in. Are you going to keep sweeping fear of snakes?" Annie tells of not going
them out?" on vacations, running out of the room if
Lupe: (Laughs joyously.) "No, I am snakes are mentioned, etc. She is obvious-
not. I am too tired. (She stamps happily ly frightened while talking. We discuss
around the room, squashing bugs, as the snakes, including the positive aspects of
group cheers and applauds.)" knowing which are and aren't harmful.
I then begin a brief, unsatisfactory
desensitizing scene using a movie on TV
of a tiny garter snake. She does not get
Three rules are followed while using comfortable. She will not fantasize a live
desensitization: snake at any distance. She then describes
1) Never, at any time, force a phobic her fear that a snake would crawl all over
patient. Set up the fantasy, or let the her, she being unable to protect herself
participant set it up, and then never move because she wouldn't dare touch it. She
faster than the participant-without claimed her only recourse would be to
fear-is willing to move. faint.
2) Do not let the participant believe "I
can't" or "The (feared object) scared Mary: "Does that fit anything in your
me." Instead, ask the participant to life? It's a kinda far out fantasy ...you
recognize the truth: "I won't do what can't, or won't, protect and won't touch,
I'm afraid to do" and "I am afraid of so your only recourse is to faint."
Trans. An. J., 7: I, January 1977 51
MARY McCLURE GOULDING

Annie: "No. I can't click into any- That wiggling. That kind of movement. "
thing." (I decide not to push in that Mary: "OK. Come here (I take her to
direction. I have no treatment contract the closed glass doors). Are you willing
with this woman, except to work with her to see that black and white king snake
to cure her phobia. She is a participant slithering way down there in the grass."
in a partner's workshop.) Annie: "MMMhmm."
Mary: "OK, then. I want you to Mary: "Let it come as close as you are
pretend, without prejudice, that you are willing without being at all afraid."
a snake, a lovely king snake. (I describe Annie: (Looks out, doesn't appear
a king snake.) Will you be a king snake afraid.)
and be way out there under the redwood Mary: "Where is it?"
trees? Right now?" Annie: "Right there at that bare patch
Annie: "I am black and white. It's (about 20 feet away)."
hard for me to think of a snake as lovely." Mary: "You feel OK?"
Mary: "OK." Annie: "Yes."
Annie: "I am black and white and... Mary: "Fine. That's enough for today.
slithery. And I...I move really fast. And You've come a long way."
I make a rustling noise." (Pause.) Annie: "Yes I have. Thank you very
Mary: "What do you feel as you move? much."
What sensations?" Mary: "I'll be glad to find time
Annie: "I feel...I feel someone is walk- tomorrow or Monday to work again. In
ing by and I want them to go away. (This the meantime, start reading about snakes.
is not the proper occasion to deal with the OK?"
difference between "think" and "feel.") Annie: "OK."
Mary: "Will you tell the person that?" A participant may start with desensiti-
Annie: "I am scared of you. I don't zation and then remember an early scene:
want to wrap around you."
Mary: "In fact, I've never in my life Mary: "What are you afraid of?"
wrapped around a person?" Shirley: "I'm afraid the car will go over
Annie: "No, I've never wrapped the edge."
around a person. 'Cause I don't let people Mary: "Are you willing to say 'I am
get that close to me." afraid I will drive the car over the edge'?"
Mary: "Now be you and respond." Shirley: "I wouldn't drive the care over
Annie: "I'm glad you are going away. the edge. I'm not suicidal."
You are just as scared of me as I am of Mary: "You know how to drive?"
you." Shirley: "Sure."
Mary: "Be the snake again. Anything Mary: "Good driver?"
else about being the snake?" Shirley: "Sure."
Annie: "I like to lie out in the sun and Mary: "Then the car can't go over the
sleep and I move the way I do because it edge. Either you drive it over or you
is the only way I know how to move. I don't. "
enjoy moving that way. I enjoy the feel Shirley: "I guess that's true."
of the grass when I slither through it. Mary: "That's true."
It's really nice. A sensual movement." Then I asked her to start driving, stop
Mary: "I am nice and I move sensually. when anxious, etc. Suddenly, she said,
Will you claim that for you?" "This is all from when I was a kid." We
Annie: (Laughs.) "Yes, yes. I like that stopped the desensitization, and I asked
feeling and I identify with that feeling. her to go back to the scene she was

52 Trans. An. J., 7:1, January 1977

 PHOBIAS

remembering: "I am in the back seat of then be appropriate to desensitize in a

my parents' car, and they are quarreling fantasized future scene where the partici-
about Father's driving. The more Mother pant is giving a public speech. I ask that
pleads and screams, the worse he drives, she begin to speak to an audience of one
and I am terrified." and increase the number slowly as she
As she works on this scene, she realizes feels comfortable (or excited).
for the first time that Father was not a
dangerous driver, never had an accident COMBINING TECHNIQUES WITH
in his entire life, and that the problem TEACHING
was their quarrels and Mother's phobia. In every workshop, Bob Goulding cures
Then Shirley remembers her impulse to participants who are afraid of the water
open the car door and jump out, to or afraid of putting their heads under,
punish them for fighting and not paying keeping their eyes open, floating on their
attention to her. Now Shirley is ready to backs, swimming in deep water, or diving.
get back in her own car. Using the above mentioned techniques,
Shirley: "I am not throwing myself out he also teaches the skills. Most kids who
of my car, I am not driving dangerously, are poor in sports are phobic. Unfor-
I have never driven dangerously. I am in tunately, the usual teaching methods
charge of my car and I drive it well." accentuate negative stroking, while teach-
(That afternoon she drove on a nearby ing skills that won't be learned by a
mountainous road easily, and is no longer phobic youngster. Such children, (and
phobic.) grown-ups too) may become acceptable
In curing participants of their fears of athletes, or at least enjoy the sport, when
public speaking, I use a variety of they are desensitized of their fears, taught
approaches. First, I ask for catastrophic needed skills, and stroked positively for
expectations. "If you should agree to give each gain.
that lecture, what is the worst thing that In all our work, we look for ways to
could happen?" "What happens next?" make curing both fun and beautiful for
"Next?" "And how would you handle the therapists, the participants, and the
this?" I continue questioning until the whole group. As in the work with Jay, a
person recognizes she will cope. I may Child with a flashlight can solve most
then use the "Be the feared object" problems. Our work is based on providing
approach and ask the participant to be the flashlights.
audience. She easily identifies that the
punitive, derisive audience is in reality
her own Critical Parent. The next
step may be to fight back decisively in the
Child ego state, and that is best in an early
scene. The early scene is most often cited
as reading aloud or recital times when
young accompanied by a feeling of
REFERENCES
shame. In re-working the scene, she Goulding, R.L. "New directions in transactional
will need to realize that the persecutor analysis." in Sager, Ci.l. and Kaplan, H.S. eds.
back then was at fault and that it is OK Progress in group and family therapy. New
for a person to make a mistake. The York: Brunner/Mazel, 1972, pp. 105-134.
driver-injunction complex behind this Goulding, R. L. "Curing phobias." Voices, Spring,
1975.
phobia is, "Be perfect-Don't make it." Wolpe, J. The practice of behavior therapy. New
After the Child has redecided, it will York: Pergamon, 1974.

Trans. An. J., 7: I, January 1977 53

MARY McCLURE GOULDING

SUMMARY Zusammenfassung aufDeutsch

In the successful treatment of phobias Bei der erfolgreichen Behandlung von
the authors describe use of redecision Phobien, beschreibt der Verfasser
therapy, desensitization, and/or Gestalt folgende Methoden: neuer EntschluB
identification with the feared object and Therapie, Straffreiheit von Gefuhlen, und
claiming of the projected attributes. They Gestaltmethode wodurch man sich mit
found that phobic people do not have dem gefiirchteten Objekt identifiziert und
"phobic personalities," that about die versetzten Kennzeichen "besitzt". Es
10-15010 of therapists attending training ist entdeckt worden, daB die Personen
sessions at their institute have some mit Phobien, keine "phobische Person =
phobia, and that so far they have cured litat" haben, daB ungefahr 10 bis 15% der
about 90% of these participants in one Therapeuten bei unseren Sitzungen einige
to three 20-minute sessions. Phobien besitzen. Bis jetzt sind 90% von
ihnen geheilt, im Rahmen von eins bis
drei 20-Minuten Sitzungen.

Sumario en Espaiiol Resume en francais

Para un tratamiento de las fobias que L'auteur decrit l'emploi de la therapie
tenga exito el autor describe el uso de la de redecision, de la desensibilisation, et
terapia de re-decisiones, de-sensibilizacion des methodes de la psychologie du
(cdesensitization»), y los rnetodos Gestalt: Gestalt dans le traitement reussi des
identificarse, pues, con el objeto temido phobies: il s'agit de s'identifier a l'objet
y «aduefiarse de» (<<own») los atributos de la crainte, et « posseder » les traits
proyectados. Hemos comprobado que las projetes. Nous avons observe que les
personas f6bicas no tienen «personali- sujets subissant des phobies n'ont pas
dades fobicas», que en un 10 a 15% de los « la personnalite phobique », et que 10
terapeutas que asisten a nuestras sesiones a 15 pourcent des specialistes de psycho-
tienen alguna que otra fobia y que hasta la therapie assistant a nos sessions ressentent
fecha hem os curado aproximadamente quelque phobie; jusqu'a present nous en
90% de estos participantes en de una a avons gueri environ 90 pourcent en une a
tres sesiones de veinte minutos cada una. trois sessions de 20 minutes chacune.

--1
I liked Eric Berne's response to a journalist who twitted him about
having seven children "to prove his potency." He said, "Potency is an
important attribute- important for females as well as for men." I
I

...
At last here was a psychoanalyst who publicly debunked the myth
of "penis envy" when a female seeks potency.
IjoinedlTAA.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __- Fa~i: E~g~S~ _

I
54 Trans. An. J., 7:1, January 1977