Needle Phobia Plan

5 Sessions

Does the idea of getting a shot or having blood drawn make you feel queasy? It's natural to feel anxious about something that could be painful. But, if feelings about needles impact your medical care and quality of life, you may benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Research has shown that reducing anxiety actually decreases your perception of pain. Using CBT, your therapist can help you learn how to manage your anxiety surrounding vaccines, injections, blood draws, and other fear of needles.

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TL Needle Phobia Plan featuring Thimble

CBT is one of the most effective treatments for medical phobias. In five sessions, our therapists help you learn how to anticipate, manage and contextualize any discomfort associated with needles. We use science-backed techniques such as psychoeducation, applied tension, relaxation therapy, exposure therapy and, in some cases, virtual reality to increase confidence and reduce fear.

Even better, we’ve partnered with our friends at Thimble to provide their Needle Care System^™ as part of our treatment plan. Their patent-pending Prepare and Recover patches, designed by physician mom Dr. Manju Dawkins, help prevent and reduce pain without the side effects of medication–reinforcing the CBT practices you’ll learn from your therapist.

The Prepare patch, launching in June 2024, helps physically numb the injection site (in a non-invasive, pain-free way) and the Recover patch reduces procedure after effects such as soreness and achiness without medication.

With Therapy Lab and Thimble, your body can learn that needle pokes don’t have to be something to fear.

TL Needle Phobia Plan featuring Thimble

With Therapy Lab and Thimble, your body can learn that needle pokes don’t have to be something to fear.

Read more about our collaboration here.

What is Needle Phobia?

Over 60% of people are afraid of needles–and many people of all ages avoid getting vaccines and important shots due to this fear. Fear of getting shots or getting blood drawn can prevent patients from receiving essential health care that they need and deserve. For those who have needle phobia, hearing about or experiencing a vaccination, injection or blood draw can result in feeling nauseated, shaky, and light-headed. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help teach a helpful mindset that allows you to reset expectations and manage that intense apprehension that needles can evoke.

Why you might choose this plan

Avoidance of necessary essential medical care such as vaccinations, injections or blood draws

Nausea, heart palpitations, sweaty palms, shakiness, and fainting at the thought of getting a shot or having blood drawn, or while the related procedure is being attempted

Worries and over-thinking about things that could go wrong during procedures involving needles, such as pain or adverse reactions

What to expect

By embracing the behavior change and new habits taught with CBT, you can feel more confident when going for immunizations, injections or bloodwork. You’ll feel less fear and anticipate less pain while experiencing the procedure. Using Thimble’s Prepare and Recover patches, you will become more confident that injections and blood draws won’t cause a lot of pain and can be managed without medication. (We call this scaffolding in CBT, and it works well!)

In-person, telehealth or both

Your Therapy Lab therapist can deliver the Needle Phobia plan through in-person visits, by telehealth or through a combination of the two.

How long does therapy take?

You will typically complete the 5-session plan over 4-6 weeks. Each session lasts 45 to 50 minutes.

About Therapy Lab therapists

Therapy Lab therapists are deeply trained in cognitive behavioral therapy and other evidence-based treatment modalities specific to helping you cope with needle phobia. Moreover, they are deeply committed to supporting your success.

Have more questions? Please book a complimentary welcome call. We're here to help.