Resources for Managing Needle Phobia

Example handouts (geared towards adults)

Tips and tricks

Watch now: We’ve curated a selection of videos that will help ease you into managing your needle phobia. These include tips, tricks, and strategies, including information about how to prevent fainting.

Exposure materials

Exposure practice videos: We’ve put together a series of videos of people receiving vaccines to help you face your fear. Exposure practice breaks fear into smaller, more manageable steps so the brain can rewire its automatic fight-or-flight response to needles and learn through experience that needles (while unpleasant) are safe.

Exposure practice audios: For more exposure practice, listen to our audio imaginal exposures of people receiving vaccines to help you face your fear.

Handout on Exposure: Information on practicing exposure, for educational purposes only.

Parents/Teens/Kids

We’ve curated a thorough list of our favorite resources for managing needle pain and fear in kids. If you are a busy parent and only have time to check out one resource for now, we recommend starting with Meg Foundation, which is chock full of excellent, interactive science-backed resources. You can also check out Drs. Lustig and Glinder’s talk on children’s fears of needles and vaccines.

Training Materials

Dr. Elizabeth McMahon has created free needle phobia training and treatment materials for therapists, including a simulated therapy session demonstrating virtual reality exposure therapy for needle phobia.

Referrals

You can try checking out this referral list of providers specializing in blood-injection-injury phobia. You can also check the following find-a-therapist databases: here, here, here or here.