Children’s Animal Phobia Therapy
Helping Children Overcome Fear of Animals
Creature Courage offers specialised children’s animal phobia therapy for young people who feel frightened around animals. Our workshops are carefully adapted to suit children’s emotional needs, learning styles, and attention spans. We work with neurotypical and neurodivergent children.
Many children develop fears of animals such as spiders, dogs, cats, insects, birds, or reptiles. While these fears are common, they can sometimes become overwhelming and start to affect everyday life. Our therapy helps children understand fear in a supportive way while gradually building confidence around the animal that worries them.
Through a combination of creative learning, practical techniques, and carefully guided exposure, children can begin replacing fear with curiosity and confidence.
Children’s Phobia Therapy (Ages 8–15)
Creature Courage offers animal phobia therapy for children aged 8 to 15. This programme is a specially adapted version of our well-known adult version animal phobia workshop.
The therapy usually runs as a full-day workshop from 10am to 6pm, although the schedule can be adjusted depending on the child’s age and ability to focus. Every session is tailored to the individual child to ensure they feel safe, supported, and comfortable throughout the process.
During the workshop, children learn practical techniques that help them manage fear responses and build emotional resilience. These skills not only help with their specific animal phobia but can also improve their overall confidence in dealing with anxiety as they grow.
The Role of Parents in Children’s Therapy
A parent must accompany any child attending children’s animal phobia therapy. Parental support plays an important role in helping children maintain the progress they make during therapy.
If a parent also has an animal phobia, it is crucial for them to receive treatment first. When children observe fearful reactions from parents, even unintentionally, they can quickly relearn the fear response. This ensures that any therapy given to the child can remain lasting and positive. You can read more about the science of this in our blog here.
Additionally, a child might struggle with phobia recovery if parents have other anxious behaviours. For this reason, parents also have the option to attend an anxiety training workshop before their child’s therapy session. This is for parents who may not have an animal phobia but still suffer from some forms of anxiety. This helps parents understand how fear works and how to avoid accidentally reinforcing anxious behaviours.
The training also gives parents the tools to support their child after the session, so the progress made during therapy can continue to strengthen over time.
Pricing for Children’s Phobia Therapy (Ages 8–15
The price for our children’s animal phobia therapy workshop is:
£369 per child for a full-day workshop
Optional parent anxiety training workshop:
£180
In some cases, specific therapy animals may require an additional £40 fee, depending on availability.
Creative Animal Exposure Sessions (Ages 5–7)
For younger children aged 5 to 7, the full therapy programme is usually not appropriate. Instead, we offer a creative animal exposure workshop designed especially for this age group.
These sessions focus on helping children gradually build familiarity with the animal they fear in a gentle and engaging environment. Through creative activities, learning, and carefully guided exposure, children can begin to see the animal in a new and more positive way.
The goal at this age is not intensive therapy but rather helping children develop curiosity and comfort around the animal while preventing the fear from becoming stronger over time.
A parent must remain present throughout the entire session.
Pricing for Ages 5–7 Workshops
£200 per child for a two-hour session
A maximum of three children can attend the session at the same time.
In rare cases, certain therapy animals may require an additional £40 fee, although most animals are available without additional cost.
Speak With Us About Your Child’s Fear
If your child is struggling with a fear of animals, Creature Courage can help. Our goal is to create a supportive environment where children feel safe, understood, and empowered to face their fears in a positive way.
You can contact us or call 0800 970 4417 to discuss your child’s situation and find out which workshop would be most suitable. Creature Courage is the best option for your child to overcome their struggles with an animal phobia. Creature Courage has helped thousands of families across the UK and even internationally support their children in overcoming animal fears and building lifelong confidence.
Please check out one of our glowing Facebook reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions About Children’s Animal Phobia Therapy
Can children really overcome animal phobias?
Yes. Children often respond extremely well to structured exposure-based therapy. With the right guidance and support, many young people can significantly reduce or overcome their fear of animals.
At what age can children attend therapy?
Our full children’s therapy programme is designed for ages 8 to 15. For younger children aged 5 to 7, we offer creative exposure workshops that introduce animals in a gentle and engaging way.
Does a parent need to attend?
Yes. A parent or guardian must be present during the session. Parents play an important role in supporting the child and helping reinforce the progress made during therapy.
How long does children’s phobia therapy take?
Most sessions run as a one-day workshop, although the structure may be adapted depending on the child’s age, attention span, and individual needs.