Toronto writer overcomes lifelong fear of dogs through exposure therapy

TORONTO · A Toronto writer has overcome a lifelong fear of dogs through exposure therapy and cognitive behavioural techniques. The fear began when he was seven years old and a sheepdog broke its chain and knocked him over on his way to a school bus stop. While not physically hurt, the experience instilled a phobia that lasted for 45 years. He grew tired of the fear, especially as his children got a dog and his daily runs in Toronto were disrupted by frequent canine encounters.

"Getting rid of fear creates possibilities for a richer, more fulfilling life," said Houyuan Luo, a psychologist and founder of MindPeace Psychology in Toronto. Luo practises exposure therapy as part of cognitive behavioural therapy to help confront trauma. He explained that treatment starts with teaching people to relax using breathing exercises and mindfulness before moving to cognitive restructuring. For a fear of dogs, exposure exercises are graded on a scale from zero to 100. "Five could be talking about animals; 30, standing outside a dog park; 70, not touching but idling beside a canine; and 100, interacting with an actual leashless dog for 20 minutes," Luo said. "The idea is to confront your fear and gradually decrease the trauma responses." The writer sought Luo's advice and also underwent before-and-after brain scans at Western University's Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping to monitor his progress.

Dr. Atena Akbari, a postdoctoral associate at the centre, explained the neurological basis of fear. "When you see something as a threat, brain cells in the 'fear network', the amygdala, hippocampus and thalamus, become oxygenated," Akbari said. "This can create a physical and emotional response." In February, the writer lay in a 3-Tesla MRI scanner and watched a series of dog and cat videos while researchers monitored his brain activity.

To begin his practical exposure, the writer visited the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides facility in Oakville, Ont. Bev Crandell, the foundation's chief executive officer, invited him to the site where more than 120 service dogs are trained each year. "Our dogs provide independence, confidence, hope and peace," Crandell said. Over six months, the writer cleaned up after a dog on a walk, read poetry about dogs, interacted with puppies and attended a dog guide graduation ceremony.

With files from The Globe and Mail