Specialized methods for treating phobias and eliminating obsessive fears. According to Ivan Pavlov’s theory within the framework of behaviorism. phobias are interpreted as a conditioned reflexive response to a fear associated with a specific stimulus (threatening factor), which has not completed the extinguishing process due to the phobic person’s avoidance of continuous exposure to the threatening factor. which has not completed the extinguishing process due to the phobic person’s avoidance of continuous exposure to the threatening factor. Continued gradual exposure to the stimulus leads to the extinguishment of the conditioned response – the phobia. The most common way to treat phobias is to gradually bring the patient closer to the object of their fear. with the use of relaxation techniques and cognitive behavioral therapy.