Xenophobia – Fear of Foreigners

Xenophobia is the Fear of Foreigners and has become a generic expression for anybody who holds a strongly prejudicial view about other ethnic groups.

It is often the result of growing-up in households or social contexts in which xenophobia is rife and technically it is known (in social psychology) as ‘othering’, the idea that there is “us” and “them” (the others).

All phobias, regardless of what the feared object or circumstances are, produce feelings of anxiety and stress for the sufferer, and Xenophobia is no different in this sense.

Whilst the feared object or situation may seem, to other people, to be ‘ridiculous’ or ‘silly’, the person who suffers from Xenophobia knows only too well that the anxious feelings they experience are real enough.

We completely understand this and will treat you and your Xenophobia seriously.

Our minds are more than capable of producing real biological reactions to any given situation and so as long as the Xenophobia sufferer believes that the object or situation they fear represents a threat to them, then they will experience real fear, anxiety and stress.

Helping people overcome Xenophobia focuses on the evaluation and modification of a person’s core limiting beliefs and values so that exposure to the phobic trigger can be evaluated or perceived differently and given new and more useful ‘meanings’ – known as ‘adaptive coping’.

Most people suffering from Xenophobia do recognise that their phobia is irrational but continue to experience it regardless of this knowledge.

This is why simply being told to “snap out of it” by well meaning friends rarely produces a good outcome!

Xenophobia Symptoms

The symptoms of Xenophobia are very similar to other specific phobias and will often include:

• Anger problems
• Generalised Anxiety
• Social anxiety
• Control issues
• Feelings of depression
• Insomnia & sleeping problems
• Low Self-Esteem
• Low Self-Confidence
• Panic attacks
• Overthinking things
• Paranoia
• Stress

Xenophobia symptoms tend to be automatic leaving the sufferer feeling like they have little or no control over the way they feel.

This often results in the use of avoidance or safety behaviours in an attempt to prevent exposure to what they consider to be the triggering events.

Unfortunately, safety behaviours tend to produce a paradoxical effect and end up reinforcing the phobia and associated distress rather than making things better.

Xenophobia may be the result of earlier traumatic experiences that can be directly (or indirectly) linked to the object or situational fear, but this is not always the case because phobic responses can also be inherited as learned behaviours from the social context in which they were brought up.

Over time, Xenophobia may have become normalised or accepted as part of a person’s life and where this has been the case, sufferers may not seek help for their problem for many years as they have learnt to live with it.

In just as many cases, however, Xenophobia may become much worse and start to get in the way of normal living. This is particularly true if the safety and avoidance behaviours have grown in frequency and sophistication.

The good news is that the majority of people who suffer from Xenophobia will find a course of psychotherapy highly beneficial.

You can read more about the different types of psychological therapy for the fear of Foreigners below.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Xenophobia

If you’re determined to overcome your Xenophobia then we highly recommend following our Tranceformental CBT programme with Paul which is available as an Online Therapy as well as a self-help course.

The Tranceformental programme is a highly successful & pragmatic psychotherapy course, run over 10 sessions, that will teach you everything you need to know to understand your problem, identify any unhelpful thinking styles or limiting beliefs and then show you how to make changes using methods derived from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Tranceformental CBT programme is a clinically proven approach used by mental health practitioners around the World.

Self-Help CBT Course for only £149!

Our online self-help CBT course has been designed to teach you the fundamental tools and techniques of clinically proven Cognitive Behavioural Therapy without having to see a therapist.

Structured over TEN, in-depth modules, this course will provide you everything you need to know to change the way you think about and experience your mental health problems from the comfort of your own home.

Click Self-Help CBT to find out more.

Alternative Psychological Approaches for Xenophobia

Although our preferred form of psychological therapy for Xenophobia is Tranceformental CBT, we also offer alternative psychotherapies for those who might prefer a different approach.

These include:

Psychodynamic therapy which focuses on understanding why the problem has arisen and relies on the therapy relationship to bring about change. Available with Paul.

Counselling which is less formally structured than CBT but still provides a safe and non-judgmental environment in which to discuss issues. Talking problems through with a skilled counsellor is often therapeutic in its own right.

Hypnotherapy is an alternative form of psychotherapy that can be applied to a very wide range of problems and is available with Joan.

Free Initial Consultations for Xenophobia

We offer all prospective clients FREE initial consultations to discuss your Xenophobia problems prior to commencing any therapy programmes.

The consultation and lasts around 50 minutes.

During this consultation we will discuss the various psychological therapy options that are available to you and make a considered recommendation based on your individual personal circumstances.

Initial consultations are also available online.

At Tranceform Psychology we recognise the importance of the therapy relationship in helping people to bring about effective change, so it is important to meet (either face-to-face or online) before deciding to follow a course of psychotherapy.

Our policy is to help people make a fully balanced & considered decision about undertaking work with us, including both the financial and personal implications.