Friendly Spider Programme

Do you have a spider phobia? Then it's time you joined our Friendly Spider Programme where we will help you to overcome your fears.

There is no good reason to have a spider phobia, they're harmless and extremely beneficial invertebrates whose survival depends on avoiding such large, lumbering threats as ourselves.

However, millions of perfectly rational people are terrified of spiders. No matter how much they try to calm themselves the response remains the same: sweating, nausea, panic, rapid, heartbeat and worse.

The Friendly Spider Programme (FSP) is an afternoon course, carefully designed to ease or eliminate the condition of arachnophobia – fear of spiders. The programme is a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnotherapy.

The course takes place in the Zoological Society of London's meeting rooms. No animals, photographs or illustrations are used until the end part of the course.

2013 dates are now on sale

June 29 - sold out
July 27 - limited spaces
September 7
September 21

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The session begins with an explanation, by hypnotherapist John Clifford, of how phobias can become established, followed by a series of questions to the participants designed to comprehensively clarify just what it is about these animals they don't like.

The Zoo's spider expert, Dave Clarke, then provides the facts on these animals (addressing all the comments raised in the earlier Q&A session) proving there really is nothing to be afraid of.

After refreshments, there is a group hypnosis session designed to remove any remaining negative subconscious feelings about the animals and support the newly-acquired positive feelings, imparted by Dave.

The session concludes with an optional visit to the invertebrate collection in the Zoo's BUGS! building. Here participants can, at their leisure, practice calmly catching British house spiders and even meet one of their cousins, our friendly Mexican red-knees. Great care is taken to ensure that the programme is as stress-free as possible.

We appreciate that it's a strange concept, losing a lifelong fear of spiders in a single afternoon, but the success of the course speaks for itself. Since the programme began in 1993 we have treated more than 2,000 people aged from 7 to 82. Follow-up analysis shows that more than 80% of participants report that they now remain calm, confident and relaxed when they encounter a spider.

We conduct six FSP sessions a year (between spring and autumn). Spaces are limited and places must be booked in advance.

Quotes from participants on the Friendly Spider Programme

Schedule of events for the Friendly Spider Programme

• 2:45pm: Arrival of participants at the Zoological Society of London Meeting Rooms.
• 3:00pm: What are we afraid of? How phobias become stuck in our subconscious mind. Group Q&A session with hypnotherapist John Clifford of the Centre of Clinical Hypnosis.
• 3:50pm: Everything you ever wanted to know about spiders, but were afraid to ask. Talk and Q&A session presented by Dave Clarke, Head of the Invertebrate Conservation Unit.
• 4:30pm: Break. Beverages and biscuits served in the lobby.
• 4:50pm: Group hypnosis session by John Clifford.
• 5:30pm: Optional visit to the Zoo's invertebrate collection to see our display spiders.
• 5:45pm: Meeting with British spiders, training in catch-up, and presentation of certificate of completion + chance to meet their Mexican cousins.
• 6:30pm - 7pm: Programme finishes.

Course fees:

Course fees:

• Adult = £135
• ZSL Member = £121.50 (10% discount)
• Concessions = £94.50 (30% discount)

Concessions are senior citizens, registered students, persons on income support and under sixteens.

Spaces are limited and must be booked in advance, a confirmed place is only secured upon receipt of a completed booking slip and cheque. Please note that persons under sixteen years of age must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian who will also need to sign a formal consent form.