Take your fear on, one small step at a time.

Fear Fixer is a self-help app for phobias, such as fear of flying or of bees and wasps. A Pluckling who shares your fear goes with you, step by step. Made by a psychotherapist, using CBT and EMDR techniques.

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The story

The land where fears go to shrink

A very long time ago, a little round Pluckling called Orla landed on a green hill by the sea. Plucklings come from space. They have no ears and no legs. They roll wherever they need to go, and because they can't fly, they travel in tiny spaceships.

Orla built a Lighthouse on the hill and kept its lamp shining, so that anyone who felt lost could find their way. One by one, other Plucklings followed the light. Each of them arrived carrying a fear of their own.

So the Plucklings made a promise: every fear would have its own place in the land, and in every place a friend who knows exactly how that fear feels. The first places are open for fear of flying, bees and wasps, heights, the tube and trains, lifts and small spaces, dogs, deep water and sharks, driving, health worries and spiders. More are on their way.

The land became Plucklingshire. The Plucklings learnt how to make fears smaller with the help of their friend Tiina, a human psychotherapist they call an honorary Pluckling. Now they invite you in too.

"I keep the Lighthouse shining, so everyone can find their way here."
Orla, the very first Pluckling, keeper of the Lighthouse
Meet the Plucklings

Every place has a friend

Each Pluckling shares your fear and goes with you, step by step. Find your fear, and meet your Pluckling.

The Aerodrome

Sam

Sam books trips to the moon, then dreads them for weeks, all because of one stormy flight through a meteor shower.

  • Fear of flying
Join Sam's testers
The meadow

Bramble

Bramble photographs flowers from very, very far away, ever since a wasp hid in the camera bag and stung twice.

  • Bees
  • Wasps
  • Hornets
  • Being stung
Join Bramble's testers
The city

Juno

Juno loves the city's rooftops and cafés, but a glass lift makes Juno's tummy drop, and a packed train feels like a trap.

  • Heights
  • Lifts
  • Small spaces
  • Trains and the tube
Join Juno's testers
The sea

Wade

Wade loves the beach, but since something brushed past in the dark bay, Wade won't go in deeper than the knees.

  • Deep water
  • Sharks
  • Sea
Join Wade's testers
The market town

Clem

Clem drove the market van every Saturday, until the accident. Now Clem rolls everywhere, apples and all.

  • Driving
  • Busy traffic
  • Motorways
  • Coming later
  • Shops
  • Crowds
  • Buses
Join Clem's testers
The health centre

Pip

Pip looks after the garden behind the health centre, but used to spend more time in its waiting room, sure every twinge was something terrible.

  • Health anxiety
  • Checking for symptoms
  • Coming later
  • Fear of dying
Join Pip's testers
The swamp forest

Moss

Moss watches the swamp forest through binoculars, and rolls backwards into a tree whenever a spider appears.

  • Spiders
  • Coming later
  • Mosquitoes
  • Creepy crawlies
  • Snakes
Join Moss's testers
The farm and dog park

Ruby

Ruby loves throwing a ball, but ever since a big dog chased one and knocked Ruby over, a single bark makes Ruby freeze.

  • Fear of dogs
  • Coming later
  • Cats
  • Birds
Join Ruby's testers
The Lighthouse Library

Hazel

Hazel keeps the Lighthouse Library, with a pencil in her tufts and a book about every fear.

Hazel helps with every fear: she explains how fear works, so it feels less scary.

More are coming, like needles and blood phobia, the dentist, trying new food, agoraphobia and more. Have your say by emailing us at info@fearfixer.io.

Plucklings have tufts instead of hair. The more tufts, the older the Pluckling: Bramble, Juno and Ruby have one, Sam, Pip and Wade have two, Hazel, Clem and Moss have three, and Orla has four.

Made by a human

Tiina, the honorary Pluckling

Tiina Sormus is a psychotherapist who has helped many people with their fears. She runs the online clinic Positive Mind Practice, and she wrote every journey in Fear Fixer herself.

She made Fear Fixer for people who want to work on a fear in their own time, in their own pocket, with a friendly guide beside them.

Self-help, not therapy

Fear Fixer isn't a replacement for a therapist and nobody monitors it. It works well alongside therapy.

Completely private

Nobody watches your journey or reads what you write. Your answers stay on your phone. You mostly tap, rather than type.

Help when fear gets big

Help is always one tap away in the app. In a crisis, call 999 or the Samaritans free on 116 123.

Join the testers

We're new, and we'd love your help

Fear Fixer is a brand-new company, and we've only just started. We really value what you think: your ideas and feedback shape every journey.

We plan to launch the app in January. Before that, from November, we're testing it for fear of flying, bees and wasps, heights, the tube and trains, lifts and small spaces, dogs, deep water and sharks, driving, health worries and spiders. We're looking for 5 testers for each fear, so places are limited.

Working together: Fear Fixer works hand in hand with Positive Mind Practice, an online CBT and EMDR clinic.

What's in it for you: a free chance to work on your fear with the app. Testing happens in the app, on your phone. If something comes up that the app can't help with, you can talk it through with Tiina in a free video session.

How testing works
  1. Sign up with the form below.
  2. Tiina calls or emails you to arrange a time that suits you, and asks a few short safety questions. You need to be 18 or over.
  3. You get the app on your phone.
  4. You use it at your own pace, on your phone.
  5. You leave your feedback in the app, on your phone, so we can make it better.

Know someone with a fear?

Fear not on the list yet? Pick "Something else" and tell us about it, and help us build its place. How we look after your details