Help Your Child Overcome Emetophobia
A specialist kids program. Self-guided at home, or with a therapist guiding your child every step of the way.
A structured, evidence-based program to help your child overcome emetophobia. Designed for families to work through together.
Are you a therapist? Access the provider portal →
Emetophobia is the specific fear of vomiting, your own or others. It feeds itself: anticipatory anxiety triggers nausea, the nausea confirms the fear, and avoidance (of food, travel, sick people) makes the fear bigger over time. Bia will teach you the science behind phobia and help you practice evidence-proven skills in incremental steps. Bia uses graduated exposure to stimuli (words, then images, then sensations), interoceptive exposure, and response prevention to break the avoidance and checking patterns that keep the phobia alive. You set the pace, you are in control of your recovery.
Common signs of emetophobia
- Anticipatory anxiety before meals or in public
- Hyper-awareness of stomach sensations
- Fear of food poisoning, pregnancy, or others being sick
- Avoidance of restaurants, travel, sick relatives, or specific foods
- Checking behaviors (looking up food, taking medication preemptively)
- Intrusive thoughts about vomiting
Not sure how much emetophobia affects you? Take the free 2-minute emetophobia quiz →
Our clinical approach: graduated exposure with response prevention
Two paths to recovery for your child
Is your child a teenager? See Bia for Teens
Self-Guided at Home
Parent-led program your family can do together
- Step-by-step exposure program for Emetophobia
- Age-appropriate exercises for children
- Dedicated parent lessons at every chapter
- Practice anytime on web, iOS & Android
- Track your child's anxiety and progress
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With a Specialist Therapist
Expert-guided; we'll check your insurance coverage for free
- Everything in Self-Guided, plus:
- Live video sessions with a child anxiety specialist
- Message your therapist between sessions
- 10 weeks of Bia app access included
- We'll check your insurance coverage for free
Everything your family needs to overcome Emetophobia
Self-Guided Kids Program
Your complete parent-led program for Emetophobia
- Step-by-step exposure program for Emetophobia
- Age-appropriate exercises for children
- Dedicated parent lessons at every chapter
- Practice anytime on web, iOS & Android
- Track your child's anxiety and progress over time
Already working with a therapist?
Bia works perfectly alongside your child's therapy. Use it between sessions to practise exposures and reinforce what they're learning with their therapist.
Start your child's programAre you a therapist?
Assign Bia exercises to your young patients, track their progress between sessions, and supplement your practice with our provider portal.
Access provider portalReal Impact
We track symptom severity using standardized phobia measures.
84% of parents report a noticeable decrease in their child's anxiety within the first 2 weeks.
Phobias Affect 1 in 8 Children
Signs of emetophobia in children
They may be dealing with treatable phobia. We are here to help.
Retraining the Brain
Read the science behind recovery
Anxiety is the brain's natural alarm process out of balance. When we avoid a trigger, the brain learns the threat is real, and will trigger more discomfort next time, creating a vicious loop called the avoidance cycle.
Bia uses ERP (Exposure & Response Prevention) to help the brain unlearn fear through small, incremental exercises. Instead of reacting to triggers, build skills with proactive practice.
Bia provides pre-built recovery plans made of 80+ interactive activities for you and your child to complete at your own pace.
How it works
Personalize
Start with our pre-built recovery plans and customize to your needs in a few clicks.
Practice
Your child plays story-driven quests that transforms triggers into opportunities to practice evidence-based skills.
Recover
Track progress with insights as your child builds the skill set to face fears in the real world.
Understanding emetophobia in children
Emetophobia is the phobia of vomit or vomiting. It is a common and particularly difficult phobia to live with. Emetophobia is much more than a sensitivity to vomit. It is a mental disorder similar to OCD that can cause significant distress, nausea, malnutrition, stomach aches, school and food avoidance, social anxiety, panic attacks, and more.
Research shows, treatment for phobia is more effective the earlier you can address it. Phobia is often treated by externalizing the fear (imagining fear as an 'Anxiety Monster'), and teaching skills for conquering the anxiety monster. This requires the ironic process of facing fear and consistent parental support.
Bia presents an interactive and engaging world that helps your child externalize their phobia and practice facing it, while providing lessons to help you reinforce these skills.
Evidence-Based Recovery
- Based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Utilizes Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)
- Designed with Experts and Lived Experience
"If you start, practice, and finish the program prescribed on this site you have an excellent chance of getting on the other side of this phobia."
— Dr. David Russ, Clinical Psychologist
Real results with Bia
Most emetophobia users see meaningful reduction in avoidance and anticipatory anxiety within 2 weeks of consistent daily practice.
Hear from people we've helped with emetophobia
"Bia changed my life. It gives you small steps to take every day and tracks your progress. I'm not done, but I already feel so much better and am doing so much more."
"I can tell this was built by someone who had phobia. They get it. The app lets you customize and take a little placement quiz. You can pause or exit whenever and it's very careful and explains every step. Thank you for making this"
"If you start, practice, and finish the program prescribed on this site you have an excellent chance of getting on the other side of this phobia."
Partners and Conferences
Bia is built in collaboration with leading academic researchers and found at national clinical conferences.
ADAA 2026 Symposium Presentation
NASP 2026 Miniskills Presentation
Get help with a specific fear
Frequently asked questions about emetophobia
Is emetophobia common in children?
Yes. A fear of vomiting often starts in childhood, and many adults with emetophobia say theirs began before they were ten. Because it hides behind stomachaches and picky eating, it is easy to miss.
My child is eating less. Can Bia help?
Eating less is a common way children try to keep themselves safe from being sick. Bia works on the fear underneath it, one small step at a time. If your child is losing weight or skipping whole meals, talk to your pediatrician too, so their health is checked while you work on the fear together.
Do I need to be there for every exercise?
For younger children, it works best if you are. Each chapter has a short lesson for you, so you know how to support their practice and what to say when the worry shows up. As they grow more confident, they can do more on their own.
What age group is Bia for?
Bia for Kids is designed for children aged 5 to 12, with a parent guiding the way. For ages 13 to 17, Bia for Teens gives your teen the standard layout while you keep the parent PIN.
Can I use Bia by myself?
Yes. Bia is designed to work as a self-guided tool. It provides a personalized recovery plan, interactive lessons, and step-by-step guided exercises for practicing evidence-based recovery techniques.
Can I use Bia with a therapist?
Yes. Bia provides a provider portal where therapists can monitor your progress, create custom exercises, and support your recovery journey.
How much time does it take?
Individual sessions are short. We recommend 10–15 minutes a day, 3 to 4 times a week. Bia builds a personalized step-by-step journey based on your unique needs, so completing the full journey is different for everyone. Typically, a journey includes over 55 exercises and 19 lessons across 9 milestones.
What do you do with my data?
Bia never shares your account data with third parties. You can view and delete your data at anytime. Good privacy is simple, you own your data.
Ready to help your child?
Choose your path to recovery