Who we are
Built with clinicians.
Backed by research.
Built by those who suffer, for those who suffer.
Founder
Liam Harte
Founder & CEO
Like over 10 million people in the UK, I know what it's like to live with a phobia.
I also know that the treatment proven to work, exposure therapy, rarely reaches people in the form it was designed for. It's the clinical gold standard, yet the real-world situations it depends on - heights, flights, animals - can rarely be recreated in a clinic.
I founded Rephobia to close that gap - building a tool that is clinician-controlled, evidence-led, and held to a medical-device standard. We enable therapists to deliver graded exposure inside their own consulting room, at a pace each client can tolerate, without needing to arrange the real-world situation.
We are deliberately small; a talented virtual reality development team, a research partnership with Queen's University Belfast and a tremendously well-experienced advisory bench with the clinical, regulatory and research depth this work requires.
For people with a phobia
How it works, and how you remain in control.
Rephobia supports established exposure therapy practice. Four principles shape the experience:
You set the pace.
You and your therapist construct a graded hierarchy together. You progress only when ready.
Your therapist leads each session.
Rephobia is operated by your therapist in the room. They see what you see and direct each step.
You can stop at any moment.
Pause, lift the headset, or return to a calmer scene whenever you choose.
Safe by design.
Exposure occurs in a controlled simulation, allowing confidence to develop without real-world risk.
Advisory & research partners
Clinicians and researchers you can verify.
No opaque boards. Just named experts, publicly accountable, guiding our clinical and regulatory direction.
Prof Paul Best
Clinical advisor & prospective Chief Investigator
Full Professor at Queen's University Belfast and BABCP-accredited CBT therapist. Will lead the planned clinical trial of Rephobia.
Dr Peter Donnelly
Regulatory advisor
Regulatory consultant. Advises on Rephobia's development as a Class I Software as a Medical Device.
For clinicians
Evidence to date - transparently presented.
QUB pilot - interactive VR vs 360° video
A within-subjects crossover study at Queen's University Belfast (height anxiety) found Rephobia's interactive VR elicited a significantly larger psychophysiological response than matched 360° video. This is mechanism and feasibility evidence - not proof of clinical outcome. A full RCT is in planning with Prof Best as prospective Chief Investigator.
This finding shapes how Rephobia is built: the browser-based 360 experience is the easiest way to feel graded exposure today, and the interactive VR platform - the version this pilot measured - is what early-access clinics get next.
Full write-up available on request - clinical@rephobia.com.
VR exposure therapy literature
Clinician-guided VR exposure therapy for specific phobias has been studied for over three decades and is supported by multiple meta-analyses (Carl et al., 2019; Wechsler et al., 2019).
We cite this as support for the modality - not as evidence for Rephobia's specific product.
Browse the meta-analysesSafety, regulation & data
Built to a governance standard, not a marketing standard.
- Class I SaMD pathway under EU MDR.
- Built to meet UK GDPR obligations. Session data resides with the clinic.
- Used exclusively under clinician supervision.
Regulatory status
Rephobia is being developed as a Class I Software as a Medical Device under the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR). Device classification reflects how we build for safety and quality - it is not, on its own, evidence that the product works.
Data handling
Built to meet our obligations under UK GDPR. Session data resides with the treating clinic - not with Rephobia. Data is never sold or shared for marketing. See our Privacy Policy.
Intended use
A clinician-operated tool that supports graded exposure within therapy. Not a stand-alone treatment, not a substitute for clinical care, and not a crisis service.
Recognition
External recognition for the work to date.
Entrepreneurship and innovation awards. Listed as third-party recognition, not clinical endorsements.
Next steps
What happens next?
Clinicians and clinics
Join the early-access programme. We will be in touch as soon as Rephobia is available in your region.
If you're seeking support
Rephobia is delivered through a qualified clinician. Speaking with a therapist is the right first step. We can let you know as more clinics offer it.