These usually involve specific behavioral techniques. These treatments are performed by mental health professionals with training in this area. One type of treatment is called flooding. This involves practically overloading the person with whatever it is that person is afraid of. Another technique is called exposure with response prevention, which is a milder version of flooding.
Desensitization gets people slowly used to the idea of the feared object or situation.
All of these involve teaching the person that he or she can safely be around the situation or the object. Usually, the fear reaches a certain point and eventually decreases. These techniques take advantage of that fact. Hypnosis can also be very helpful in treating phobias. Certain medications can help in treating social phobia.