If you have a phobia about snakes, spiders or any other threatening creature, it doesn't have to be a lifelong burden.

In fact, creature phobias can be overcome in as little as one day, says Martin Antony, a psychologist and phobia expert at Ryerson University in Toronto.

As with other phobias, the therapy involves ever-increasing exposure to the animal de horreur.

With spiders, for instance, the procedure might go from looking at pictures of spiders, to touching a jar with a live spider inside, to looking at a live spider in an open Tupperware tub, to touching that spider with a pencil, to touching it with a finger and finally, holding the spider in your hand (without crushing it in panic).

Some researchers have found they can get through all those steps in one session lasting two to three hours. He does his work in two to three 90-minute sessions, said Dr. Antony, co-author of the 2005 book "Overcoming Animal and Insect Phobias: How to Conquer Fear of Dogs, Snakes, Rodents, Bees, Spiders and More."

Rolf Jacob, an anxiety disorders specialist at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Oakland, said the exposure to the feared creature has to last long enough so that the patient doesn't feel relief when it's over.

"If they feel relief, it's actually a sign that they're still sensitized to the creature," Dr. Jacob said. "The emotional response to try for is boredom."

Exposure therapy is a proven technique, Dr. Antony said, and works with animals as well as people.

"I had a dog who was afraid of going on walks, so I would pick him up and carry him into places he was scared of, and now, he'll go anyplace."