Connections

Phobias

By Racquel Stephen,

Elissa Orlando, Veronica Volk, Julie Williams

Published July 14, 2025 at 2:46 PM EDT

Three women wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at left has long brown hair and is wearing glasses, a black top and a black blazer; a woman at center has long dark hair and is wearing glasses, a white top and a bright blue blazer; a woman at right has short blonde hair and is wearing a pink and purple abstract print dress. — Janelle Holmes and Rachel Glazer with guest host Racquel Stephen on "Connections" on Monday, July 14, 2025

A smiling woman with short blonde hair sits at a desk in front of a microphone wearing a gold necklace and green and white patterned dress. — Racquel Stephen guest hosting "Connections with Evan Dawson"

Host Racquel Stephen discusses diagnosis, treatment options and stigma associated with phobias. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 12.5% of adults in the United States experience a phobia at some time in their lives.

We delve into these intense, irrational fears – fears that can disrupt daily life and cause severe anxiety symptoms.

In studio:

Rachel Glazer, LCSW, anxiety therapist
Janelle Holmes, LCSW, senior therapist at Rochester Regional Health

Connections

Racquel Stephen

Racquel Stephen is WXXI's health, equity and community reporter and producer. She holds a bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of Rochester and a master's degree in broadcasting and digital journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

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Elissa Orlando

Elissa Orlando is a producer for “Connections with Evan Dawson.” She returns part-time to WXXI News after stepping back from a long career in public media and in translational science.

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Veronica Volk

Veronica Volk is a senior producer and editor for WXXI News.

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Julie Williams

Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.

See stories by Julie Williams