Amaxophobia is a specific/isolated phobia that’s treatable via personally tailored one-on-one video call sessions. Using a solution-focused approach eliminates the need to find the root cause of your fear to successfully treat it. Therefore, your driving phobia treatment will be non-intrusive and comfortable. The use of hypnosis and Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) enables me to help you overcome your fear of driving in the quickest and most relaxed manner possible.
Having a phobia is not a conscious choice but rather a condition that is maintained below the awareness. For this reason, the use of hypnosis when treating a driving phobia is a huge advantage to us. When in this natural relaxed state, we have access to the subconscious mind that houses the template that triggers irrational fear. Hypnosis, coupled with other advanced phobia treatment techniques, will ensure we conquer your fear directly below the awareness and at its root. The results can be profound and certainly worth the time and effort. Furthermore, the treatment is empowering as the changes you’ll make are completely natural and personal to you as an individual. Gaining lasting control in this manner will mean you won’t be reliant on ongoing therapy or medication to stay calm when driving.
Phobias are common and a fear of driving is not unusual. Furthermore, the pandemic seems to have exacerbated the symptoms for some. Those suffering from a fear of driving sometimes go to great lengths to avoid getting in a car. For some, it’s only an issue when behind the wheel, whilst for others being a passenger is enough. The triggers are wide-ranging and include motorway driving, driving in unfamiliar places, driving over bridges or simply having to speed up. If you suffer from a fear of driving, you’re certainly not alone.
Physical Symptoms
Breathlessness, dizziness, sweating and nausea are amongst the most common physical panic-related symptoms .
Cognitive Symptoms
Just the thought of driving can result in anxiety for a person suffering from this fear. Depending on the severity of the phobia, the thought processes and feelings associated with having a fear of driving can become draining and certainly impact day-to-day life. Common psychological symptoms include:
Fear of losing control whilst behind the wheel
Excessive vigilance of other road users and catastrophising events
Feelings of helplessness from having to rely on others to drive or utilising other means of transport
Behavioural Symptoms
A person with amaxophobia will go to great lengths to limit activities and avoid situations that may mean they have to drive or be a passenger. This may bring some relief, but psychologically, excessive avoidance routines only reinforce the phobia itself. Some common behavioural symptoms include:
Excessive planning before setting off
Taking longer routes to avoid things of concern
Declining opportunities because they involve more driving or driving in uncomfortable situations.
Specialist support
When helping my clients, I’m able to draw on years of experience in treating phobias. This ensures you receive therapy that is efficient, safe and effective. Our sessions together will be highly informative, interesting and professional. You’ll gain a complete understanding of what drives irrational fear and, more importantly, how to eliminate it quickly and comfortably.
For isolated phobias, like your fear of driving, the treatment is completed in 3 sessions
Relieve excessive anxiety when thinking of driving
Retain rational control when having to drive
Overcome your fear naturally without the use of medication
Who’s the treatment for?
Being delivered via video call makes the therapy an extremely convenient way to get your phobia treated without the need to travel or search for a specialist in your area. The treatment is constructed to help anyone:
That avoids situations or activities due to their fear of driving
That worries excessively about being in a car or having to drive
That invariably panics when behind the wheel or as a passenger
That has tried to overcome their fear of driving (including through therapy) but still suffers from the fear
That wants to overcome their fear of driving ina relaxed manner and build their confidence to drive succsessfuly
What to expect
I’m passionate about helping my clients overcome their fears. As long as you’re motivated and determined, you can rely on my expertise and enthusiasm to guide things forward for you.
Learn all about the psychology that drives irrational fear and how it’s treatable
Experience relief quickly as our first session together progresses
Receive completely tailored and personally empowering treatment
You’ll be provided with an excellent support pack that includes audio as well as useful exercises and guides. These tools can be doubled up to help in other areas of your life too!
Booking Calender
Having a fear of driving can really get in the way of life. If your fear of driving prevents you from traveling or taking opportunities, there’s good news – an irrational fear of driving is treatable! The Phobia Specialist provides a comfortable way to conquer amaxophobia from the comfort of your home
Amaxophobia Treatment Package
Good to know
What others have to say
Victoria F.
Reviewer
5/5
Thank you Filippe. I feel much more confident now about being in situations that would have previously triggered my phobia. I am much more positive now and better able to embrace change. I don't feel the need to avoid certain situations anymore. Even... Show More
if I still feel anxiety at times, I know it's nothing to be afraid of anymore and it won't balloon into full blown panic. Show Less
I came to Filipe for treatment for emetophobia which had started to affect me badly in the last year. I've been to many talking therapists throughout my life and felt a bit burnt out from it all, so I went into this with a sceptical mindset. I was pl... Show More
easantly surprised, however. I found the sessions informative, engaging and relaxing. Since completing the sessions, I have noticed that when the thought I might be getting sick pops into my head, I don't panic and the world doesn't feel like it's falling apart like it used to. I can move past the initial anxiety and carry on with life. Show Less
I really loved my sessions with Filipe. He was very patient and didn’t think my phobia was silly at all (even at times when I did) he was very understanding and really made me feel like he had a lot of time for me. It’s nice when you feel like someon... Show More
e genuinely really wants to help you. The tactics he gave me along with the science based facts about the brain and the subconscious, really made me think a different way. I feel so much more relaxed. Spiders won’t be my best friend any time soon but at least I can love living again without fear. Thank you! P.s. I even managed to ignore one in my house a week after my first session - that’s results! Show Less
Filipe was great to work with…I really was very skeptical…it seemed to good to be true.
But a phobia I have had for most of my life has gone in 3 sessions! It’s very straightforward and not a painful process at all. He is passionate about what he doe... Show More
s and it shows, he clearly knows his area of expertise well and is a great therapist.
I can’t recommend him enough. Show Less
I finally feel like I can breathe again. This treatment is so clever, it’s great to understand the way your brain works and overall that you have control of it. As someone who’s never experienced therapy before I had no idea what to expect, but Filip... Show More
e made me feel instantly comfortable within seconds of our first consultation. For just 3 sessions it was really effective and informative, I felt as if Filipe was invested in my personal journey, he was always very responsive and reassuring.
I have just had my first experience with a big spider since treatment and whilst I still find them unpleasant, I’m now aware that this is very common and the goal was never to love them- but to be able to cope and rationalise in what used to be an extremely triggering situation. I realised that I was putting a lot of pressure on myself previously to catch it in a glass, so instead I just hoovered it up, this time I felt as if I had an opportunity to think and logically create a comfortable solution.
The main differences I’ve noticed since completing the course are:
•I don’t feel the need to constantly check the around me for spiders
•The word itself and the idea of them doesn’t send me into panic mode unnecessarily
•I feel comfortable to go about my day after seeing one because it doesn’t play on my mind
And most of all my general anxiety has subsided which is a huge bonus. I feel much calmer and all of these changes are happening so naturally, my friends/family have picked up on it before I have. I couldn’t recommend Filipe enough- thank you for all your help! Show Less
I've recently completed a course of therapy with Filipe in order to cure my arachnophobia.
From the initial conversation, all the way through to the final session, Filipe made me feel completely at ease, he explained everything in great detail, and... Show More
guided me through every step of the process. I'm an extremely anxious and awkward person, but I honestly felt comfortable from minute one.
I won't deny that I was sceptical before starting, and I genuinely didn't think that this would work for me, but thought "well, it won't hurt ". After my second session I encountered a spider, I initially jumped (like I always used to do), but rather than fleeing, or panicking, or getting stressed, I literally just said to myself "it's completely fine" and then proceeded to deal with the spider with ease and get on with my day.
I'm yet to encounter a really large spider (which is mainly my issue), so I'm not yet sure how I'll deal with that, but I am feeling incredibly confident. Obviously I can't say that it will 100% work for anyone else, but it seemingly has worked wonders for me, and I would recommend it to anybody who is struggling.
Filipe has not only helped with my arachnophobia, but he's also provided me with the tools to boost my confidence and help with my anxiety in general. Show Less
The treatment from Filipe has helped me to overcome my fear of driving, particularly on motorways, and has boosted by confidence in other areas too (an unexpected consequence!).
If you've got a fear of something that's spoiling your enjoyment of l... Show More
ife book an appointment now - you won't regret it! Show Less
Fear of water. For 3 years I tried group swimming lessons, then 1:1 lessons, but just couldn't shake the gut wrenching fear of swimming independently in the water.
I decided to try another approach, and found The Phobia Specialist.
Filipe's friendly... Show More
, no-nonsense approach has been great. From explaining what was going on in my subconscious to guiding me through the process of recategorising the danger.
I have felt more calm in my everyday life, and the swimming instructor even noticed how much more relaxed I was in the water. I am finally looking forward to getting in the pool and swimming properly by myself. Show Less
When I first came to Filipe, I couldn't even think about spiders without anxiety. I was constantly checking corners of rooms and living in fear of encountering them. Now, I’ve just successfully removed a medium-sized spider, and I was able to look at... Show More
it calmly! The change has been incredible for me. I've gone from irrational fear to being empowered, and I’m not dreading spider season at all.
Filipe is really kind and understood what I was going through. His techniques and the support pack he provided have been invaluable. I feel so much more relaxed in my home, and I can't recommend this treatment enough. Thanks Filipe! Show Less
I came across Filipe when looking online for ways to overcome performance anxiety (specifically singing solos in my choir). I knew that the fear response I experienced at the mere thought of doing a solo was far greater than ‘normal nerves’ and that ... Show More
despite being good at positive visualisation and trying to normalise the event in my mind, I just couldn’t stop the physical fear response from taking over. I have tried putting myself forward for solos in the past to force myself to ‘face the fear’, only to pull out nearer the time as I couldn’t deal with the extreme anxiety (I am otherwise a confident person and don’t suffer with anxiety). I committed myself to a solo in our summer concert this year that I really wanted to do and so was determined to find a solution!
I had 3 sessions with Filipe and they were all super helpful in different ways. In the first session he explained about the conscious and subconscious brains and what’s happening when there’s a phobia. He was very understanding about my problem and reassured me it was very common and this helped me to not feel silly about it. He explained the methods he uses and the structure of the next sessions. In the second session we did a series of exercises which were aimed at reducing the hypersensitivity around solo performance - they were really simple but very effective (it was cool how different I felt about the idea of solo performing after the exercises, compared to before). And we did a similar exercise in the third session plus a short hypnosis. I also had an audio file to listen to each night.
I’m sure the format of the excercises is likely similar for any phobia, but I felt that Filipe tailored them and the language he used to be relevant to my specific problem and that he really understood what it meant for me. I came away feeling hopeful and better equipped to go through with my performance.
My choir concert was a couple of days ago and although I had a bit of panic a few days before and felt a little shakey in our run through, when it came to my solo I only felt ‘normal nerves’ which went as soon as I started singing and then I felt very relaxed and amazingly did not have any panic/anxiety or fear response at all! And I enjoyed it!
I’m so glad I decided to have these sessions with Felipe and I’m grateful for his help getting me there. I now feel confident that I can do more solos without experiencing utter panic! 😀
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend working with Felipe. Show Less
Quick, simple, and stress-free booking. Check Filipe’s live availability and book your one-to-one session instantly. Your confirmation and meeting invite will arrive in your inbox within a minute.
Filipe receives high praise for his expertise in guiding individuals through their phobia treatment. Clients commend his kindness, patience, and effective techniques in addressing fears such as heights, needles, driving, vomit, flying, dogs, spiders, public speaking, and more. Many express life-changing results, newfound freedom, and gratitude for Filipe’s empathetic and effective approach. Clients consistently recommend his services, emphasising the profound transformations many achieve.
Your Journey Starts Here
Experience: 16+ Years
Speciality: Phobias
Qualifications: Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma (NCFE Level 4) and Diploma in Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy
An NVQ level 4 qualification. This is the only qualification to be verified by the National Council for Hypnotherapy and awarded by NCFE. The NCFE is the UK’s longest-established awarding body. They are recognised by qualification regulators in the UK and respected for professionalism & quality.
Diploma in Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy
The combined study of clinical hypnotherapy and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). Accredited by: Association of Professional Hypnosis & Psychotherapy; National Council of Hypnotherapy; Hypnotherapy Society; National Council of Psychotherapists; The General Hypnotherapy Standards Council.
NCH Membership
The UK’s leading not-for-profit hypnotherapy Professional Association, promoting and protecting the practice of hypnotherapy in the UK. Originally called The Hypnotherapy Register that was formed in 1973 before being renamed.
Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council
The CNHC was set up by the government to protect the public. This is achieved through an independent UK register of complementary healthcare practitioners. Protection of the public is our sole purpose of the CNCH.
Accreditations: UK government’s Complimentary & Natural Healthcare Council and National Council for Hypnotherapy
Merry Christmas! Book a free consultation before Christmas and get 20% off your treatment costs.
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What others have to say
Reviews Summary
Expertise
Effectiveness
Versatility
Empathy
Patience
AI-generated summary of all reviews:
Filipe, known as The Phobia Specialist, receives high praise for his expertise in guiding individuals through therapy sessions to overcome various phobias. Clients commend his kindness, patience, and effective techniques in addressing fears such as heights, needles, driving, vomit, flying, dogs, spiders, public speaking and more. Many express life-changing results, newfound freedom, and gratitude for Filipe’s empathetic and effective approach. The positive impact on diverse phobias, from dental visits to job interviews, underscores Filipe’s versatile and successful phobia treatment. Clients consistently recommend his services, emphasising the profound transformations achieved through the sessions.
Latest Reviews
Victoria F.
Reviewer
5/5
Thank you Filippe. I feel much more confident now about being in situations that would have previously triggered my phobia. I am much more positive now and better able to embrace change. I don't feel the need to avoid certain situations anymore. Even if I still feel anxiety at times, I know it's nothing to be afraid of anymore and it won't balloon into full blown panic.
I came to Filipe for treatment for emetophobia which had started to affect me badly in the last year. I've been to many talking therapists throughout my life and felt a bit burnt out from it all, so I went into this with a sceptical mindset. I was pleasantly surprised, however. I found the sessions informative, engaging and relaxing. Since completing the sessions, I have noticed that when the thought I might be getting sick pops into my head, I d... Show More
on't panic and the world doesn't feel like it's falling apart like it used to. I can move past the initial anxiety and carry on with life. Show Less
I really loved my sessions with Filipe. He was very patient and didn’t think my phobia was silly at all (even at times when I did) he was very understanding and really made me feel like he had a lot of time for me. It’s nice when you feel like someone genuinely really wants to help you. The tactics he gave me along with the science based facts about the brain and the subconscious, really made me think a different way. I feel so much more relaxed... Show More
. Spiders won’t be my best friend any time soon but at least I can love living again without fear. Thank you! P.s. I even managed to ignore one in my house a week after my first session - that’s results! Show Less
Filipe was great to work with…I really was very skeptical…it seemed to good to be true.
But a phobia I have had for most of my life has gone in 3 sessions! It’s very straightforward and not a painful process at all. He is passionate about what he does and it shows, he clearly knows his area of expertise well and is a great therapist.
I can’t recommend him enough.
I finally feel like I can breathe again. This treatment is so clever, it’s great to understand the way your brain works and overall that you have control of it. As someone who’s never experienced therapy before I had no idea what to expect, but Filipe made me feel instantly comfortable within seconds of our first consultation. For just 3 sessions it was really effective and informative, I felt as if Filipe was invested in my personal journey, he ... Show More
was always very responsive and reassuring.
I have just had my first experience with a big spider since treatment and whilst I still find them unpleasant, I’m now aware that this is very common and the goal was never to love them- but to be able to cope and rationalise in what used to be an extremely triggering situation. I realised that I was putting a lot of pressure on myself previously to catch it in a glass, so instead I just hoovered it up, this time I felt as if I had an opportunity to think and logically create a comfortable solution.
The main differences I’ve noticed since completing the course are:
•I don’t feel the need to constantly check the around me for spiders
•The word itself and the idea of them doesn’t send me into panic mode unnecessarily
•I feel comfortable to go about my day after seeing one because it doesn’t play on my mind
And most of all my general anxiety has subsided which is a huge bonus. I feel much calmer and all of these changes are happening so naturally, my friends/family have picked up on it before I have. I couldn’t recommend Filipe enough- thank you for all your help! Show Less
I've recently completed a course of therapy with Filipe in order to cure my arachnophobia.
From the initial conversation, all the way through to the final session, Filipe made me feel completely at ease, he explained everything in great detail, and guided me through every step of the process. I'm an extremely anxious and awkward person, but I honestly felt comfortable from minute one.
I won't deny that I was sceptical before starting, and I ge... Show More
nuinely didn't think that this would work for me, but thought "well, it won't hurt ". After my second session I encountered a spider, I initially jumped (like I always used to do), but rather than fleeing, or panicking, or getting stressed, I literally just said to myself "it's completely fine" and then proceeded to deal with the spider with ease and get on with my day.
I'm yet to encounter a really large spider (which is mainly my issue), so I'm not yet sure how I'll deal with that, but I am feeling incredibly confident. Obviously I can't say that it will 100% work for anyone else, but it seemingly has worked wonders for me, and I would recommend it to anybody who is struggling.
Filipe has not only helped with my arachnophobia, but he's also provided me with the tools to boost my confidence and help with my anxiety in general. Show Less
The treatment from Filipe has helped me to overcome my fear of driving, particularly on motorways, and has boosted by confidence in other areas too (an unexpected consequence!).
If you've got a fear of something that's spoiling your enjoyment of life book an appointment now - you won't regret it!
Fear of water. For 3 years I tried group swimming lessons, then 1:1 lessons, but just couldn't shake the gut wrenching fear of swimming independently in the water.
I decided to try another approach, and found The Phobia Specialist.
Filipe's friendly, no-nonsense approach has been great. From explaining what was going on in my subconscious to guiding me through the process of recategorising the danger.
I have felt more calm in my everyday life, ... Show More
and the swimming instructor even noticed how much more relaxed I was in the water. I am finally looking forward to getting in the pool and swimming properly by myself. Show Less
When I first came to Filipe, I couldn't even think about spiders without anxiety. I was constantly checking corners of rooms and living in fear of encountering them. Now, I’ve just successfully removed a medium-sized spider, and I was able to look at it calmly! The change has been incredible for me. I've gone from irrational fear to being empowered, and I’m not dreading spider season at all.
Filipe is really kind and understood what I was going ... Show More
through. His techniques and the support pack he provided have been invaluable. I feel so much more relaxed in my home, and I can't recommend this treatment enough. Thanks Filipe! Show Less
I came across Filipe when looking online for ways to overcome performance anxiety (specifically singing solos in my choir). I knew that the fear response I experienced at the mere thought of doing a solo was far greater than ‘normal nerves’ and that despite being good at positive visualisation and trying to normalise the event in my mind, I just couldn’t stop the physical fear response from taking over. I have tried putting myself forward for sol... Show More
os in the past to force myself to ‘face the fear’, only to pull out nearer the time as I couldn’t deal with the extreme anxiety (I am otherwise a confident person and don’t suffer with anxiety). I committed myself to a solo in our summer concert this year that I really wanted to do and so was determined to find a solution!
I had 3 sessions with Filipe and they were all super helpful in different ways. In the first session he explained about the conscious and subconscious brains and what’s happening when there’s a phobia. He was very understanding about my problem and reassured me it was very common and this helped me to not feel silly about it. He explained the methods he uses and the structure of the next sessions. In the second session we did a series of exercises which were aimed at reducing the hypersensitivity around solo performance - they were really simple but very effective (it was cool how different I felt about the idea of solo performing after the exercises, compared to before). And we did a similar exercise in the third session plus a short hypnosis. I also had an audio file to listen to each night.
I’m sure the format of the excercises is likely similar for any phobia, but I felt that Filipe tailored them and the language he used to be relevant to my specific problem and that he really understood what it meant for me. I came away feeling hopeful and better equipped to go through with my performance.
My choir concert was a couple of days ago and although I had a bit of panic a few days before and felt a little shakey in our run through, when it came to my solo I only felt ‘normal nerves’ which went as soon as I started singing and then I felt very relaxed and amazingly did not have any panic/anxiety or fear response at all! And I enjoyed it!
I’m so glad I decided to have these sessions with Felipe and I’m grateful for his help getting me there. I now feel confident that I can do more solos without experiencing utter panic! 😀
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend working with Felipe. Show Less
Driving Phobia - the journey with Filipe has been amazing. I have managed to get back to motorway driving after not being able to, due to the fear, for 10 years. But all the wonderful pouring into me that Felipe has done, I feel confident, able and capable. Thank you Filipe. There is no way that this would have been possible otherwise without your invaluable therapy. Thank you.
I was not in a good place. I have had a phobia of heights as far back as I can remember and avoided going to places where I would be high. However now my anxiety levels became even worse by effecting my driving on motorways becoming anxious and having to stop often.
After one session with Filipe and listening to audio book my driving has got back to normal and no longer feel anxious about driving on motorway. After further sessions & therapy can now go up mountains to the top and enjoy the view and being in control.
Amazing work thank you so much. Really appreciate the help and support
Claire H.
I realised I had a problem with house spiders when I would freeze, sob and effectively ask strangers to come into my house to remove them. If there was one in the bathroom, I had to barricade it and go without until someone could come (despite having a second bathroom, however I wouldn't go in it incase of spiders). It was really starting to get in the way of my daily life, especially now it is autumn and 'spider season'. I'd find my mind being consumed with worry about coming to home to one. I knew it was really bad when one was on my stairs and I genuinely considered going out the window.
I really enjoyed the sessions and found them informative, relaxing and so helpful. Filipe was so supportive, thorough and helped me recognise and celebrate my successes. I never thought I'd be able to live a life without extreme fear of spiders and be able to be free of the worry about coming home to them. After my sessions finished, I have actually faced a house spider twice and was able to catch it in a glass on both occasions. The work Filipe did with me made it so I could actually rationally think and take the steps to remove it myself and I am really proud. I'm really pleased I invested the money into Felipe's service and would recommend anyone with a phobia to give it a try. I don't love spiders, but I am able to think straight and take steps to remove it. I feel so much more free and independent and feel like I could deal with a larger one if I had to.
Thank you Filippe. I feel much more confident now about being in situations that would have previously triggered my phobia. I am much more positive now and better able to embrace change. I don’t feel the need to avoid certain situations anymore. Even if I still feel anxiety at times, I know it’s nothing to be afraid of anymore and it won’t balloon into full blown panic.
I came to Filipe for treatment for emetophobia which had started to affect me badly in the last year. I’ve been to many talking therapists throughout my life and felt a bit burnt out from it all, so I went into this with a sceptical mindset. I was pleasantly surprised, however. I found the sessions informative, engaging and relaxing. Since completing the sessions, I have noticed that when the thought I might be getting sick pops into my head, I don’t panic and the world doesn’t feel like it’s falling apart like it used to. I can move past the initial anxiety and carry on with life.
I really loved my sessions with Filipe. He was very patient and didn’t think my phobia was silly at all (even at times when I did) he was very understanding and really made me feel like he had a lot of time for me. It’s nice when you feel like someone genuinely really wants to help you. The tactics he gave me along with the science based facts about the brain and the subconscious, really made me think a different way. I feel so much more relaxed. Spiders won’t be my best friend any time soon but at least I can love living again without fear. Thank you! P.s. I even managed to ignore one in my house a week after my first session – that’s results!
Verified client - ☆
Merry Christmas!
Thank you Filippe. I feel much more confident now about being in situations that would have previously triggered my phobia. I am much more positive now and better able to embrace change. I don’t feel the need to avoid certain situations anymore. Even if I still feel anxiety at times, I know it’s nothing to be afraid of anymore and it won’t balloon into full blown panic.
I came to Filipe for treatment for emetophobia which had started to affect me badly in the last year. I’ve been to many talking therapists throughout my life and felt a bit burnt out from it all, so I went into this with a sceptical mindset. I was pleasantly surprised, however. I found the sessions informative, engaging and relaxing. Since completing the sessions, I have noticed that when the thought I might be getting sick pops into my head, I don’t panic and the world doesn’t feel like it’s falling apart like it used to. I can move past the initial anxiety and carry on with life.
I really loved my sessions with Filipe. He was very patient and didn’t think my phobia was silly at all (even at times when I did) he was very understanding and really made me feel like he had a lot of time for me. It’s nice when you feel like someone genuinely really wants to help you. The tactics he gave me along with the science based facts about the brain and the subconscious, really made me think a different way. I feel so much more relaxed. Spiders won’t be my best friend any time soon but at least I can love living again without fear. Thank you! P.s. I even managed to ignore one in my house a week after my first session – that’s results!
The treatment was simple, effective and easy to apply. You just have to do the work. Highly recommended.