Bristol Zoo’s £95 class that teaches you how to pick up spider using glass and piece of paper

A zoo is offering ‘living with spiders’ classes for £95 to help people overcome their arachnophobia.

The four-and-a-half hour course involves a range of techniques including the chance to get up close and personal with the zoo’s spiders – if students are feeling brave enough.

Footage of the lessons, run by Bristol Zoo Gardens, shows the attendees gathered around a spider made out of a stones and sticks.

The four-and-a-half hour course involves a range of techniques including the chance to get up close and personal with the zoo’s spiders – if students are feeling brave enough

In a picture shared to Facebook by Bristol Zoo Gardens, students can be seen lying on the floor with pillows and blankets in a darkened room undergoing hypnotherapy to combat their arachnophobia

It then goes on to show a woman pick up a spider with a glass and a piece of paper as the class applaud.

The hypnotherapy section of the meetings, lead by hypnotherapist Greg Nejedly, has students lying on the floor with pillows and blankets in a darkened room.

In a video, posted to the zoo’s YouTube channel, arachnophobe Camilla says she is so scared of spiders she has to check the toilet roll ‘to make sure there’s none inside’.

As a way to overcome her fear, she attends the session at the zoo’s Conservation Education Centre – which cost £85.50 for members.

Footage of the lessons, run by Bristol Zoo Gardens, shows the attendees gathered around a spider made out of a stones and sticks

Footage of the lessons, run by Bristol Zoo Gardens goes on to show a woman pick up a spider with a glass and a piece of paper as the class applaud

Students listen intently to the hypnotherapy section of the meetings, lead by hypnotherapist Greg Nejedly

Mr Nejedly can be seen presenting. He tells the group: ‘We are going to talk about spiders, you are going to find out things about spiders you never knew about.

‘It’s about dispelling myths. But it’s also about tapping into the mind.’

A member of the zoo’s team then goes on to explain how spiders move around by using the sensitivity of their body and can’t actually see people, as many believe.

During the hypnotherapy session, a voice can be heard saying: ‘And I would like you now to image yourself in a wonderfully calm, enjoyable experience.’

Camilla then faces her fear head-on by trapping a spider in a glass using a piece of paper before holding it on her hand.

She says: ‘It’s been a few days since the session and I never thought I would be able to catch and release a spider on my own but now I know I can.’

People took to social media to share their thoughts on the unconventional approach.

Leila Haile said: ‘Looked at this picture and my first thought was that they released the spiders in the room whilst you lay there on the flipping floor.’

Dave Doyle said: ‘I bet each one has a rolled up newspaper or a shoe under them [sic] blankets.’

Claire Buckley wasn’t convinced. She said: ‘Thank you, but no it would be my worst nightmare.’

Vicki Smith, on the other hand, said she attended the course and it helped her to overcome her fear. She said: ‘I went to this with my sister as we both dreaded ‘September spider’ time.

She added: ‘We both deal with them so much better than before. It’s a good class for anyone who has the September dread.’

People took to social media to share their thoughts on the unconventional approach. Leila Haile said: ‘Looked at this picture and my first thought was that they released the spiders in the room whilst you lay there on the flipping floor’

Dave Doyle said: ‘I bet each one has a rolled up newspaper or a shoe under them [sic] blankets.’

Claire Buckley wasn’t convinced. She said: ‘Thank you, but no it would be my worst nightmare’

Vicki Smith, on the other hand, said she attended the course and it helped her to overcome her fear. She said: ‘I went to this with my sister as we both dreaded ‘September spider’ time’

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