Theme Park Tackles Roller-Coaster Phobia

[Champ]

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German theme park will host a seminar on combating fears of roller-coaster rides -- a session one psychologist Wednesday described as helping people cope with their "weaker self."

The Holiday Park in Hassloch, western Germany, said it was responding to requests from thrill-seeking theme park fans who wanted their friends to overcome fears and ride on the flagship "Expedition GeForce" roller-coaster -- the world's steepest.

Psychologist Marc-Roman Trautmann, who will lead the one-day seminar on May 21, told Reuters: "You can't call this kind of thing therapy because people don't have to ride roller-coasters at all if they don't want to."

"The real issue is for people to recognize their weaker self and learn how to cope with it," said the leading specialist from the German Center for Fear of Flying.

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