Fears & Phobias
A phobia is an irrational fear – a fear without good reason. Phobias can occur over anything including animals, objects, actions or places. When you’re confronted with the object of your phobia, you can experience various reactions including clammy hands, heart palpitations and paralysis with fear. Using hypnotherapy for phobias is highly successful when you experience this level of reaction to something.
It's estimated that 10 million people in the UK have a phobia.
You can manage your phobia by avoiding the trigger in most cases, but this often impacts on your daily life. The most common phobias treated by hypnotherapy include:
- Claustrophobia – fear of confined spaces
- Dentophobia - fear of dentists
- Cynophobia - fear of dogs
- Ailurophobia – fear of cats
- Aerophobia - fear of flying
- Acrophobia - fear of heights
- Trypanophobia - fear of needles
- Arachnophobia - fear of spiders
- Entomophobia – fear of insects
- Aquaphobia - fear of water or swimming
Benefits of Using Hypnosis for Phobias and Fears
Using hypnotherapy for fears and phobias is a relatively straightforward process and you’ll usually see the benefits immediately.
Hypnotherapy will:
- Enable you to live with your triggers without responding anxiously
- Eliminate irrational thoughts when confronted by your fear
- Live your life more freely without having to avoid your fear
Cost of Hypnotherapy for Phobias
Because fears and phobias are a subconscious reaction, hypnotherapy is very adept at treating them. Often it will take just a few sessions to see the difference in how you react. Depending on the severity of the phobia, and if you can identify the root cause, you may need more sessions. You may also feel you need a future session to reconfirm your new thought process, but most people I see require just a short course of therapy.
How Does Hypnotherapy for Phobias Work?
When dealing with phobias there are a number of techniques that can be used.
The regression technique involves you being taken back in time to the point where your phobia was triggered, or the earliest point where you can remember your fear. You’re then taught a different way of responding to the phobia or fear by detaching the trigger object from the emotional response and uploading the brain with a new, more realistic response.
What to Expect at your Hypnotherapy for Phobias Session
At your initial consultation we’ll try to establish the reasons for your phobia triggers and when you think it may have started. We’ll discuss how you feel when confronted with your trigger and how you react emotionally and physically. Once you’re confident with the hypnosis process and what to expect we’ll move onto the hypnotherapy session.
To begin, I’ll guide you into a deep, relaxed state. This state is similar to sleep, but your mind will be focused and more open to suggestion. We’ll then start the process of remembering back to when the phobia started. When you can identify the physical sensations and the triggers of your phobia, I’ll offer calming words or suggestions. These will be discussed with you prior to the session so you know what to expect.
Please note that I do not expose you to the object of your phobia. That is always done by you when you feel ready to do so.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does hypnotherapy work? How many sessions will I need? Where are you based?