Phobias
Hypnosis For Phobias and Fears
Phobias respond very well to hypnotherapy because often there is a single incident in the client’s past (usually in childhood) which caused the fear in the first place.
A professional consulting hypnotherapist uses specialised tools and techniques to take the client back to the incident that caused the phobia and help them reconcile with the situation and resolve the fear.
Simple Phobias
There are 2 types of phobias:
The first type is called a simple phobia. These phobias often respond well to hypnosis, because they can usually be traced back to a single event in a person’s life that triggered the phobia.
This event typically occurs before the age of 8 years old and is often referred to as the initial sensitising event.
Examples of simple phobias include:
- Animal phobias – such as dogs, spiders, or rodents;
- Environmental phobias – such as heights, deep water and germs;
- Situational phobias – such as visiting the dentist or flying
Complex Phobias
Complex phobias can also respond well to hypnosis, but they require a little more attention because they are often linked back to multiple causes and may be accompanied by trauma or PTSD.
Examples of some complex phobias are:
- Agoraphobia;
- Social Phobia
How My Hypnotherapy Treats Phobias and Fears
Regardless of the phobia type, I use the same protocol to help my clients overcome their phobias.
- The first step involves information gathering, where I talk to the client and get an understanding of which factors may have caused the phobia;
- Secondly, the sessions involve hypnosis to address the conditions and beliefs that are causing or exacerbating the phobia;
- The third step is that I teach all my clients self-hypnosis to manage the fear as it arises in real-time. Self-hypnosis is an incredibly powerful tool that allows you to go into a state of detached relaxation at any time;
- And finally, I work with the client to desensitise them to the object of their fear.
This is an incredibly important step, and it involves meeting the client where they are and setting goals with them that will allow them to do the work at home to actively challenge their perceived fears.
The Role Of Systematic Desensitization
This technique is an essential part of treating any irrational aversion. In a nutshell, it means gradually exposing an individual to the source of the phobia over a period of time so that they become desensitised to the feelings of fear that arise.
For example, if you were afraid of spiders I would start by working with you to find a specific situation which would trigger your fear but not overwhelm you.
So, if you can look at a picture of a spider without getting anxious but you can’t watch a video, I would begin by exposing you to a short section of a video.
As you are gently exposed to the video under my supervision, we work through the feelings of anxiety that come up using hypnosis, mindfulness and relaxation techniques. Then when you’re feeling stronger I would expose you to more and more situations until eventually, your fears are manageable.
CASE STUDY: Catherine Couldn’t Even Look at a Photo of a Spider
She was a quivering mess, pregnant with her first child and terrified of passing her phobia onto her first born. I used a combination of hypnosis and systematic desensitisation with Catherine, starting with a small portion of a spider photo (one quarter of a leg) and building upon that each week.
Catherine was extremely apprehensive at the beginning. In fact she was so terrified that when I mentioned I had a photo of a spider sitting in the adjacent room this sent her into a panic attack (which we managed and alleviated).
Nonetheless we persevered and Catherine enjoyed great success.
By the time she finished her last session with me, she had watched the movie ‘Arachnophobia ‘ from start to finish without a hiccup. She felt confident that she could deal with the unwanted presence of a spider in her environment without going into a meltdown.
Take Back Your Power
If you have an irrational fear that is stopping you from living your life the way you want to, I can teach you specific tools and techniques that can help you resolve the phobia.
As a Melbourne-based hypnotherapist, I am dedicated to guiding you towards a happier lifestyle through the transformative benefits of hypnosis therapy. You are most welcome to call me directly or visit my Contact Us page for more information.