Fitzrovia W1T 5PG, the City of London EC1, and Victoria SW1V 1RY
sian@londonhypnotherapy.org   07725 732810

Hypnotherapy for dealing confidently with fears and phobias

fearful woman peaking between her fingers

Do you have a fear or phobia that you are struggling to control? Is your life increasingly overtaken by avoiding feared situations and interactions? Have you tried your best to use willpower to overcome your fear or phobia, but not had much success? Are you worn out, frustrated and anxious because you know it's irrational, but it still has real power over you?

What is a fear or phobia?

The first thing to know is that fears and phobias are usually created by the subconscious mind as a self-preservation response, whether or not the threat was real or perceived. They are the mind's way of making sure you do anything to avoid experiencing the same frightening situation again. The way it does this is to make you very alert to any hint of a similar situation being about to happen, and keeping anxiety and panic levels up, so that you are primed to respond. And until the subconscious mind is made aware that there are other more positive ways to protect you, it will continue to guard you from the perceived threat by maintaining your fear or phobia.

How hypnotherapy can help with fears and phobias

Hypnotherapy is a very effective way to help yourself become calmer and more able to cope, whatever your current levels of fear or type/severity of phobia. And this increased calm and feeling of competence will allow you to more easily tackle the thoughts, images and sensations that create and perpetuate your fear or phobia. This is because in hypnosis you are very relaxed and aware, and more easily accept changes to the way you currently think and feel about things you're afraid of, so you see them in a new, less threatening way.

The goal of treatment is to reduce the extreme response of your fear or phobia, while retaining the useful general level of basic fear we all need to protect us. We'll use the deeply relaxed hypnotic state to safely and easily work with the original event that created the fear or phobia, if there is one. This allows you to revise your interpretation of the event in a way that helps you to be less afraid and more able to cope.

You'll also be able to use the hypnotic trance to rehearse approaching and being in the uncomfortable situations, learning how to disrupt the thoughts and associations that create the fear or phobia. And hypnotherapy is also a great help for dealing with any associated issues such lack of confidence, low self esteem or stress.

Hypnotherapy allows you to use the power of your mind to help yourself see things differently, so you can start to live again, without the restrictions of your fear or phobia. Along with solid improvements in levels of specific fear or phobia symptoms, you will also feel more calm, confident and relaxed, with increased feelings of physical and mental well being.

Some of the more common phobias I have worked with successfully:

  • Fear of flying
  • Fear of public speaking/group presentations
  • Stage fright/performance anxiety
  • Fear of needles
  • Fear of being sick/vomiting (emetophobia)
  • Fear of medical procedures eg going to the dentist

For more information about hypnotherapy for fears and phobias, or to book an appointment, contact Sian on 07725 732810 or email.

...just wanted to say thanks for your help: I had no problem with any heights on holiday....I was ok with it all (climbing up and down, being high up, looking down)...really pleased!
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...I cannot thank Sian enough for helping me overcome my fear of speaking French. This resulted in me being able to enjoy a great holiday, unmarred by any major worry about speaking the language when required. I never thought that would be possible!...
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...Despite a lifelong fear of dentists, after one session of hypnotherapy, I was able to confidently undergo a tooth extraction procedure the very next day, feeling calm and relaxed... In fact, I was so relaxed as I imagined a peaceful place, it felt like the dentist was interrupting a lovely daydream!
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