Hypnotherapy for Phobias

I first got in to hypnotherapy when a colleague of mine complained of not being able to fly. By coincidence someone had just taught me a phobia-curing technique, so I offered to try it. It worked a treat, and that's how I became a hypnotherapist!

Having initially stated that she "didn't fly" this person became full of confidence and on her next journey was helping other passengers onto the plane. It was quite amazing. But most excitingly, it made her wonder what else in her life she could achieve that she hadn't considered yet.

What is a fear and what's a phobia?

Fears and phobias are a little different although both take energy and get in the way of people achieving what they want. Both are essentially a survival response, designed to help us avoid danger.

Phobias are often defined as a fear response having significant symptoms which interrupt life on a daily basis. A phobic response can be quite extreme and really unpleasant, with significant consequences.

A phobia can be general e.g. social phobias or agoraphobia, which can apply in lots of different places or situations. Emetophobia can be felt in relation to different aspects of being sick, or other people being sick. Some phobias can be more specific, like a fear of flying, or of dogs, although even these can have very particular different aspects for different people. A flying phobia is sometimes about control, but sometimes about enclosed spaces. Some people are extremely specific with their fears, which is quite clever really! A fear of perfectly round objects is as ingenious as it is unhelpful.

Some people get really good at it, because it's a learning process! Which is good news, because all types of fear can be effectively unlearned, provided people are willing to open their minds and look forward to life without the fear. Hypnotherapy really helps with this.
"I had a terrible fear of spiders, and now handle them calmly and with compassion, whenever I need to."

What are the symptoms of a phobia?

A phobia can be defined as extreme aversion to something which interferes with daily life and persists for a long time. Symptoms can include:
  • Extreme panic
  • Avoidance
  • Nervousness and anxiety in anticipation of events or encounters
  • Nausea and sickness
Unhelpfully, emetophobia seems to quite often lead to the sufferer feeling sick. Some phobias are suprisingly common. 1 in 6 people have an animal phobia. 1 in 7 have a fear of flying. I'm working on it! These people often say (or their partners might), "It's silly" or "It's ridiculous!" - that doesn't help. Hypnotherapy does.
"I achieved my goal of travelling on a succession of buses and planes, with no sickness, nothing!"

How can hypnotherapy help with phobias?

A life that's free from inappropriate fear is achievable, and providing general stress levels can be brought under control, it doesn't need to take very long. Hypnotherapy can help with spiders, dogs, needles, health anxieties, seaweed ... The list is endless, but so are the possibilities, once the fear is gone.

Specific phobias can be effectively and permanently addressed, usually in four sessions. Done properly, it can be a permanent and very positive change. It's not unusual to hear people say:
"I wish I'd done this earlier. It's amazing. Freedom!!"

Meet Adam Pearson, your hypnotherapist
I'm Adam Pearson. I trained with the Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy College in Bristol and I am accredited by the National Council for Hypnotherapy and the Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. My background is in management and youth development.
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​I also volunteer with The Wave Project, a brilliant charity helping young people to reduce anxiety and develop confidence through surfing. And I run various local community health groups. You can see more on linkedin.