Phobias

Hypnotherapy and Overcoming Phobias
Intellectually, you know the plane isn’t going to crash. Logically, you know the audience isn’t going to hurt you or that tiny spider does not want to bite you. But still your heart pounds; your hands shake, your breath becomes labored, and you may feel faint. You know the fear isn’t rational, but it’s real. And whatever your fear is, it’s probably holding you back.
Hypnotherapy is probably the single most effective treatment for overcoming fears and phobias. This is because the phobic response is created at the subconscious level even though it is experienced consciously.

We have found that most phobias, even those that have lasted an entire lifetime, can be overcome in a few sessions. Most phobias are initiated as part of a “one time learning” process. That is, some single event initiated the phobia and it is stored in the subconscious mind where it repeats like an endless tape. Using hypnosis we can use this natural ability to unlearn the phobia, often just as quickly as it was created.

What is a phobia and how does hypnosis help specifically?
Phobias seem to be an expression of a natural defense mechanism within humans. We have within us the ability to learn certain things very quickly. A baby usually learns the first time that touching something orange and glowing will hurt. The infant does not need to be taught any theory about it. From the first time she touches a flame she will automatically feel something like fear or aversion whenever she comes near a flame. In fact she will find as she grows older that she can’t touch a flame even if she wants to. She will have a strong physical aversion.

As a second important survival mechanism, we can respond physically to danger even before we recognize the danger. If you were walking down a path in the woods and something wriggling fell out of a tree and onto the ground in front of you, you would jump back three feet in defense before you could even tell if it was a snake or a piece of bark. Your pupils would be dilated, your breathing rapid, and adrenaline would be released into your system, making you shake with nervous energy.

Phobias seem to be the result of a similar process. Something frightens a person and a whole range of uncomfortable body chemistry is triggered. Every time that same item (the cause of the phobia) is encountered the same uncomfortable feelings return. All of this happens on a subconscious level. Many times, the original cause of the fear is forgotten. Your hypnotist will provide you with the tools to remove the fear permanently. Sometimes the approach involves getting to the root of the fear so you can understand and eliminate it. In other situations, they can help you break the stimulus-response pattern that’s been set up so that what used to scare you just doesn’t anymore.
Depending on the client and the fear, this normally only takes two to four sessions.

Our goal is to help you achieve results from the very first session.  Call us at 888-890-2110 to discuss how hypnosis might benefit you, or, you may fill out our CONTACT FORM.

“… hypnosis often is used to modify behavior and overcome phobias and bad habits — it can help you make changes that you’ve been unable to make otherwise.”
- National Women’s Health Resource Center 11/03