Fears & Phobias

Fears and phobias can sometimes be brought about by a traumatic event, while some are the result of a conditioned response. In other words, they are learned, although genetics often plays a role too. For example, we are “pre-programmed” to be vulnerable to acquiring the most common phobias – spiders, heights, and so on.

However, often we have developed fears and phobias from some type of “initial” event in our past. Whether that was a traumatic event or not, it still have implications and repercussions later in life and be triggered in certain situations.  Because our minds are so complex, the “initial” event might not have any relevance to the presenting phobia.

As an example – in this case: A woman in her mid 30’s developed a fear of flying on an overseas trip for her honeymoon. While there was nothing that seemed to have caused the fear on that trip, every subsequent flight her phobia seemed to worsen. She did not know why.
In her hypnotherapy sessions we delved into the feelings and emotions that arose when flying and in particular the flight when the fear started.  Using regression therapy we were able to follow that feeling to a earlier time in her life. This was a time when she was about 3 years old and she watched her father leave home for the last time following her parents separation. Releasing and gaining a new perspective that feeling/emotion allowed her to also release the fear of flying. While flying and her parents separating seem to have nothing logical in common, the feeling around the two incidents were the same.  She conquered her phobia of flying.

Whatever the case, to successfully overcome a fear or phobia, psychological intervention is needed. Hypnosis can be astonishingly effective in helping people overcome fears and phobias.

An example where a phobia was released very quickly comes from a woman who had memory of a particular aspect of a traumatic childbirth which involved  a needle. Following this experience the woman had developed a severe phobia of needles. Just the thought of a needle sent her into a cold sweat. In one session using specific Rewind technique we were able to release this phobia.

I have worked extensively with clients needing to release fear of birth along with fears of other things such as spiders, sharks, death. Often it can be as little as one session that can make a difference, however every person is different and I treat each person as an individual.