Hypnotherapy for Phobias
Why do we have phobias?
Your subconscious mind automatically warns you when you are in a situation that is (or might be) dangerous. It does this by releasing hormones which make you feel uneasy, anxious or scared. That’s your signal to be careful or to remove yourself from the situation. Once you've done this, the hormones, and the symptoms subside.
This is natural, and a good thing to have. If you had no anxiety about anything you’d end up in some very dangerous places!
But when you have a phobia this mechanism is over-sensitive. It’s still aiming to keep you safe, but it can make you anxious even if the situation is very low risk; and sometimes when there is no risk at all.
How hypnotherapy helps with phobias
The goal of therapy is to correct this oversensitivity. This might involve learning coping strategies to control the symptoms of your phobia, and/or looking at why your phobia developed in the first place.
Everyone is different and every phobia is different too, so the right balance between these approaches is decided at your therapy sessions. This is why it’s difficult to say how many sessions you might need before you begin. But the average is around three to six.
Of course, hypnosis is not mind control or a magic wand. You’ll need to commit to change and to put in some work between sessions. But remember that how you live is a choice, and making the new choice will get easier with time.