Fear and Phobias, Rational and Irrational
Mick lives on a small island in the Caribbean. His business takes him all over the world. Problem was, he was absolutely terrified of flying. Now he had an upcoming family function in New York. He was so stressed out, he wasn't sure he'd be able to fly. He wanted to be happy and chill but he was a miserable mess/
As he explained in his initial email, I've tried many things to help myself with these challenges and for a long time, I been able to stay ahead of them through meditation, yoga, mindfulness practices, good diets, etc. However, the fear of flying is becoming truly debilitating to the point where I may not make this trip.
I
got back to him immediately, and a couple of days after an initial Zoom consultation, we did a full one-hour Zoom hypnosis session this was just two days before his flight. The session went according to plan, and as I do with all my clients, I gave him some self-hypnosis techniques to use by himself going forward.
I anxiously awaited his report, hoping everything went well.
A week later, I received this email from him: I can report with happiness that the flight went well. There was mild turbulence during the entire flight. Despite this, I felt at ease, especially more so after the first 20% of the flight. It's the first flight in years that I was able to look away from the window or even close my eyes. It felt like I was more in control' than ever, coming closer to understanding that flying is totally out of my control, by my mindset IS within my control. I'm going to call it an initial success. I have a few 5 minute flights this month to continue the practice and I am really looking forward to them. Thank you!
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Over the years, I have successfully worked with many phobic clients who suffered from fear of confined spaces to fear of public speaking, even addressing fears that are specific to a time and place (i.e. having to face someone they preferred to avoid; having to take an important exam.)
I recently worked with a 72 year old woman who had a lifelong fear of needles. Unfortunately, she now had late stage cancer and her only hope was an experimental treatment which required having a long needle gradually and slowly inserted into her abdomen.
She was so traumatized by the first session, she cried and vomited all night from the stress. She didn't think she could go through it again, even if it might mean her life.
She was recommended to me by a friend who believed hypnosis might help. After all, what did she have to lose? We did one session and I suggested to her that when she was wheeled into the treatment room, she would go back to a happy, joyous memory from her past.
She phoned me the day after the procedure with a report. Being a lover of musical theater who'd seen many shows over the years, her "happy place" was Broadway. This time, instead of crying, she and the nurses laughed and sang show tunes! She was calm and peaceful and felt no pain. Her anxiety over the
treatment was gone.
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Several years ago, I had a client who was in the process of growing her own business. She had once been the protégé of a man who was a giant in her field who had humiliated her publicly at a large conference. She was determined to make a name for herself in her line of work but knew she would eventually have to face this man again. Just thinking of him triggered intense anxiety. She was to make a presentation at an upcoming conference where he would be in attendance. She desperately needed to diffuse his power over her.
We did one session together and afterwards. I provided her with an MP3 file she could listen to on her own, to build confidence and comfort in front of a crowd, and to take away the negative emotional charge from the image of her tormenter.
Her presentation went amazingly well, receiving lots of praise. She was able to interact with her former teacher, without feeling any anxiety whatsoever. Now, to her, he seemed laughable, impotent.
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There is no reason so suffer from fear, whether rational or irrational. If you (or a loved one) has a phobia that is interfering with your life, well-being, happiness, equilibrium, career advancement, personal relationships (emotional or even sexual), hypnosis can usually ameliorate or completely banish those negative feelings.
The beauty of this treatment is there are no negative side effects, no need for drugs, and an almost perfect rate of success in just one or two sessions.
Please feel free to get in touch for a free consultation. |