Hypnotherapy for Fears and Phobias in Bristol

Fear is something that impacts our lives, sometimes in small ways where we have to stay 15 minutes later at work so we are seen to be working hard or in bigger ways, where we miss our friends' weddings as we are unable to get on the plane. To put it simply, the main purpose of our unconscious mind is to keep us safe, this is how we have evolved and survived for so many years. Our unconscious minds dictacts 90% of our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and responses and because it’s main aim is to keep us safe, it cleverly remembers moments in our past where we felt unsafe and almost takes a snapshot of this moment to keep us protected in our day to day lives. Any moment that is similar to the one from the past creates the same response of an activated nervous system, adrenaline and cortisol, to give us the energy to fight or flee. A lot of these moments are stored between the ages of 3 - 8 years old but the problem with this is we were not emotionally developed at the time to see the situations logically. So today, many people come to see me and say ‘ I know rationally and logically spiders can’t hurt me but my body fills with fear when l see one.’ This is a prime example of something from our past impacting us in our day to day life as the beliefs or responses to the subject have been hard wired for our protection.

Common phobias include:

• Fear of spiders

• Fear of flying in an airplane

• Fear of elevators

• Fear of heights

• Fear of enclosed rooms

• Fear of crowded public places

• Fear of embarrassment

• Fear of needles

• Fear of travel or driving

These are just a small range of common examples but we can create phobias to anything. I have recently been supporting my clients with a fear of birds, travel and needles and with all of these clients, their fears started from a moment in their past and each subsequent exposure has exacerbated the fear so that as adults, the reactions feel quite intense and debilitating. I am pleased to say that these clients are now living their day to day lives almost completely free from their old fears and feel much calmer, more confident and in control of their lives. A fear becomes a phobia once it has built up over time but we can also experience intense fears to do with our day to day lives.

Common daily fears include:

• Fear of public speaking

• Fear of speaking to others

• Fear of working

• Fear around money

• Fear of loving someone

• Fear of being vulnerable

• Fear of being alone

• Fear of becoming a parent

The good news is, everything comes from somewhere so once you find the root memory or moment connected to the fear and reframe it, that is where real change happens. Taking the emotion out of these past experiences and reinstalling helping beliefs such as; you are safe, you are in control, you have everything you need, can have a huge impact on the fear to the point where you forget to remember to think about it.

Kelly McNelis said “Every choice you make is either an expression of love or an expression of fear. There is no other choice.” We are powerful creatures and can create a lot of positive change but with intense fears or phobias, l would recommend working with a practitioner because the more actions we make from the place of fear, the more our fears are mirrored back to us. Similarly, when we can make actions from a place of love, from a steady and compassionate place within ourselves the more life with mirror love and compassion back to us. Which world would you rather live in?

How can Cognitive Hypnotherapy help me?

Cognitive Hypnotherapy is an evidence based, modern therapeutic technique which is both problem focused and solution focused. We work directly on the root connected to your anxiety or fear and also get clear on how you would like to feel and be different. Evidence shows that Cognitive Hypnotherapy is 71% effective for the treatment of anxiety and depression compared with other talking therapies (such as CBT) which are only 42%. Cognitive Hypnotherapy works directly on the root that is causing all this fuss and reframes it in a way so that your thoughts, feelings and reactions start to follow suit in a safe and supportive way. Each session is tailored to you and what you need that day as we are all unique and how we do our anxiety is completely personal to us. 

What will l gain from this work?

As everyone is unique, what we gain from the work is specific to each person, but here are some examples of what my clients have reported back to me at the end of our time together.

• Feeling more relaxed and calm

• Mentally and emotionally feeling calmer and more stable

• Feeling more in control of your life

• Enjoying life and laughing more

• Taking more actions towards what you want

• Being kinder to yourself

• Feeling happier for more free

So l will leave you with some questions.

1. If l was coming from a place of love, how would my day go differently?

2. If l was coming from a place of love, how would my life be different?

3. If l was coming from a place of love, how would l be different?

Client A - Was terrified of going in any form of transport due to her anxiety and now she is traveling and learning to drive after 5 sessions. Client B - Was picking her skin to the point of bleeding when she was anxious and how your arms are smooth and clear and she feels free and empowered in 4 sessions. Client C - Would shake every time she spoke in a group and now she is leading her own evening art classes and feels confident and relaxed in 6 sessions. 

So whether you feel anxious about stress at work, not sleeping, work do’s, going to parties or getting a jab, know that life doesn’t have to be this way. Are you ready to take that first step towards a happier and more relaxed you?

To book contact me here and feel free to ask me any questions about the process. Or Call Me Now On 07896281723