I use a unique combination of clinical hypnotherapy, NLP techniques as well as positive coaching and outlining how scientific research shows how our brains can ‘rewire’ habits or fears, perhaps more simply than we might have imagined.
· Fear of Flying or aviophobia: For those affected, even the thought of boarding a plane can cause panic. Hypnotherapy helps reframe flying as a calm and controlled experience.
· Social phobia – or social anxiety disorder : I’ve seen many clients with this condition, which can generate an overwhelming fear of being judged or embarrassed in social settings. This can create issues in social life as well as at work and can lead to coping techniques such as isolating or missing work.
· Fear of spiders or arachnophobia : this area originally prompted my interest in hypnotherapy and then to train and gain my professional qualifications.
My wife had an intense fear of spiders, anything from a daddy long legs to house spiders. She attended a one-day London Zoo hypnotherapy and exposure course-and now makes a point of handling very large tarantulas at the school where she works. The transformation was overnight and has lasted over a decade to date.
· Fear of Heights or Acrophobia: A fear of heights that can trigger dizziness or panic , for example in ski gondolas or on escalators. And even in apparently safe environments like balconies. I’ve had a number of clients this year where their fear of heights has led to them dreading ski holidays, even though they have enjoyed ski-ing all of their life. After 6 sessions with rewired, they were back on the slopes with a smile – and even scrambling up Mountains.
· Fear of vomiting or Emetophobia: This fear of sickness, either oneself or others, can lead to severe avoidance of food, public places, or travel. And from my experience and other colleagues, seems to be on the increase , especially amongst the under 20’s. Often triggered by an experience when younger, this fear can grow rapidly and be all consuming in terms of the way it restricts lives. I’ve successfully treated a number of younger female clients with the condition. It is not straightforward and can take a higher number of sessions than many phobias. Often the triggers and causes are not always with food. But once the breakthrough is made, clients often directly face their fear and are sick, describing it as a feeling of intense relief and elation – as it is nowhere near as bad as their mind has built it up to be.
· Dentophobia: Fear of dentists, often stemming from childhood experiences, which can prevent people from seeking vital dental care.
· Misophonia or fear of specific sounds , leading to intense emotional reactions and often anger, out of place with the trigger: most commonly this can be sounds made by humans in day to day interactions, such as chewing loudly. But it was be grating sounds [eg metal on glass] or repetitive sounds. My approach focuses on our ability to use the mind to ‘turn down’ the volume or these sounds and to remove the pattern match to severe anxious or angry responses. Often the trigger is connected to control issues or relationships with the specific individuals making the noise. i.e. noises can be fine in location A but at location B [often at home], they can be a huge and stressful issue.
· Fear of Needles or Trypanophobia: Fear of needles or injections is now commonplace,having rocketed during the Pandemic and the mandatory vaccine requirements for COVID. Even before the pandemic, surveys already showed that about 10–25% of UK adults exhibitedmoderate to high needle anxiety
During the mass COVID‑19 vaccination program though , concern over injections spiked dramatically. In early 2022, Hypnotherapy Directory reported a 1,600% increase in UK users seeking information about vaccination and needle phobia over just four months, compared to the previous year . This surge suggests many people who’d previously avoided needles were now urgently confronting their fears to receive COVID jabs.
· Claustrophobia or a fear of enclosed spaces : respond well to this method, as hypnotherapy gently alters ingrained fear responses.
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· Fear of the dark or Nyctophobia: An intense fear of the dark, often linked to childhood trauma or imagination-driven anxiety.
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By identifying the source of the phobia and using guided imagery, calming language, and suggestion, hypnotherapy helps individuals create new, healthier mental associations.
While results vary [and will depend on the individual and cannot be guaranteed], many people report lasting relief after just a 3-4 sessions, making hypnotherapy a valuable option for those ready to reclaim control from fear.
