Phobias & Fear Hypnotherapy
You don’t have to keep organising your life around your fear.
Clinical Hypnotherapy in Fuengirola, Lake Viñuela and online
A phobia can be incredibly limiting.
It might be a fear of flying, driving, heights, spiders, needles, enclosed spaces, vomiting, animals, water or something much more difficult to explain.
You may know perfectly well that the thing you’re afraid of isn’t actually dangerous.
But knowing that doesn’t necessarily stop your body reacting as though it is.
Your heart races. Your stomach turns. Your breathing changes. You want to get away.
And sometimes, simply thinking about the situation can trigger the fear.
That’s what makes a phobia so frustrating.
When fear starts making your decisions for you
A phobia isn’t just the moment when you encounter the thing you fear.
It can affect the choices you make beforehand.
You might avoid certain places. Turn down opportunities. Change your travel plans. Avoid medical or dental appointments. Let someone else drive. Stop doing activities you used to enjoy.
Or spend days, weeks or even months worrying about something that’s coming up.
Sometimes the biggest part of the problem becomes the anticipation.
“What if it happens?”
And then the avoidance brings relief, which can make the fear feel even more powerful the next time.
Your fear may be specific. Your treatment is individual.
I work with people experiencing many different fears and phobias. For example:
- fear of flying
- claustrophobia
- fear of needles or injections
- fear of spiders or other animals
- fear of driving
- fear of heights
- fear of water
- fear of vomiting
- fear of medical or dental procedures
- fear connected with a particular situation or experience
And sometimes there isn’t a neat label for the fear at all.
That’s okay. We don’t need to fit you into a box before we can start working together.
How can Hypnotherapy help?
A phobia involves a strong fear response that can feel automatic.
You see, imagine or anticipate the trigger and your body reacts.
Hypnotherapy can be used to help you work with that response and develop a calmer, more appropriate reaction.
Depending on your individual situation, our work may involve:
- understanding what triggers your fear
- changing the way you respond to the trigger
- reducing the intensity of the automatic fear response
- building confidence in situations you’ve been avoiding
- working with the thoughts and images connected to the fear
- developing a greater sense of calm and control
- preparing for a specific upcoming situation, such as a flight or medical procedure
The approach is tailored to you and the particular fear you’re experiencing.
You don’t have to prove that you’re not afraid
One of the things I don’t want you to feel is that you have to “be brave” before you come to see me.
You don’t.
If your body reacts with fear, there’s a reason we’re having this conversation.
We can work with that response rather than judging it.
And you remain aware and in control throughout Hypnotherapy.
You’re not being forced to confront your fear before you’re ready.
We’re working towards helping you feel more comfortable and more confident with something that currently has too much power over you.
What if the phobia has been there for years?
That’s not unusual.
Some fears begin after a particular frightening experience. Others develop gradually. Some can be learned from experiences around us when we’re younger.
And sometimes you can’t remember when the fear actually started.
You don’t necessarily need to know why you have a phobia before you can work on it.
What matters is what happens now and what you’d like to be different.
Fear of flying
Fear of flying is one of the phobias I work with, and it’s particularly relevant for people living in Spain who want to travel to see family, take holidays or simply enjoy the freedom of being able to fly.
If flying has become something you dread rather than something you look forward to, we can work specifically with the thoughts, sensations and responses that make flying difficult for you.
Sessions can be tailored around your particular concerns, whether that’s turbulence, take-off, landing, being enclosed in the aircraft, feeling trapped, or simply the fear of losing control.
You don’t have to love flying.
The aim is to help you feel more comfortable and confident about doing it.
Client experiences
We have been long haul to the USA! A surprise for my husband after being trapped in Europe for holidays. Amazing. Thanks again.
Gina, GibraltarFear of flying
Now free of claustrophobia, I’m enjoying my first holiday abroad for over 30 years.
Marcy, BristolFear of flying and claustrophobia
Individual experiences vary and are not a guarantee of any outcome.
Working with me
Every phobia is different.
That’s why I don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach.
We’ll start by talking about your particular fear, how it affects you and what you’d like to be able to do differently.
From there, I’ll tailor the work around you.
I work one-to-one, either in person at LUX Therapy Clinic or online via Zoom, depending on your circumstances.
Locations: Fuengirola · Lake Viñuela · Online via Zoom
Ready to take the first step?
You don’t have to commit to treatment just because you book a conversation.
Let’s talk first.
Tell me what you’re afraid of, how long you’ve been dealing with it and what you’d love to be able to do without that fear getting in the way.
Then we can decide together whether Hypnotherapy is an appropriate approach for you.
Important information: Hypnotherapy is a complementary therapy and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment.
Individual responses to Hypnotherapy vary and no particular outcome or timescale can be guaranteed.
If your fear or anxiety is associated with a medical or mental-health condition, or you have concerns about your symptoms, please seek appropriate professional advice.