So last time we had a little look at what happens in sessions. Those sessions would be how we would work, at your pace, for as long as you wanted to, for issues such as anxiety, depression, confidence issues, exam nerves and so on.
However, there are two types of sessions which differ in some respects – Quitting Smoking and Phobias.
Why are they different? Well, while the brain science still applies, we are tackling very specific issues, rather than generalised anxiety etc. This means we can work very directly, and actually very quickly. So what happens in these sessions?
Hypnotherapy and Phobias:
Phobia treatment depends somewhat on the individual. You still have your Initial Consultation, and your second session will usually follow the same pattern as described last episode. If you have some general anxiety as well as the phobia, I might suggest a few more general sessions before we get into the phobia work, however, some people are ready to go straight away. Once we get to the phobia sessions, we do two specific sessions, a week apart.
The first of these specialist sessions is called The Rewind.
In this session, you will be guided into a deep relaxation, and then we will imagine you sitting watching a scene to do with your phobia on a cinema screen. Clients sometimes worry at this thought, but there’s no need. You set the scene, you play it through, you can stop at any time – you are completely in control. The client does work hard in this session, but you will feel much better by the end of it.
Why do we do this?
I’m sure you’ve watched a scary film before – even if it was from behind the sofa? Well, we all know that if you watch a scary film over and over again, it becomes less scary. You anticipate where the jumpy bits will come, and react less to them over time. It’s much the same with phobia work. We desensitise your mind to the thing you have a phobia of – snakes, needles, spiders, motorways, bananas, to name but a few – but rather than exposing you to the actual thing you are frightened of, we get you to imagine that trigger in a setting where you are in control. The anxiety dial is gradually turned down over the course of the session and you leave with the groundwork done ready for session two – The Reframe.
The Reframe session is brilliant. You’ve done all the hard work in the Rewind session, and now it’s my turn. We start the session by talking through how you would like to be around your (now already quite a lot less) terrifying trigger. Would you like to take your little boy on a day trip to The Deep, but your terror of motorways is holding you back? Would you like to be able to move a spider out of the bathroom without assistance? All perfectly possible. If you can describe it, we can install it.
Again, we guide you into that lovely relaxed state, and then install your new vision. It sounds far too simple to be possible, but, trust me, it really does work. I’ve witnessed it many times.
Why not try it for yourself?
Next up – Quitting Smoking
For now, look after yourself!