Louise Bowers Clinical Hypnotherapist

Session Example - Phobias

Julie has come to see me because she's got a big problem: she has claustrophobia - a fear of confined spaces, making lifts and public toilet cubicles a fearful experience.

When she tries to take a lift she begins to feel very nervous and hot. Julie said "The reason why I want to get this problem sorted out is because it's starting to get worse. I can feel my stomach tightening and churning, I feel sick and I'm listening to the mechanics of the lift."

The first session was a discussion with Julie, we talked about the issue and the symptoms of the problem. I wanted to get as much information as possible to enable me to decide on a treatment plan. I began to form a clear idea of what Julie wanted to achieve and her desired outcome. I then had time to do some ego strengthening under hypnosis. This left Julie with a feeling of well being.

During session two which lasted about an hour I actually started work on her phobia.

Julie entered the hypnotic state, a condition not unlike daydreaming, where she's mentally and physically relaxed. Now rather than going directly to the source of her phobia, I asked Julie to first rekindle a sense of achievement.

Julie recalled a time when she was in complete control, as head chef at a top catering firm, wowing her clients with an awesome chicken dish. I ask Julie to hang onto that image. Recalling that sense of achievement brought some happy tears. But things aren't quite as pleasant when she's forced to go to a darker place - stepping into a lift.  "The door hasn't opened and you feel yourself tightening up. Feel it as fully as you can", I say to Julie. I then got her to replace one emotion with another more empowering one.

I helped Julie to re-enact in the hypnosis an event that's significant to her. Then I desensitised her to that. This is one example of how phobias are dealt with using hypnosis. That is desensitising her fear of claustrophobia by replacing it with a different emotion: joy. And this comes from none other than her catering triumph.

After an emotional session, my work is done. Julie seemed good and well after both sessions of treatment. But what happens to her claustrophobia when she puts herself in a lift two weeks after the treatment?

Previously, Julie couldn't enter a lift without having a meltdown. This time, her aim is to see how far she can get, if she needs to get out, she will.

She walks into the lift in the shopping centre feeling pretty relaxed - the lift is made of glass and she can see all around.  "Nothing's coming into my brain to cloud it with fear," she says.

With 2 floors to go Laura's still keeping her cool. Then finally at the top - and she is feeling on top of the world!

"I did it! Let's do it again!"

But how exactly does hypnosis work? Scientists still aren't sure, but when a person's hypnotised, the right side of the brain responsible for emotions and creativity becomes far more active than the left side of the brain, which is responsible for logical thinking.