Hypnotherapy for Phobias in London
Hello, I’m Susannah. I am a fully qualified clinical hypnotherapist and coach with over 22 years of experience helping people overcome fears and phobias.
I have been awarded the Senior Qualification of Hypnotherapy Practice (SQHP) from the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC), and the HPD from the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH). If you are interested in exploring hypnotherapy for phobias, fears or panic attacks, then get in touch. We will explore the thoughts and beliefs at the root of your anxiety, and I will create a bespoke plan to help you feel calm and in control.
Phobias can feel intense and irrational – even when you know you’re safe, your body can still react as if you’re in real danger. Whether it’s a fear of flying, needles, driving, spiders, heights or something else, phobias often trigger a strong physical and emotional reaction that feels hard to control.
This intense fear can often lead to avoidance of certain places, people, or situations, making life harder and less enjoyable. Over time, a phobia can control the decisions you make and the quality of your life.
Your brain is wired to keep you safe, so if it perceives a threat, real or imagined, it will override logic and activate the fight-or-flight response. Hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for phobias as it helps to calm this survival response by working gently at the subconscious level. You won’t be required to ‘face your fear’. Instead, hypnosis for phobias helps to retrain your brain’s response so that you begin to feel naturally more calm, relaxed, and in control.
My phobia hypnotherapy programme combines solution-focused coaching, NLP and hypnosis, tailored to suit your needs and goals. If you would like to learn more or book an appointment, get in touch.
Is irrational fear preventing you from enjoying new life experiences?
- Experience intense fear or panic in specific situations
- Avoid certain people, places, or activities because of the fear
- Feel out of control or overwhelmed by your reactions
- Experience physical symptoms like dizziness, nausea, or shortness of breath
- Feel embarrassed or frustrated by how much the phobia impacts your life
Susannah Saunders
Hello, my name is Susannah. I am a clinical hypnotherapist and life coach in London with over 20 years of experience helping people to enjoy a happier, more fulfilling life. Get in touch to find out more or book an appointment in London today.
NLP, Coaching and Hypnosis for Phobias and Panic Attacks
Whether your phobia is linked to a specific situation, object, animal, or experience, my phobia hypnotherapy programme can help you create new, calmer responses. By working at the subconscious level, we can begin to change the automatic fear reaction and help your mind learn that the situation is no longer a threat.
You don’t need to relive the fear or talk through distressing past experiences in detail. Instead, we focus on how you’d like to feel instead, helping your brain rehearse this new response until it becomes more natural.
I’ll also teach you practical tools and NLP techniques that you can use between sessions to feel calmer and more in control. While everyone is different, many phobias can be treated in just three sessions.
Phobia hypnosis can help you:
- Change the way you think and feel about your fear
- Learn quick and effective tools for staying calm in triggering situations
- Rewire your brain’s subconscious response
- Break free from avoidance and feel more confident in daily life
How Hypnotherapy for Phobias Works
Phobias may feel irrational, but they make complete sense when you understand how the brain works. A phobia is essentially your brain sounding the alarm, even when there’s no real danger. The moment it perceives something as a threat, your nervous system jumps in to protect you. This is known as the fight-or-flight response, and it can be triggered in under a second.
The fear centre of the brain, called the amygdala, stores emotional memories, especially those associated with danger. If something frightened you in the past (even once), your brain might tag that object or situation as a potential threat. From that point on, it reacts quickly and automatically, often before your logical mind has a chance to weigh in. This is why phobias feel so intense and why it’s often difficult to rationalise your way out of them.
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Over time, the brain strengthens that fear circuit through repetition. The more your phobia is triggered, the more your brain reinforces the idea that the fear is valid, even when it’s getting in the way of your life. The good news is that these patterns can be changed. Your brain has something called neuroplasticity, which means it’s capable of rewiring itself. That’s where hypnotherapy for phobias comes in.
By using hypnosis for phobias, we can access the part of the brain where those unhelpful patterns live. In a deeply relaxed state, your mind becomes more open to suggestion, which makes it easier to shift those old reactions. Phobia hypnosis helps deactivate the alarm system and update the brain with new, calmer responses so that you feel safer and more in control.
This neuroscience-informed approach is what makes hypnotherapy such an effective treatment for phobias of all kinds, from common fears like heights or spiders to more specific or unusual phobic responses. If you are ready to overcome your phobia and would like to book an appointment, get in touch.
Hypnosis has been used for the treatment of phobias for generations, but modern phobia hypnotherapy goes far beyond old-fashioned suggestion techniques. Rather than just suppressing symptoms, I use a solution-focused, neuroscience-informed approach that helps retrain your brain’s response to fear, so you are more in control in situations that once triggered those panicky sensations.
Using a blend of phobia hypnotherapy and NLP, we work at the subconscious level where the fear actually lives. Because phobias are automatic, unconscious reactions, we need to access that deeper part of the mind to create lasting change.
In each session, I’ll guide you into a relaxed, focused state known as hypnosis. You’ll remain aware and in control, but in a state where your mind becomes more open to positive suggestions and mental rehearsal. It’s a bit like daydreaming, and it’s in this state that we can start to rewrite the old fear response and create new, calmer pathways in the brain.
My approach to hypnosis for phobias is gentle and empowering. I won’t ask you to confront your fear directly or relive distressing memories. Instead, we work together to develop a more confident and calm response.
Types of Phobias I Can Help With
Phobias can be simple or complex, common or unusual, but whatever form they take, they often trigger the same intense, automatic fear response. Some phobias are linked to specific objects or situations, whilst others are more general.
Here are some of the more common phobias I work with in my hypnotherapy practice:
- Fear of flying (aviophobia): Worry about the plane crashing, feeling trapped, or not being in control.
- Fear of needles or blood (trypanophobia/haemophobia): A strong physical reaction to medical procedures, often involving faintness or nausea.
- Fear of heights (acrophobia): Feeling dizzy, unsafe, or panicked when looking down or being in high places.
- Fear of driving: Anxiety about being behind the wheel, especially on motorways or unfamiliar roads.
- Fear of vomiting (emetophobia): A phobia that can affect eating habits, travel, and day-to-day life.
- Claustrophobia: Feeling trapped or panicked in enclosed or crowded spaces like lifts or trains.
- Fear of spiders, dogs or other animals: A fear that may stem from past experiences or a deep-rooted discomfort.
Why Hypnotherapy is an Effective Treatment for Phobias
Phobias don’t live in the logical part of your brain. Even when you know something isn’t dangerous, the fear can still kick in because phobias are stored in the subconscious. That’s why it’s so hard to rationalise your way out of them. You can tell yourself you’re safe, but your brain and body often respond as if you’re not.
Hypnosis for phobias works by calming the part of the brain that’s stuck in a threat response and helping it learn a new, more appropriate reaction. Rather than facing your fear head-on, phobia hypnotherapy works gently and subconsciously, allowing your brain to rewire those old patterns in a calmer, more supportive way.
Because this is a subconscious process, hypnotherapy for phobias can often work faster and more comfortably than traditional exposure-based treatments. And it doesn’t matter whether your fear is common – like flying, needles, or heights – or something less typical, like buttons or balloons. If it’s affecting your life and you want to overcome it, it can be treated.
Phobia Hypnotherapy in London & Online
My private London hypnotherapy practice was founded in 2003. I have been awarded the Senior Qualification of Hypnotherapy Practice (SQHP) from the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC) and the HPD from the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH).
For more information on how I use hypnotherapy as a treatment for phobias and panic attacks in my London hypnotherapy clinic, get in touch. We can talk through your phobia, and I can explain how I might be able to help.
For more information or advice on effective treatments for fear and anxiety, you may find these links helpful:
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/phobias/about-phobias/
Contact me today to book a session
FAQs
Can hypnotherapy really help with phobias?
Yes, hypnotherapy for phobias is widely recognised as an effective way to treat both common and more unusual fears. Because phobias are rooted in the subconscious, hypnosis allows us to reach the part of the brain responsible for those automatic fear responses and gently rewire them. You don’t have to face the fear directly or relive past experiences for it to work.
How does hypnosis for phobias work?
Phobia hypnosis works by helping your mind form new, calmer associations with the thing you fear. During our sessions, I’ll guide you into a relaxed, focused state where your subconscious becomes more open to change. We then use positive suggestion and visualisation techniques to help your brain respond in a more balanced way. It’s gentle, effective, and tailored to your needs.
What types of phobias can you treat with hypnotherapy?
I’ve worked with clients experiencing all kinds of fears, including flying, public speaking, needles, dogs, heights, driving, and more unusual phobias like balloons or clusters of holes (trypophobia). If your fear is affecting your life, it’s worth addressing. My phobia hypnotherapy approach is adapted to suit your specific needs.
How many sessions of phobia hypnotherapy will I need?
Everyone is different, but most clients notice positive shifts within 3 to 6 sessions. Some people respond even faster, especially with specific phobias that don’t have deeper underlying issues. During the initial consultation, we’ll talk through what you’d like to change and give you a clearer idea of what to expect.
Do I need to face my fear during the session?
No, this isn’t exposure therapy. You don’t have to come into contact with your fear for phobia hypnotherapy to work. Instead, we gently change your internal response by working with the subconscious mind. Many people find this approach far more comfortable than traditional methods.
Is hypnosis safe?
Yes, hypnosis is a natural and safe state of focused attention. You remain in control throughout, and most people find it deeply calming and pleasant. I’ll guide you at your own pace and tailor the approach to suit you.
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