Anxiety and phobias affect millions of people, often limiting confidence, performance, and quality of life. While avoidance of fearful situations may bring temporary relief, it usually strengthens the cycle of anxiety, making the problem worse over time. The good news is that anxiety and phobias are highly treatable — and Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH) is one of the most effective approaches available.
Anxiety
Anxiety can arise from almost any human experience, whether real or imagined. For some, it grows into an overwhelming state that interferes with work, studies, relationships, or daily life.
As Marcus Aurelius once observed:
“When you’re distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
In moments of distress, many people turn to avoidance — steering clear of the source of anxiety or numbing the feelings. While this may ease discomfort briefly, the relief is short-lived, and anxiety often returns stronger than before.
CBH helps to break this cycle by teaching practical ways to manage worry, regulate emotions, and face challenges with steadiness. Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety altogether, therapy helps you change your relationship with it — so it guides rather than controls you.
Phobias
Phobias are intense, often irrational fears of objects or situations that pose little or no actual danger. They usually fall into two groups:
- Social phobia (social anxiety disorder): fear of social interaction, often marked by avoidance, worry about embarrassment, or low self-esteem.
- Specific phobias: fear of particular things or situations — such as animals, heights, flying, medical procedures, or natural environments.
Symptoms may include racing thoughts, panic, physical tension, or an urge to escape. The immediate relief of avoidance reinforces the fear, locking people into the cycle of anxiety.
CBH is designed to interrupt this cycle. By combining CBT strategies with the power of hypnosis — relaxation, imagery, and focused attention — therapy helps people face fears safely and gradually, retraining both mind and body to respond in calmer, more adaptive ways.
A way forward
Every person’s anxiety or phobia is unique. What matters is that change is possible. With CBH, I can help you reshape unhelpful patterns of fear and worry into responses that are steadier, healthier, and more freeing.
Hypnotic Alliance 