Sarah contacted me with a couple of acute fears that were affecting her – spiders and heights. Sometimes different phobias can stem from the same source but for Sarah this was not the case and we decided to treat each separately, starting with the spiders.
For Sarah, it was not just ‘spiders’ but there were a number of factors that influenced the degree of phobic response – this included colour, the proportion of body to legs and whether they were moving or not. She was adamant that she did not want to kill them but learn to
live harmoniously with them.
With her fear of heights, there was a very specific memory that had caused a trauma based response that allowed us to use a couple of very effective techniques to address this memory.
Sarah had a total of 4 sessions.
The first was the chemistry session that builds the foundation for the work and also teaches a very effective way of learning to relax – a skill
that is beneficial to everyone.
We addressed the spiders in one session, heights in another and then had one further session to address a few more criteria that had popped up around spiders that meant she was not quite where she wanted to be with them.
In that 4th session we also added in a lovely exercise that takes the use of mental power up another notch too.
Heights
Sarah had the perfect opportunity to test out her fear of heights when in Rome and going up an old rampart wall. She stood at the top looking over and felt nothing more than a little nervousness. Her husband could not believe it at first and also said that when he looked down at the huge drop, he felt the same nerves – a very natural and normal response to real risk but a mile away from her previous situation of not even being able to get close to the edge.
Spiders
With our 8 legged friends, she had seen them on TV and actually said they were beautiful.
She’d had one on her foot with no response and could now easily go into a room with one in.
In Sarah’s own words:
“The sessions with Caroline have been a very positive experience and incredibly rewarding. Caroline made me feel relaxed and comfortable from the start, and her calm, kind and empathic personality made it very easy to trust her. I particularly liked
hearing about the scientific basis for hypnotherapy, as this gave real credence to the process for a logical, rational thinker like me. And, after years of struggling with my fears, I am now enjoying my new freedom from anxiety and better sleep into the bargain. Caroline is a
brilliant therapist and I cannot recommend her highly enough.”
If you are struggling with an acute fear, even if not as common as these, know that the process works. Let’s chat about how it could work for you.
Let's TalkSteve came to me after he’d seen positive results through hypnotherapy with family members. He was prone to anger outbursts which resulted in feelings of remorse and guilt afterwards and he wanted to stop the cycle. He was curious if hypnotherapy could help with his anger issues and mood swings.
Even though he knew people who had been hypnotised he was concerned about losing control However after his first experience he described it as “like being very rested, calm, still in control but able to access things that weren’t consciously easily available allowing you to view things in a different way.”
We had 5 sessions over the space of just under 4 months. After each session, Steve took some time to go away and put new practices into place. It was really important for him to feel the impact of the work he was doing and experience real results.
Hypnotherapy is a bit like physiotherapy. When you exercise the mind, new mental strengths develop and can mean you can do things you could not do before. This takes practice hence we left gaps between the sessions for Steve to use the new skills when triggered by situations that before would have led to an outburst.
In Steve’s words:
If you can relate to this or you are experiencing something that is detracting from your enjoyment of life or impacting on your relationships, let’s chat so that I can we can see if hypnotherapy may be able to help you too.
Let's TalkAmanda contacted me after years of struggling with eating and was wondering if hypnotherapy could help with her difficulty in swallowing. It was steadily getting worse to the point she was genuinely fearful for the future. She was aware that it was not physical as she could eat breakfast with relative ease (always eating the same thing). Lunch was more of an issue. But by dinner time, eating had become a huge source of stress.
She had experienced something similar in her early 20s but her GP had been very dismissive. Over time, the symptoms had resolved on their own. This time, she was aware that this was not going away and she had to do something about it. She thought hypnotherapy may help.
Another big motivator for her was the fear of passing the behaviour on to her two children. She had started to notice one of her children also starting to struggle at dinner times.
Amanda had just two sessions which were both conducted online. The first is what I call the chemistry session which is designed to help clients decide if my approach works for them. It is a slow start but facilitates a quicker finish.
We then did just one therapeutic session where several memories popped up of having choked on sweets as a child. We used one simple but powerful therapeutic technique under hypnosis that allowed Amanda’s mind to recognise that whilst the risk was real at the time, that time has passed and no longer posed a threat.
Amanda also received a personalised recording that she could use to further embed the therapeutic work we did in the session.
When following up with Amanda just a few days after the second session she was ‘delighted’ with the results. Meals were now enjoyable and she was embracing her love of food.
Hypnotherapy is a powerful form of therapy and time and time again, can help resolve issues that have been detracting from people’s quality of life in a very short period of time.
If you are experiencing something that is detracting from your enjoyment of life, let’s chat
Let's TalkLesley had had a fear of birds for as long as she could remember. They had a home in Spain but she was unable to sit outside to eat and enjoy the glorious weather for fear of a bird coming down in search of crumbs. Whilst her partner was understanding, it was placing a real strain on what should be very relaxing breaks. She had heard that hypnotherapy helped with a fear of birds.
What was fascinating was that Lesley would happily feed the ducks with her grandchildren – the rationale being, they didn’t fly! This helped us to narrow down on the likelihood that it was a traumatic experience that had created the phobia. But not one that she was consciously aware of.
And this is where hypnotherapy is so powerful – it works at the level of the subconscious where memories are often buried.
Lesley was familiar with my work and had been hypnotised before. So we jumped straight in and it took just one session. Her mind took her back to a very early experience of being in a pram, swaddled up and put outside for a midday sleep. A crow had landed on the handle bar. Her mind was still using that reference to determine that you become powerless with birds that fly – and that reference was triggering the same fear all those years on.
Using a very simple therapeutic technique, we helped her mind understand that she was no longer a swaddled baby and that the reality is birds are now more scared of you! And if you don’t want them near, a simple wave of the arm and they are off.
After just one session she opened her eyes and said, “Find me a ‘bleep’ pigeon!
She left my house (where no pigeons were obligingly nearby) and that afternoon sent me a picture of her standing in a town centre (much like Trafalgar square) surrounded by pigeons.
Hypnotherapy is very effective at dealing with phobias of all types. Many people suffer needlessly due to embarrassment or believing they can never change. Lesley managed to make the change 50 years after the phobic reaction was set up. It needn’t be that way! For more information, please do get in touch.
Let's TalkSabrina had given up smoking on a couple of occasions before but always drifted back to it. So our work to ensure a longer term success was to find motivations to end the habit once and for all.
Sabrina has teenage children and in the natural course of life, they were becoming more independent the desire to spend quality time with them when they were at home was paramount- no more sneaking off for a quick puff!
Also, she was very aware of how smoking reduced here energy levels and her ability to really enjoy her other habit – running.
And a further significant motivator was the recognition of how smoking was controlling her. She felt ‘like a slave to cigarettes’ with the addictive powers consuming thoughts and defining behaviours. “Thoughts of when I could have my next cigarette were constantly on my mind,” she said.
In our preliminary chat, we also uncovered a subconscious belief, “Smoking is always going to be my weakness.”
Such beliefs are powerful in defining our behaviours, but beliefs are just thoughts that have been repeated many times. Beliefs can be changed. And therefore, this became an important part of the therapeutic work.
The approach to stop smoking is a two part process. The first establishes all the reasons to stop smoking and all the potential barriers to success. I also give the client a really good understanding of what happens neurologically when we perform habitual behaviour. It creates the foundation we then build on in the therapeutic session.
This second session is a more intensive 2-2.5 hour session where we use a range of very powerful techniques to change the mental association with the smoking.
Sabrina was also given a personalised recording to listen to post the session that helped embed the work that we did and included a relaxation process that helps address the chemical addiction element of smoking progress more quickly too.
In a message from Sabrina a month following the therapeutic session, she said “Since our work, I am off cigarettes. Our work has been successful and I am really pleased.”
If people are to return to smoking, they will normally have done so within a 2 week period.
Whilst Sabrina is now a smoker who no longer smokes (she can never be a non-smoker) her chances of never picking up a cigarette again and potentially even higher as she is not using ‘willpower’ to not smoke, but has changed her deep psychological relationship with smoking.
Hypnotherapy is very effective at dealing with smoking cessation of all types. If you would like more information on this, or any form of addiction based habits, let’s have a chat.
Let's TalkJulia came to me reluctantly, having been sent by another client and coming only to pacify him! Her insomnia had led to her not slept for more than about 4 hours in over 10 years. We did just one session and that night she slept for 7 hours. We kept in contact for a while and she was regularly sleeping through the night.
Extracts from her email to me are below:
” My Dear Caroline I can not tell you the difference in my sleep pattern, and I feel as if I have more energy.
I had no idea the Arthritis in my hip was waking me, now I turn and continue sleeping. Since my session with you I sleep much MUCH better. Not every night/day is the same but I do sleep for at least 5 hour, often up to 8 hours.
I did think what you do is “mumbo jumbo” but not any more. It was amazing and if I could bottle your voice I would make a fortune as the gentle way you speak was very relaxing. I do go through your relaxation process as I get into a comfortable position and often fall asleep before I get to the end.
My husband says its likened to a switch that I sleep so well compared to before we met. I’m sorry I haven’t emailed you before now but my life is very busy, but one thing not worrying me is insomnia!”
Let's TalkRachael had had an accident at work leaving her in extreme back pain resulting in her losing her job. She had gone from living a busy life as a single Mum to being in constant pain, living off benefits and having a very restricted life. In her words, she had “no joy” in her life which had led to a suicide attempt.
Going back further into her life, there were other factors such as successive controlling and abusive relationships, various medical conditions, and a tendency to always putting herself and her needs secondary to everyone else’s.
Rachael was recommended to me by her partner, so we were able to get a swift start as her awareness of how I worked was already in place and after the first experience of hypnosis, she could feel a change in the levels of pain in her back. Her aim was to be able to throw away the crutches she was using.
After two sessions, she walked into the house without crutches – she was not quite ready to throw them just yet but was confident enough to walk short distances without them.
In total we had 4 sessions spread out over nearly 3 months. On our follow up call a month after her last session, she reported that she was now “able to walk upright without my crutches and am off my pain medication. When I am in pain, I can relax and use my mind to help control it.”
Whilst this was a great result, the increase in her self esteem was for me, more significant. “I am able to vocalise my thoughts. I have stopped being all things to everyone and am now my true self.”
“I now have the confidence and strength to look to go back to work and hopefully enjoy a job I really want to do.” (Rachael was waiting to hear if she has been accepted to train as a phlebotomist).
Working with Rachael helped her use her mind to not only heal her body but also to create a mental strength to create a life of her choice.
“I have no doubt that Caroline saved my life as I was in such a dark place.”
If you can relate to any elements of Rachael’s story, please get in touch
Let's TalkS was struggling at school. His Mum contacted me to help with his high levels of anxiety which were being exacerbated by ticks and she had also noticed an escalation in obsessive compulsive habits.
When first meeting S, he also explained that he had a couple of phobias, one of which was a high trigger of anxiety, and also struggled with self motivation, finding the temptation to give up all too easy.
This variety of manifestations of anxiety is not uncommon. A more generalised anxiety can also become acutely attached to specific things leading to phobias. OCD can often be a subconscious coping strategy to control anxious thoughts by doing something that is real. And low motivation comes from the fact that anxiety is very draining on energy levels. Cumulatively, they result in a downward spiral. And this is what we had to reverse.
S had just 3 sessions. The first session with teenagers is a very gentle session where we don’t do any therapeutic work but build a strong foundation to progress from. S had an experience of hypnosis and noticed that during it, his ticks reduced significantly which gave him hope. We had two more sessions which were spread out over time, allowing S to apply his learning to his day-to-day life.
In Mum’s words:
“S is absolutely amazing! He’s been so much happier and his increase in confidence has been absolutely astounding. I did notice quite a difference very soon after his last session with you.
It’s so lovely to see such am improvement, and obviously such a relief!”
Teenagers tend to be what I call ‘marmite’ with hypnotherapy – they either love it or hate it! And if it is for them, the results tend to come quickly. The benefit of teenagers learning these skills is that they then have access to them for life. S will be facing the challenges of exams and more in the years to come but having changed his relationship with anxiety, he will have a mental strength that can support him through those tough times.
If you would like to know more about hypnotherapy for your teenager, or indeed yourself, please get in touch for a confidential chat.
Let's TalkJoanna’s motivation to overcome her phobia was her children. Due to her fear of flying, her sons had not flown before but both were due to be going away independently over the summer and she wanted them to feel confident in flying – so she had to be too!!
Like most people who have this phobia, it not only makes the trip itself difficult, but will impact them for days and often weeks before the flight is due, and then also effect the holiday as the fear of flying rises again for the home leg.
Also, very similar to others, Joanna did not really understand where her fear had come from, her fears had just escalated over the years.
Phobias are typically very responsive to hypnotherapy and Joanna used the ‘deep dive’ process that I’ve developed over the years to effectively treat these acute fears. It is a 2.5-3 hour session where we use a range of very powerful techniques to change the mental association with the fear. Whilst intensive, it works!
Joanna was also given a personalised recording to listen to post the session that helped embed the work that we did and could be used to help reinstate a sense of calm at any point.
Joanna sent me photos from her flight out. She was listening to the recording, smiling and felt calm, as did her two sons. The younger of the two had expressed some concerns but by her staying calm, it really helped him too.
She can now relax when they go off on their own separate adventures over the summer and can also now plan her own next trips knowing that flights will never need to hold her back again.
In Joanne’s words, “I am amazed at how something I had struggled with for so long was dealt with so quickly. I really wish I had dealt with this sooner but am now looking forward to be able to plan holidays anywhere I choose to go in the future.”
Hypnotherapy is very effective at dealing with phobias of all types. Many people suffer needlessly due to embarrassment or believing they can never change. It needn’t be that way! For more information, please do get in touch.
Let's TalkEmma had had a fear of flying for years. The days before a flight would be affected by the increasing anxiety. She would study the weather forecast each day for the location and the destination airport and would work out how she could refuse to get on the plane if the forecast was not good.
She could never relax in the airport and during the flight itself, her husband’s hands would be squeezed to death!! And then the whole thing would start again on the days before the return flight, impacting on the fun and enjoyment of every holiday.
Phobias are very responsive to hypnotherapy and Emma used the ‘deep dive’ process that has been developed over the years to effectively treat these acute fears. It is a 2.5-3 hour session where we use a range of very powerful techniques to change the mental association with the fear – flying in Emma’s case.
Emma was also given a personalised recording to listen to post the session that helped reinforce the work that we did and could be used to help reinstate a sense of calm at any point. She continued to use some of the tools from that recording which worked well for her during the flight.
Emma’s text’s to me evidence her experience. Here are the messages received from her after her outbound journey and return journeys:
“I made the flight in one piece with Steve saying he had never ever known me so calm. I have to say it as an amazing thing not to be experiencing the churning stomach and need to not be totally sober. We even had a long delay on the tarmac and then a flight taking off before us who had to declare an emergency. Normally I’d have been in internal panic but not this time. Even the turbulence didn’t worry me; I actually finished my book!”
“…Even when towards the end of the flight it was announced we were entering thunderstorm activity, I didn’t go into panic mode at all and Steve’s circulation was intact. Not once did I fixate on the 35,000 ft between me and the ground. Honestly it’s been a revelation, I can’t believe the difference.”
Hypnotherapy is very effective at dealing with phobias of all types. Many people suffer needlessly due to embarrassment or believing they can never change. It needn’t be that way! For more information, please do get in touch.
Let's TalkR had a challenging entry into the world resulting in many invasive medical procedures and a full bone marrow transplant aged 7. On-going physiological conditions have meant that regular treatments continue to be a necessity. One of these is related to the need for regular flushing of the ears but for R, anything being put inside the ear is unbearable, resulting in R needing to be held down and the treatment taking a long time and traumatic for all.
R’s Mum contacted me to see what we could do to help her relax and explore whether self hypnosis could make these treatments endurable for R.
Due to them living overseas, all sessions were undertaken over zoom.
With younger children (R was 11) finding the triggers is important, whilst also creating anchors for them to use. One of R’s triggers was talking about her ears, so we referred to them as ‘milkshakes’ and changed the anxiety into something funny as we decided which flavour we were working with that day! Her anchors were around some cuddly toys, using heightened awareness of sensations in her hands to create the sense of control and safety.
In the first session we used a technique of dissociation – taking her mind to a place where she felt safe and she could see herself in the treatment room but not associate with it. Over a total of 4 therapeutic sessions, we continued to overlap sessions with treatments. To support R, we also created a personalised recording that she could listen to on the way to her treatments which also helped her to relax.
The following was received by R’s Mum:
“Thank you so so much. She was like a different child. It went really well and best of all her ears feel really nice now, she says, so she’ll look forward to the next one!
Thank you for everything- really. Words aren’t enough.”
And from R herself (albeit a little edited!!)….
“THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today went brilliantly, I listened to the special video you made me on the way there and in the waiting room. When I went in, mum practically had to push me in because I was so sleepy. And luckily there was only Dr Dani and Mum with me so that helped a bit more. Then Dr Dani started and it was very easy and I had one ear phone in the other ear, still listening to my special recording.
Then we hoovered out the first ( her description of the treatment) and I was able to stay still!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for helping me get to this point Caroline, you have helped me soooo much.”
Hypnotherapy cannot only help overcome previous traumas but also help you face challenges in the future that cannot be avoided. For more information, please do get in touch.
Let's TalkA mum came to me for help with her child who was still bouncing off the ceiling in the evenings and despite being a very physically active young man, could not get to sleep. In her words:
My 9 year old son has always found getting to sleep very difficult and could lie in bed for over an hour each night without falling asleep. With young children of her own, Caroline Cavanagh made my son feel comfortable with their meeting immediately. Caroline’s method was simple and effective. I know very little about hypnotherapy, but there was nothing scary about the session. The only way I can describe it, is as the most calm hour ever spent in a chair. All through the power of a relaxing voice. Since his first and only required session, my son is now getting to sleep in about 20 minutes or less. My son is delighted with the result and I no longer need to dread bedtime”.
Insomnia can affect people in one of two ways, either stopping them falling asleep or waking them throughout the night. The sub conscious causes are different but hypnotherapy is a very effective treatment in overcoming them, regardless of age!
Let's Talk
Bexi had a fear of phobias that was literally terrifying her at even the thought that a 'beastie' may be around. We addressed this and then Bexi returned. She realised that traumas from her childhood were holding her back from realising her dreams. Here is what she had to say about her experience of hypnotherapy
This lady was struggling with performance anxiety. After a few sessions she became a World Champion.
Mia's anxiety was holding her back in her business and also in her life. She shares how our work together has helped her
William was doing well in his career and life in general but knew there was another level - and together, we found it!
It is still common for men to believe they don't need help and Keith only came after his wife had had sessions. His experience is shared in this short video
Lilli shares her story of how a diagnosis of anxiety had led to medication that she was not happy to stay on. So she explored other routes.
Sometimes it is not about being in a bad place, but knowing that if life does through challenges at you, there is somewhere you can go where it is safe to be vulnerable.
Carol talks of what being in hypnosis feels like and what results she was able to achieve after PTSD.
Alix had a phobia of the phone - and it was having a massive impact on her life. After two sessions she talks about the results she has had and how that has affected her.