Emma 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.
At 14 years old, O was struggling with friendship issues – something not uncommon to early teenage years but for her, it was affecting her sleep, her motivation and leading to heightened levels of anxiety. Her self esteem and confidence were being eroded.
Hypnosis is something that teenagers tend to respond to in a rather ‘marmite’ way – they either love it or hate it. The first session is always a gentle session, giving the teen the opportunity to learn more about the process and experience hypnosis without having to pour their heart out in front of a relative stranger. This provides a platform that we can then build on.
In the first therapeutic session, O was able to revisit previous experiences and see them from a new perspective. This allowed her to see ‘ring leaders’ in a new way and her role in the interactions. This new understanding allowed her to feel a sense of control once more.
O returned to Boarding School after one therapeutic session. Two weeks on, I received the following email from her Mum.
“I am delighted to say that things at school seem to be going very well. I have had no tears on the phone and she seems genuinely happy.
O has mentioned that she thinks it is a combination of the girls are being more pleasant and when things have been said she is able to take it as nothing more than a comment and she hasn’t taken it to heart and allowed it to upset her – fabulous!”
At the end of a full term at school O wrote,
“Hypnotherapy has helped me to form better and effective coping strategies and has helped me improve relationships with my friends. Thank you for helping me.”
How we feel inside can often be picked up by others. This can result in those who are feeling vulnerable becoming targets to bullies. By creating a sense of empowerment, it changes this vulnerability leading to different interactions and this is what O experienced. And in addition, even when comments are passed, she has the self confidence to acknowledge they are just an opinion and she can choose whether she takes it on board or not!
Whilst this is a common scenario for teenagers, a lack of self-esteem and confidence is seen in adults too, leading to them being vulnerable to those that delight in preying on perceived weakness. O has demonstrated that this can be resolved relatively quickly leading to a different quality of life.
If you would like to know more about how hpynotherapy could help you, let’s chat
Katherine had been struggling with spiders for years. During most of the year it was something that caused her discomfort, however she dreaded the autumn months knowing that there was a high likelihood of her going into a room and finding one.
Her main motivation to address her phobia however, was the fear of passing it on to her children. This was a very realistic fear as often phobias are learned behaviour, passed from generation to generation.
Katherine elected to do a ‘deep dive session’ – an extended session where we use 3 key therapeutic tools that are proven to be effective with acute anxiety. We start the session by paving the way – learning about the science behind hypnosis and developing awareness of how the mind works. This can be very powerful in recognising that a phobia is not an illness, but more of a mental hypervigilance to protect.
Katherine commented, “I didn’t fully understand hypnotherapy before seeing Caroline and wasn’t sure how successful it would be. Caroline fully explained everything.”
Many people have an impression of hypnosis developed from seeing stage shows or films. This can lead to a fear of loss of control or lack of awareness. So we spend time to dispel these myths and gain clarity on what hypnosis actually is – in Katherine’s words, “A deep state of relaxation.”
After the session, Katherine left with an optimism that she certainly felt different. She quickly had exposure when a spider was on her son and she did not react in the way she would have done previously.
“I have noticed that I am already more confident at dealing with spiders and I am more conscious of my thought processes around spiders and my reaction to them.”
Katherine was also given a personalised recording that has two key objectives: It helps develop the ability to relax which can reduce generalised stress and anxiety, and it also builds on the tools used in the session to help embed that work. Whilst the autumn was a few months away from our work together, using it will help maintain this changed mindset, however Katherine added, “It is still early days and the true test will be in the autumn but I already feel I have more tools to deal with the 8-legged creatures!”
Phobias tend to respond really well to hypnotherapy. People often do not get help for them as they feel embarrassed at their reaction to what they consciously know is not dangerous. However, a professional will help you understand how your mind is working and work sensitively with you to reduce and potentially remove your phobia. It you would like more information, please get in touch for an informal chat.
A was just 9 years old and experiencing high levels of anxiety around loud noises. At school, special steps were having to be taken every week during the fire alarm test which was escalating to A not wanting to go into school on that day. Her anxiety was also spreading, leading to distress around the risk of car alarms going off and even her sibling’s noisy toys if they did not have an on/off switch.
A’s experience follows a typical pattern of anxiety and escalation. In children however, this escalation can be quicker than in adults.
The age of a child is less relevant than their mental maturity. In the first session we take small steps to identify if hypnosis is an approach that they can embrace.
A took to the approach easily and quickly and after just one session she was already showing signs of having changed her mental association with noise. I then sent A a recording to help her learn to relax and feel more in control with the recommendation to use this as often as possible and definitely on Tuesday mornings before school.
After just one session I received the following email from her Mum.
“She has had a breakthrough and it is completely down to talking to you. Before seeing you she had to leave the school and wait on the field, last week she stood in the room while they set the alarm off!! I am so grateful to you.”
Deeming that progress was being made, we decided to continue to use the recording and then test out the other triggers for her anxiety.
“She isn’t as anxious about other noises now either like car alarms and is no longer having a complete meltdown when her brother plays with noisy toys, she asks him to stop but in a controlled manner,” added Mum.
Not every young child is a perfect candidate for hypnosis however equally, results such as those as A received are achievable and A now has an awareness of risk that will also be with her as she moves forward and faces other challenges as she grows up.
If you are not sure if your child is a good candidate for hypnotherapy, please get in touch for an informal chat and we can take it from there.
At 9 years old, B was experiencing high levels of anxiety. She was a real worrier, concerning herself with things that most 9 year olds do not concern themselves over, and this was affecting her both at school and also leading to bad dreams at night. She is an accomplished swimmer but was often feeling very sick on the way to lessons and competitions and was also dreading a school sporting event that was on the horizon. B said her anxiety left her feeling “sad.”
The age of a child is less relevant than their mental maturity. In the first session we take small steps to identify if hypnosis is an approach that they can embrace.
B was clearly a very bright little girl and was able to engage easily and quickly. Even after the introductory session, B reported that she was falling asleep better and was feeling a little less anxious. The second session is one where we start to use the therapeutic tools under hypnosis. Children tend to respond very well as we are working with a part of the mind that is playful and imaginative. We used age appropriate concepts to help her reframe the fears and create a mental resource she could use when she wanted to feel brave.
After the two sessions, I created a personalised recording for B to listen to that would help embed the work we had done together.
I will hand that over to the words of her Mum.
“B is doing brilliantly !!
She is now going to bed without her anxiety attacks and is sleeping right through!! Bedtime is now taking 5 minutes as opposed to 30/40.
She did brilliantly in her sporting event and had no anxiety around it at all. She ended up looking forward to it and was excited! She came in the top 5. This was such a confidence booster for her, especially as she had not wanted to participate initially due to her anxiety.
She had her first gala this weekend. Yesterday she had lots of tears and didn’t want to attend, so she went into her room, listened to your recording, and calmed herself. She managed to control her anxiety so well, and although she had a few wobbles on the way, she was fabulous, and once she had managed her first race, the rest went very smoothly, and she loved every minute. She was so excited about the second leg today, with no anxiety at all, and she again did so very well!
Further, much to my surprise, she has decided, pretty much on her own, that she would like to commence tutoring for the 11+. This was never an expectation, as we had always felt that the pressure would be too much for her. The fact that she feels confident enough to proceed, is incredible.
She is happy and positive and hasn’t had a bad dream for several weeks. We have seen fabulous results after so few sessions, and the recording has been a excellent tool, which she can access whenever she needs, often of her own accord. We are most grateful.
If you are not sure if your child is a good candidate for hypnotherapy, please get in touch for an informal chat and we can take it from there.
Vlatko was experiencing high levels of anger that were affecting his relationship and causing him concerns regarding his employment as he was finding it harder and harder to control his outbursts. Along with the anger, he was also starting to feel a lot of physiological pain in his chest, feelings of nausea and bloating and regular headaches.
Vlatko had grown up with a very controlling father who often belittled him as a child. He also dictated what career he went in to preventing Vlatko from following his heart’s desire. His Mum tended to back his Dad up leaving Vlatko feeling very alone.
We had a total of 5 sessions over the space of 6 weeks.
In between each session Vlatko was experiencing improvements and each session moving him further forward towards his goal.
During our work together, Vlatko’s sleep improved significantly. Throughout the process he started to notice himself not reacting to situations that would previously have caused him to flare up. He found himself feeling happier and many of the physical symptoms had dramatically reduced.
His relationship improved and his partner commented, “I feel much more relaxed with him now, I dont feel like I have to ‘walk on egg-shells.”
A significant change for him was to then be able to talk about his father without feeling any negative emotions – talking from a place of calmness.
He was able to return to the gym and all the breathing discomfort, headaches and nausea disappeared.
Anger can be more common in men but women can experience high levels too. If anger is impacting on your life, and that of those you love, let’s chat.
R was just 10 years old and emotionally very intelligent. She had been persuaded to behave in a way that she knew was wrong by children that were older. This left her feeling huge amounts of guilt, not only in the knowledge of what she had done, but feelings of having let her parents down. This had changed a vibrant, bubbly young lady into one that was withdrawn and unhappy.
We had just 2 sessions. The first session all clients experience is what is called a chemistry session. This is especially key for youngsters as if they do not feel comfortable with the therapist or their methodologies, they will not get the results they deserve.
R was naturally nervous about hypnosis but having had it explained to her, was very open to having her first experience of it. After this first session, even though we had not used any therapeutic techniques, her Mum reported back that, “She is so much more relaxed & happy. She really enjoyed the hypnosis. I don’t want to speak too soon, but it feels like we’ve our daughter back. She’s so much happier.”
So we progressed to have one therapeutic session, using a range of techniques to help address the guilt and to bolster her self-esteem to feel more confident around other children.
R was able to let the past go and move on from the incident and return to being a happy, bright child ready to progress into secondary school with a new level of mental agility and resilience.
And in her own words, “I was really nervous about seeing Caroline, but she comforted me and assured me there was nothing to be nervous about. Before I saw her, my problem was always on my mind, but now I rarely think about it thanks to Caroline. Thank you for what you did for me Caroline.”
If you have a teen (or near tween) who is struggling with inter-personal relationships, please get in touch for an informal chat.
A 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!
Laura was drinking more alcohol than she had become comfortable with. ‘Habits’ had formed that had got to a level that she knew were becoming detrimental to her health. She was concerned she was developing an alcohol addiction. She was particularly worried about a developing habit of coming home from work and drinking alone. But with an active social life, she didn’t want to become teetotal and never enjoy a cocktail with the girls again either.
Like many people, the decision to get help starts with taking a brave step! “I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from hypnotherapy and I was embarrassed about why I wanted the help,” said Laura when she first got in touch. However, as we got talking, Laura felt more able to relax and be honest about her habits accepting that she was in a safe environment where there were no judgements.
She, like many was also concerned about being hypnotised having seen various stage shows where people ‘performed’. We spoke through how hypnosis worked and the fact that it is a natural state of relaxation. The way that Laura now describes being hypnotised is, “It is very calming and relaxing – like when you are so tired you want to go to bed but can’t move…..without being really tired!”
Laura travelled quite some distance to the hypnotherapy sessions here in Salisbury so to make her journeys viable, we sometimes did double sessions which also allowed us to make swifter progress. The result of our work together was explained in her words:
“I no long drink on my own (big deal!!). I’ve lost a stone, I feel confident and happy ….and I’m finally in a really good relationship.” Laura’s experience reflects many of the secondary benefits of hypnotherapy. Whilst the focus is on helping one area of life – in her case, the drinking – improvements here can ripple out to other areas. Laura’s priority was not to lose weight, but the change in her drinking resulted in this, which has supported feeling more confident in herself also. It is a bit like the chain of dominoes – you knock the first one over and others behind it start to fall too.
Our aim however was not for Laura to give up drinking. Sharing a glass of wine socially is a source of pleasure for many. Our aim in working together was for Laura to be able to have those one or two glasses when out with friends and thoroughly enjoy them but also be aware of when she has had enough and be able to then swap to soft drinks comfortably. During the follow-up contact a couple of months after the last session, she was still happy with the changes she had made and confident they are the new habits.
Sports performance is often not associated with therapy, however most top athletes now use techniques derived from hypnotherapy.
Caroline was fit, regularly completing demanding gym sessions but when it came to running, she found herself giving up after just minutes. She was struggling to understand why her body would respond to the demands made of it the gym, but would not do so out on the track.
“I knew it must be something in my head but I just couldn’t work out what! Caroline Cavanagh was able to take me back to the age of 4. I was very badly asthmatic as a child and I recalled my Mum telling me as she dropped me off at school ‘not to run around or I would get wheezy’. My asthma was no longer an issue as an adult but I was amazed that this repeated comment heard has a child had had such a lasting impact.
Having realised that, the behaviour was no longer relevant, Caroline helped me to let go of that child like instruction and the next day I went out and ran for 30 minutes. The difference was incredible and it was clear that the problem had been totally in my head. I then decided to sign up for a half marathon. I quickly progressed to covering 5-6 miles but then met another block. At this stage I would start getting painful stitches. So I booked another session. This time I went back to a time when I was 9 or 10. I was training 6 days a week as a gymnast and my developing body was struggling with the demands being put on it and I recalled getting various random aches and pains that would stop me training for a bit.
I understood this was my body’s way at that time of getting its own down time and now that I was back to making higher demands of it with the running, this old pattern was clicking back in. Caroline helped my adult mind to understand that I was in control and had the ability to train responsibly and again the child like behaviour was no longer relevant. From that point on, the stitches also stopped.
As part of the treatment I learned how to hypnotise myself and found this a great technique when I was running – just took my mind off to another place and let my body get on with the running.
I completed the Reading marathon in a respectable time – something I don’t think I could ever have done without hypnotherapy.”