Fears & Phobias

Counselling or Hypnotherapy Can Help You

Anxiety, fears and phobias – Counselling or Hypnotherapy can help

–  say goodbye to your fear of the dentist,
–  Overcome your fear of flying
–  Drive on our roads with confidence
–  Feel calm at a job interview
–  Handle business meetings with ease
–  Overcome exam nerves
–  Overcome social anxiety
or
–   overcome your anxiety, fear or phobia related to:
dogs, cats, birds or insects – even the fear of mice or snakes is treatable with Counselling or Hypnotherapy.   Call Elaine Walker on 9300 6026 or through my contact me page

Fear is a basic human emotion which causes a chain reaction in the brain that starts with a stressful stimulus and ends with the release of chemicals that cause a racing heart, fast breathing and energised muscles, among other things, also known as the fight-or-flight response. The stimulus could be a spider, a dog, an auditorium full of people waiting for you to speak, your dental appointment, anything at all.  Fear is programmed into the nervous system and works like an instinct. From the time we are infants we are equipped with the survival instincts necessary to respond with fear when we sense danger or feel unsafe but the fear can become out of control. Like all emotions, fear can be mild, medium, or intense, depending on the situation and the person. A feeling of fear can be brief or it can last longer. In some situations fear helps protect us. Fear can alert us to danger and prepares us to deal with an unsafe situation. Feeling afraid is therefore very natural — and helpful. Fear can be like a warning, a signal that cautions us to be careful. However fear can also be unhelpful in certain cases and may develop into a much stronger response that is often called a Phobia.

Phobias can cause people to react with extreme emotions such as worry, dread or feeling upset. People will often go to extraordinary lengths to avoid objects or situations they fear because the physical sensations of fear can be so intense. Your nervous system can become stimulated which can affect your emotions and cause an unwanted response to a situation. Fears and Phobias can be exhausting and upsetting  and it is certainly disappointing for you to miss out on opportunities because of your intense anxiety.  You are not alone if you feel confused or even embarrassed that you are afraid of things that others seem to have no problem with. There is hope though.  Counselling or Hypnotherapy can help you.   Contact Me  to help you overcome your fear or phobia.

Two Types Of Phobias Are Recognised

1)  Specific Phobias (sometimes called Simple Phobias) The essential feature of this phobia is a persistent, irrational fear of, and compelling desire, to avoid specific objects or situations.

2)  Social Phobias Social phobia is a type of anxiety disorder (a blanket term covering fear and anxiety) known as avoidant disorder in children.  A person often fears situations in which they believe they are being observed and evaluated, such as eating, drinking, speaking in public, driving, etc. Individuals who have social phobias have excessive anxieties in social situations; such as:
–  parties, meetings, interviews, –  eating in restaurants, –  making complaints,–  writing in public,– and interacting with the opposite sex, strangers, and aggressive individuals. Unlike specific or simple phobias, which tend to diminish as the individual grows into puberty and young adulthood, social phobias persist as one gets older. In some people, adjusting to married life can be affected, eg. fear of being touched. Some have ongoing problems with generalised anxiety, dependence, authority, and struggle with depressed mood.  Seek Help. Contact Me today.

Elaine Walker
(BApsych, adv.cert.family & marital therapy, dip hypnotherapy)
Clinical Hypnotherapist and Specialist Counsellor