Cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy has an excellent track record in removing these irrational fears. Phobias treatment with hypnotherapy is mainly composed of four features :
- In the case of phobias and specific fears, exposure hypnotherapy is the primary goal. However, relaxation techniques are a good starting point as it is particularly effective to reduce physiological arousal.
- A training on self-hypnosis to build up your sense of calm self-confidence and self-efficacy to cope with the situation you fear.
- With the help of your therapist, you will establish a hierarchy of the things you fear, leading to the last and most crucial step.
- The final and most crucial step is called systemic desensitisation. Clinical studies demonstrate that Systematic desensitization treatment is an effective protocol on phobias.
Yes just like some people get desensitised from some allergens.
The good thing with hypnosis is that instead of physically expose you to your triggers, you do it mentally.
This technique is powerful at exposing and confronting someone with their feared situation and allows them to rehearse their coping skills in a relaxed setting.
Under hypnosis and while doing deep relaxation, you will imagine this thing or situation you fear; you will be coached to relax, building up an automatic calm response. You will gradually replace your automatic maladaptive response mentally rehearsing you coping with the situation adequately. - You will expose yourself progressively in real life to In the case of phobias or social anxiety treatment, gradual “in vivo exposure are essential to maintain positive outcomes in the long term.The skills and methods learned in therapy need to be “transfer” into your daily life if you want to maintain the benefits of them in the long term. If a client is affected by a phobia of snakes after hypnotic desensitisation, the client should test and reinforce the improvements made during sessions exposing gradually to the stimuli in real life, allowing him to stop avoiding situations but rather to confront and stay in them. Therefore, you will choose some real-life practice with your therapist. For example, is you have a snake phobia will maybe decide to watch a movie with snakes or go to a pet shop with a snake behind glass or the zoo; it’s up to you. It is a central point.