Get over fears and phobias quickly and easily

There are hundreds of possible fears. Here are some I have helped clients overcome

• Fear of flying — Aviophobia
• Fear of heights — Acrophobia
• Fear of speaking in public — Glossophobia
• Fear of driving
• Fear of insects — Entomophobia
• Fear of being in crowds — Anthropophobia
• Fear of public places like markets — Agoraphobia
• Fear of leaving home — Agoraphobia
• Fear of being closed in — Claustrophobia
• Fear of the dark — Achluophobia
• Fear of being in society — Sociophobia
• Fear of needles and injections — Enetophobia
• Fear of water — Aquaphobia
• Fear of spiders — Arachnophobia
• Fear of failure — Atychiphobia
• Fear of making decisions — Decidophobia
• Fear of dentists — Dentophobia
• Fear of sleep — Somniphobia
• Fear of not sleeping — Insomnia
• Fear of death — Necrophobia
• Fear of the dark — Nyctophobia
• Fear of animals — Zoophobia

The psychology of fears and phobias

Fear is an emotion based on an impending event that holds a reasonable degree of danger to your well-being or that of your family, friends, or possessions. And that is good. A fear founded on a genuine threat prepares you to respond in an appropriate way and enhances the likelihood of avoiding danger or loss. However, when fear is based on an imagined threat, it is called a phobia — and that is bad.

A phobia is a fear centered on an irrational response to something that holds little or no danger to your safety or security. Imagined fear inhibits one from engaging in activities that could otherwise bring convenience and pleasure. For example, the fear of elevators creates an obvious inconvenience, the fear of heights keeps a person from enjoying a view of the Grand Canyon, and a fear of flying keeps a person from going places quickly and safely.

It is rational for a soldier going into battle to experience fear, but it is not rational to be afraid of a mouse. A soldier's fear of going to war is based on a real threat; going into hysterics over seeing a mouse is a phobia — a conditioned response. More accurately: going into hysterics at the sight of a mouse is based on the false perception that mice harm people. Sure, mice get into your things and leave tracks around, but the perception that one will hurt you is a false one.

It is wise to exercise caution and have some apprehension when approaching the top edge of a 1,000 foot cliff, but it is irrational to stay in the car when you consciously know you would be perfectly safe standing next to a safety railing enjoying a majestic view of the Grand Canyon. Having a false perception that there is something to fear keeps you from enjoying a magnificent experience.

It is understandable that a person who has experienced a terrifying event would avoid being in the same circumstance in which the event may recur — that is good. We ought to learn from our experiences and avoid making the same mistake more than once. On the other hand, it is irrational to feel fear about an activity that we consciously and rationally know holds little if any danger, like flying. Statistically there is no safer mode of transportation, and you may already know this, yet the false perception that there is something to fear conjures up fearful emotions and has nothing to do with reasonable, rational thinking.

My approach to hypnosis purges your brain of limiting false perceptions through hypnotic suggestions, and replaces them with perceptions based on being free from your fears and phobias. Consequently you feel and act as if the fear or phobia was never there.

If you have any questions, or want to make an appointment, contact me by phone at 480-695-5404. I will be happy to answer all of your questions.