January, 2015

Phobia of heights / high buildings

In November a client came to see me with a fear of heights and also of being amongst high buildings.  He had managed to avoid this situation for quite some time but now had a new role which would require him to regularly visit Broadgate Tower in London, his initial visit to take place early in January.  We had four sessions together, using solution focused hypnotherapy and he contacted me last week with the following news:

‘So to fill you in on how last week went….success!

I was booked in for a training session at the Broadgate Tower.  I think I was quite anxious about going there – I was struggling to get a sound night’s sleep – although I may also have been a little anxious about the first week back to work after having a two week break.

My colleagues already knew about my therapy and one of my colleagues met me at Liverpool Street Station.  On the way up on the train I took my mind off the fear by working on my presentation. I also tried to calm my mind and use the techniques you taught me (tapping, finger squeezing) to keep returning to my safe place in my mind.  As I neared London I could see all of the tall buildings clearly (blue sky day), including the Shard, Canary Wharf, the Gerkin and Broadgate Tower.  On seeing them, a little anxiety returned, but again I tried not to think about it too much.

The colleague who met me at the station knew the best way to get to the Tower, which meant I stayed under the roof of the station until the last minute when I crossed the road to the plaza where Broadgate tower stands. I reminded myself not to look up but just to look down/straight ahead.

Thankfully the buildings have closed internal lifts and we went straight up to the 22nd floor.  I stayed in the middle section of the office at first, but with floor to ceiling windows most of the way round, it was impossible not to admire the amazing views.  As the day went on, my initial wobbly starts waned – I still had moments, if I wandered too close to the edge or stared out of the window too much, but as long as I kept my mind occupied and tried not to think about it, I was remarkably calm and able to cope with the whole experience.  I’d even go as far as to say I enjoyed the view.

I returned later in the week, as planned, and less anxious.  The second visit was not without wobbly moments, but on the whole, it was more of a breeze.

So, I appear to be sufficiently “cured”, or more specifically, able to cope with going to the Broadgate Tower to take the experience in my stride.  A few months ago, I would never have gotten near the front door of the building at ground level.  Thank you so much, José.’

Hypnotherapy is so very effective with many different phobias from spiders and birds to less tangible fears. It is gentle and painless – it does not require you to approach or handle the object of your fear or stand on the edge of a precipice.  You don’t need to know the origin of your phobia – this client didn’t – for the treatment was still very effective.

A Happy New Year!

It’s that time of year again.  We’re battling the holiday season bulge, working enthusiastically on our new personal projects and business goals….

Or are our resolutions already beginning to fade, the first flush of enthusiasm waning.  Are we not getting to the gym quite so often, giving up on the diet, motivation waning, settling back into that comfortable old pre-Christmas routine?

If that’s your problem and you really need a boost, then just one session of solution focused hypnotherapy can help to get you back on track and stay on track for the rest of the year.

It’s important to clear out all the old rubbish left behind by the past, both emotional and cognitive, so that you are ready to move forward. Sometimes we aren’t even aware of what is holding us back and with the deeply relaxing experience of a hypnotherapy session, you don’t have to consciously know or voice the problems.  The limiting blocks and barriers in your psyche can be easily and permanently lifted away.

Now’s the time to stride confidently forward in 2015 – solution focused hypnotherapy can set you off on the right foot and keep you on track throughout the year!