Overcome Fear of Flying, with Hypnotherapy (Part 2)

 To minimize risk of exposure to and spread of the COVID-19 virus and COVID-19 variants, I am continuing to suspend in-person hypnotherapy sessions with me in my office. Meanwhile, phone, and Zoom consultations ARE and WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE! 

 

(This blog was originally posted on May 15, 2014)

Photo courtesy of Fotolia

 

If you are afraid of flying, hypnosis and guided imagery can alleviate this anxiety and help to make your journey more comfortable. In this blog, I will describe how I use hypnosis and therapeutic guided-imagery concepts to help desensitize my clients to any negative associations they may have with and fear of flying.

The first thing I do is confirm that the client has a fear and not a phobia of the stimulus (flying). According to Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., a fear is distinguished from a phobia if it has a specific cause or origin. For example, if the plane you were last on went through a thunderstorm and you experienced a lot of turbulence and sudden drop in altitude or a loved one dying in a crash, you might develop a fear of flying. Conversely, a phobia is a generalized anxiety response that is associated with low blood-sugar levels and no specific event triggered the reaction.

Once I make this determination, I will teach the person some basic relaxation techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing and special-place imagery. When the client is in hypnosis and is in a deep state of relaxation, I will help him or her to create a finger-press anchor to “lock in” that sensation of calm and comfort, which the person can employ if and when he or she feels anxious or afraid. I also guide the person through a series of imagery exercises to desensitize him or her to anticipatory anxiety about flying and to the specific stimulus or stimuli that trigger the fear or anxiety response (e.g., words such as terminal, last call and final destination). I also have the person “rehearse” preparing for and taking the scheduled flight: making travel arrangements, packing for the flight, waking up the day of the trip, eating a nutritious meal, leaving for the airport and boarding the plane. During this exercise, the client gets to visualize, imagine picture or pretend that he or she hears and sees the doors close on the aircraft and feel the plane take off, fly for the estimated duration of the journey and land at the destination. I will then guide the client through a similar exercise to prepare for the trip home.

I incorporate the client’s words/expressions in the hypnotic script to emphasize and reinforce his or her reasons/motivations to overcome the fear (or phobia) about flying. I use guided imagery to help the client replace negative associations between the sensation of flying, with that of the deep relaxation and sense of calm and comfort experienced during hypnosis. In this and future hypnotherapy sessions, I will continue to desensitize the person to triggers of this fear of flying and reinforce the new association between feeling confident, relaxed and in control while traveling in an airplane. Once the client has returned to an alert and aware state I will provide some practical tips to further reduce anxiety while traveling and provide a recording of the hypnosis/visualization portion of the session to further reinforce this relaxed state.

Practical tips to make your flight more comfortable:

 

• Drink water and eat a nutritious meal that contains protein to keep your mood even and anxiety low.

• Do not drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages before or during the flight, which can affect suggestibility and may increase your anxiety.

• Get plenty of sleep the night before you travel.

• Listen to the reinforcement track before bed the night before your flight and on a personal stereo during the flight.

• Practice diaphragmatic breathing and activate the finger-press anchor whenever you need to reduce stress or anxiety before or during the flight.

 

Special Offer: Discount on the First Hypnotherapy Session for Active/Retired

 Military Personnel & First Responders

 

Special Offer: 25 percent discount (that is $50!) off the first hypnotherapy session for all active/retired military personnel and first responders (police, fire-fighters, EMT/paramedics, ambulance personnel, emergency dispatchers, ER physicians and nurses, COVID-19 Ward staff).

 

This offer may not be combined with any other discount or discount package. It is not redeemable for cash.

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. Sara has been voted the Best Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California, three years in a row (July 2019, September 2020, July 2021). For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2021

 

 

Hypnotherapy and Impotence

Sometimes, anxiety about sexual intimacy can really break the romantic mood. While it can be frustrating and potentially embarrassing, however, one or two instances of impotence do not have to signal the end of the relationship. It is normal for men to experience impotence at some stage of their lives, particularly as they grow older. Hypnosis and guided imagery can be powerful tools to reduce anxiety and build and help the person sustain an aroused state. However, before employing these to treat impotence, the client must have a physical exam with his physician to confirm that there is not a physiological reason such as diabetes or prostate issues, etc., that are preventing him from achieving an erection. Once a physical cause is ruled out, the hypnotherapist can address the symptom from an emotional and behavioral standpoint.

John Kappas, Ph.D., advised that the first question the consulting hypnotherapist should ask is whether the client has been able to function well sexually in the past. Has the individual ever been able to achieve a full erection before this current episode of impotence? It is also important to ascertain whether the individual has experienced an emotional trauma during his life; this can also affect sexual arousal and performance. If so, it may be necessary to guide the client through the different stages of trauma or grief before addressing his impotence, the Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder said.

Dr. Kappas recommended using the Law of Association to get the client past the first stage of arousal (partial erection) to the second stage (a full erection). While he is relaxed in hypnosis, the hypnotherapist should provide suggestions where the client alternately visualizes or imagines that he is healthy and able to function normally in a sexual relationship. Alternate the suggestions between images of the client having a full erection, then a partial erection and then a full one. Next, have him visualize or imaging that he is with his current sexual partner talking about sex and developing an erection. Once this is achieved, have the client visualize or imagine that he has gone through stages one and two of the arousal cycle and is getting ready for sex. “Each time you think, verbalize or get into a sexual behavior or penetration, you’ll get a very rigid erection and feel very confident,” the hypnotherapist advised.

It is also important to explain to the client how drinking alcohol, taking certain medications or smoking cigarettes can impede arousal. Such abstention is particularly important on a weekday, when the person is more likely to experience stress from work during the day, Dr. Kappas said. Finally, provide a hypnotic suggestion that the client will have an early-morning venting dream to release any suppressed thoughts that prevent his achieving a full erection and facilitate the arousal process.

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2016