EMDR or hypnotherapy for a phobia

A phobia can significantly impact your life. You might avoid certain situations, places, or objects because the fear is too great. Even if you rationally know the threat isn't real, it still feels like you have no control over your reaction. This can be frustrating and limiting.

Fortunately, you don't have to live with this. As a psychologist and hypnotherapist, I can help you overcome your phobia with evidence-based therapies that go beyond simply treating the symptoms. Together, we'll work towards lasting change, so you feel freer and safer in everyday life.

What exactly is a phobia?

A phobia is an intense and irrational fear of something specific, such as spiders (arachnophobia), heights (acrophobia), flying (aviophobia), or even social situations (social phobia). This fear goes beyond simple worry: it can lead to panic attacks, avoidance behavior, and a constant fear of confronting the feared object or situation.

Phobias often arise from a traumatic experience, learned behavior, or an oversensitivity of the nervous system. Your brain associates a particular stimulus with danger and activates the fight-or-flight mechanism, even when there is no real threat. This causes the fear to persist, sometimes even lifelong—unless you help your brain form a new pattern.

How can I help you?

As a psychologist and hypnotherapist, I look at the deeper root of your fear. A phobia isn't a conscious choice, but an automatic reaction of your subconscious. That's why I combine various techniques to address not only the symptoms but also the core of the fear.

1. EMDR: Processing trauma and negative associations

Sometimes a phobia is linked to an unresolved trauma. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a method that helps reprocess negative memories, thus losing their emotional charge.

In EMDR, we focus on the fearful memory or thought, while your brain is stimulated by eye movements or sounds that alternate left and right. This helps your brain reprocess the event and reduce its emotional intensity. Many clients notice a dramatic reduction in anxiety after just a few sessions.

2. Hypnotherapy: Resetting the Anxiety Response

Hypnosis is a particularly effective method for releasing deep-seated fears. When you're hypnotized, you enter a deep state of relaxation and heightened focus. In this state, your subconscious mind is more accessible, and new, helpful associations can be created.

For example, if you have a fear of flying, your subconscious believes that flying is dangerous. With hypnosis, we can change this belief and learn a sense of calm and control instead of panic.

In addition, hypnotherapy can help reprogram the fear response to the phobic object. Where you previously experienced an intense stress reaction, your brain can learn to remain calm and relaxed.

3. Havening Touch: Calming Your Nervous System

Havening Touch is an innovative technique, developed by two American neuroscientists, that helps reduce anxiety and stress at a neurological level. It works through gentle touch on the arms, face, and hands, combined with specific mental exercises.

This encourages the brain to release stressful memories and build a sense of safety. Havening is especially powerful for phobias because it helps neutralize the original fear response.

4. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Changing Thoughts and Behavior

In addition to deeper processing techniques, I also use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to make you aware of the thoughts and beliefs that perpetuate your phobia. Together, we'll explore how you can think differently about your fear and develop gradual exposure techniques so you gradually gain more control over your reactions.

What happens in your brain when you have a phobia?

In a phobia, the amygdala, the fear center of your brain, plays a key role. This small brain region is responsible for processing threats and activating the fight-or-flight response.

When you encounter a phobic stimulus, the amygdala reacts automatically, without your conscious mind having a chance to assess whether the fear is real. This causes a rapid physical reaction: an increased heart rate, sweating, trembling hands, and a feeling of panic.

The techniques I use—hypnosis, EMDR, and Havening—help to reprogram the connections in the brain so that the phobic stimulus is no longer experienced as life-threatening.

What can you expect from a course?

Everyone is unique, so I tailor my treatment to your specific needs. This is what a typical program might look like:

1. Intake interview – We discuss your complaints, your experiences and what you want to achieve.
2. Reset Fear Response – Hypnotherapy helps to reprogram your subconscious mind in a positive way.
3. Trauma processing – If your phobia stems from a traumatic experience, we can neutralize it with hypnotherapy, EMDR, or Havening.
4. Changing behavior and thoughts – With CBT and gradual exposure, you build confidence in situations you previously avoided.

Which phobias is this treatment suitable for?

This method is effective for all kinds of phobias, such as:

• Specific phobias: spiders, dogs, needles, heights, small spaces, flies, water.
• Social phobia: fear of social situations, public speaking, meeting new people.
• Agoraphobia: Fear of open spaces, crowded places, or being alone outdoors.

Whatever your fear, the good news is that you can do something about it. You no longer have to let fear rule your life.

Take the first step today

Phobias may feel overwhelming, but you're not powerless. I'd love to help you regain control over your fears, so you can live with confidence and freedom.

Want to know how I can help you? Feel free to contact me for a free consultation. Together, we'll make sure fear is no longer an obstacle in your life.