Why a phobia ignores good sense

A phobia is a learned alarm that fires in a split second, before logic can step in. It learned the wrong lesson. At some point your mind paired a place, a creature or a situation with danger. Now the alarm goes off before you’ve had a chance to think.

That’s why people telling you to relax doesn’t work. The thinking part of you already agrees. The fast, automatic part never got the memo. And every time you avoid the thing, the relief tells that part it was right.

The good news is that alarms can be retrained. You can work on this, one small step at a time.

How hypnosis helps with phobias

Hypnosis lets you rehearse facing your fear while your body stays settled. In hypnosis you are calm, focused and aware. You hear everything and you’re in charge. In that state we picture the thing you fear, at your pace, while your body practises staying settled. It’s a rehearsal, done somewhere safe.

Hypnosis is the base. Alongside it I use Rewind, a gentle technique for taking the sting out of a frightening memory or fear, and sometimes Symbology, which works with the pictures and metaphors your mind already uses. NLP and Time Line Therapy come in where they fit. These are some of the tools I’ve found useful.

Then, when you’re ready and not before, you try small real-life steps between sessions. We plan them together. The rehearsal makes the steps feel doable. The steps are where the change sticks.

Phobia hypnotherapy pages: five common fears

Five fears have their own page, from flying and heights to vomiting. Each one explains how we work and what it costs.

• AgoraphobiaWhen your safe area keeps getting smaller. We can begin by video, without you leaving home.
• ClaustrophobiaLifts, tunnels, crowded trains and MRI scans. Anywhere the way out feels too far away.
• EmetophobiaA fear of vomiting that quietly shapes what you eat and where you go.
• Fear of flyingFor the dread that starts weeks before the trip out of Adelaide Airport.
• Fear of heightsLadders, balconies and lookouts, and the things you’ve stopped doing because of them.

For an overview of everything I help with, see the Hypno Coach home page.

Dogs, needles, spiders and other fears

Any other specific fear uses the same 4-session program, at $1,000 in total upfront. Plenty of fears don’t have a page here, and that’s fine. Maybe it’s spiders in the shed, or snakes on a bushwalk in the Adelaide Hills. Maybe you cross the road when you see a dog. Maybe a dentist visit has been “next month” for five years. The alarm behind them works the same way, so I use the same 4-session program.

If needles or the dentist are keeping you from health care, please tell your doctor or dentist too. Many are happy to go slower or do things differently. And if you have ever fainted at the sight of blood or a needle, mention it on the free call. It changes how we approach things.

How phobia hypnotherapy works: video or Adelaide

It begins with a free 15-minute call. Then come four sessions, by video or in person in Adelaide by arrangement.

1. Free 15-minute phone call

   Tell me what you’re afraid of and how it gets in your way. I’ll be honest about whether I can help. There’s no pressure to book. You can also ask me anything about hypnosis, like what it feels like or whether you stay in control.

2. Session one

   By video from home, or in person in Adelaide by arrangement. We find out where the fear started, what sets it off, and what you want to be able to do. Then we start the work.

3. Follow-up sessions, and a recording to keep

   Each one builds on the last. You take a recording home and learn quick self-hypnosis, so you can keep practising between sessions.

Hypnosis needs your focus, not a particular room. For many fears, starting in a place where you already feel safe is a gentle way in.

What phobia hypnotherapy costs in Adelaide

Four sessions for $1,000 paid at the start, or $300 a session as you go. Plans for ongoing worry, trauma or low mood run 6 to 12 sessions at $250 each prepaid, $1,500 to $3,000 in total. Free 15-minute call first.

Questions about phobia hypnotherapy in Adelaide

These are five questions people often ask me about fears, answered plainly.

Hypnotherapy is a complementary therapy. It is not medical care, a diagnosis, or a replacement for your doctor or a psychologist. If your symptoms are strong or don’t ease, please see your GP. Sessions are for adults 18 and over. Last updated 7 October 2026.