hypnotherapy

Can Hypnotherapy Help You Overcome a Fear of Flying

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You Don’t Have to White-Knuckle Your Way Through It

Many people who contact me about a fear of flying assume the only options are:

  • Gritting their teeth and getting on the plane anyway,
  • Avoiding flying altogether, or
  • Asking their GP for something to take the edge off.

That fear of “just having to force it” can be enough to put a holiday, a wedding abroad, or a work trip permanently on hold.

In solution focused hypnotherapy, the aim isn’t to push you into a plane before you feel ready. It isn’t to pick apart every bumpy flight or bad memory that got you here. The focus is on helping your mind and body feel calmer and more in control in the present. Flying then starts to feel manageable rather than something to be endured.

It’s a genuinely common problem. Anxiety UK estimates that a fear of flying affects around one in ten people. This ranges from mild nerves before take-off to a fear severe enough that flying is avoided completely. If that sounds familiar, you’re in good company, and it’s very treatable.

Why the Fear Develops – and Why Sedatives Aren’t the Answer

Fear of flying rarely comes out of nowhere. NHS inform’s guide to phobias explains that phobias are often learned: perhaps a parent was visibly anxious in airports, perhaps one particularly turbulent flight left a lasting impression, or perhaps the fear built gradually alongside general anxiety or a need to feel in control. Once the fear takes hold, avoiding flying (or gripping the armrest and getting through it) can feel like the only coping strategy. This avoidance approach is often what keeps a phobia going rather than what resolves it.

It’s also worth knowing that a growing number of GP practices in the UK now have a policy of not prescribing diazepam or other benzodiazepines for fear of flying. As one practice explains, the British National Formulary doesn’t recommend these medications for phobias: sedatives slow reaction times, can worsen the risk of blood clots on longer flights, and, most importantly, do nothing to change the fear itself. They simply mask it for the duration of one journey.

That naturally raises the question: if sedation isn’t the answer, what is?

What Actually Happens in Sessions

Specific, self-contained phobias like flying often respond well to a short, focused way of working within solution focused hypnotherapy. Sometimes in as few as four sessions:

  • An initial consultation – talking through what’s happening, what you’ve already tried, and what a good outcome would look like for you.
  • A general therapy or confidence-building session – this starts by lowering your overall stress levels. I often talk to clients about a stress bucket: everyday pressures, poor sleep, and rehearsing worst-case scenarios about a flight all add to what’s in it. The fuller it gets, the harder it becomes to feel calm about anything, flying included.
  • A “rewind” session – done while you’re deeply relaxed. Rather than talking through a difficult flight or memory in detail, you’re guided to review it mentally from a safe distance. Your brain can reprocess it without you having to relive it emotionally. This technique has its roots in NLP and, in various forms, is now used across NHS services, charities and private practice in the UK for both phobias and trauma (see the Human Givens Institute for more on how it works).
  • A reframe session – building a detailed, positive picture of what calm, comfortable flying looks and feels like for you. It might include walking through the airport at ease, settling into your seat, landing and stepping off the plane at the start of your holiday. The brain responds well to this kind of specific, positive rehearsal; a vague goal like “I just don’t want to panic” gives it very little to work with.

To be honest, in my experience, it’s actually quite unusual to meet someone whose fear or phobia sits in complete isolation. Often, it’s worsened over time because the bucket is already fairly full for other reasons. Where that’s the case, a little more groundwork first, rather than heading straight for the rewind, can produce a more robust longer lasting result. Part of the first session is an honest conversation about which route will serve you best, not simply the fastest one. The good news for fear of flying specifically is that it’s often exactly the kind of contained, specific fear where the short route works well. That’s especially good news if your flight is in only a few weeks!

What Role Does Hypnosis Play?

Hypnosis is typically experienced as a state of focused, relaxed attention, in which people tend to feel calmer and more open to positive suggestion and vivid, guided visualisation of themselves coping well. For something like fear of flying, that can mean rehearsing the experience of a calm departure and flight in detail, before the travel date.

It’s worth being honest about the evidence base here, as I would with any client. The rewind technique specifically now has some genuine peer-reviewed backing: a 2023 randomised controlled trial published in the journal Depression and Anxiety found a large effect in reducing symptoms, maintained at 16-week follow-up (Bisson et al., 2023). Whilst that trial looked at PTSD rather than phobias specifically it si reassuring. The current NICE guideline covering the treatment of specific phobias (CG159) centres on cognitive behavioural approaches, including graded exposure, rather than hypnotherapy.

I obviously can’t offer any guarantees. Like any therapeutic process, it requires client commitment. There is still a way to go to build the same amount of evidence for this approach compared to CBT. What I can say, from years of using this approach with clients, is that it’s a comfortable, well-tolerated way of working that a lot of people find genuinely helpful, particularly when the fear is specific and there’s a clear goal, like a flight, to work towards.

Who Might This Approach Help?

This tends to help people who:

  • Avoid flying altogether, even when it means missing weddings, family visits, or opportunities abroad
  • Fly, but spend the run-up to it (and the flight itself) in a state of dread
  • Notice their fear of flying is tied up with broader anxiety or panic attacks, rather than flying being the only trigger
  • Have a specific flight booked and want to feel calmer about it, rather than dreading it for weeks beforehand
  • Have a phobia that’s specific and fairly contained, as fear of flying often is, rather than part of a wider pattern such as agoraphobia or health anxiety, which usually respond better to a broader approach

If you’re not sure which of these describes you, that’s completely normal, and exactly what an initial conversation is for.

Fear of Flying Is Different for Everyone

This article is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Fear of flying can sit on its own, or alongside conditions like panic disorder, claustrophobia, or health anxiety. The right support will depend on your particular situation. If your fear is severe, tied to a wider mental health condition, or you’re currently taking medication that affects whether you’re fit to fly, it’s worth speaking to your GP first. NICE’s guidance on treating specific phobias and the NHS inform self-help guide are both useful starting points if you’d like to read more.

A Few Quick Questions

How many sessions will I need?

For a specific, contained fear like flying, I often work towards a focused four-session route: an initial consultation, a confidence-building session, a rewind session, and a reframe session. Some people need a little more groundwork first if there’s a lot else going on, which is exactly why the first session includes an honest conversation about what will actually give you a lasting result, not just the fastest one.

I’ve already booked my flight – is it too late to start?

Not necessarily; this is often exactly the kind of situation the focused route works well for. It’s always better to start sooner rather than later, but plenty of clients come to me with a flight already booked and get through the whole process beforehand. Contact me as soon as you can so that we can discuss your options relative to your your timescales.

Will I lose control during hypnosis?

No. You remain fully aware and in control throughout. It’s a focused, relaxed state, not something done to you.

Is the four-session approach right for every fear or phobia?

Not necessarily. It tends to work best for phobias that are specific and self-contained, such as flying, driving, needles, or heights. Fears that are more woven into general anxiety, such as agoraphobia or a fear of being sick, usually get better, longer-lasting results from a broader approach. That’s exactly what an initial conversation helps establish.

Can this be combined with a fear of flying course?

Yes, the two work well alongside each other. Building calm and confidence first often makes it easier to get the most out of a structured course or exposure-based work.

Thinking About Support?

If a fear of flying is holding you back from a holiday, a wedding, or simply visiting people you care about, please get in touch. I’d be happy to talk you through how solution focused hypnotherapy works and whether it feels the right fit for you.

Arrange a Free 15-Minute Call

Alex Brounger is a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist, Hypnotherapy Supervisor and Lecturer, and a Fellow of the AfSFH. He runs busy practices in Stroud and Cirencester in Gloucestershire, and works extensively with clients online.

Can Hypnotherapy Help Trauma Without Talking About It?

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Support Without Reliving the Past

Many people who reach out for help with trauma, PTSD or complex trauma are understandably worried that therapy will mean reliving painful memories. That fear can stop people seeking support at all. In solution focused hypnotherapy, the emphasis is on helping you feel safer, calmer and more in control in the present. We don’t ask clients to repeatedly go back over distressing events. During an initial consultation, I may ask for a broad understanding of what is bringing you to therapy, but you only ever need to share what feels comfortable and useful for you.

For many clients, meaningful progress can happen without revisiting traumatic experiences in depth. Sometimes people already know that past trauma is affecting their sleep, anxiety levels, confidence or relationships. At other times, they simply know that something feels stuck or overwhelming. In either case, therapy can still focus on reducing stress, improving sleep, strengthening resilience and helping the mind and body settle. All without needing to analyse every detail of the past.

In simple terms, the brain has natural ways of processing experience over time, especially when a person feels safe enough, rested enough and supported enough. When someone is constantly stressed, overwhelmed or on high alert, that process can become much harder. Solution focused hypnotherapy aims to create conditions that support change by reducing stress, building hope, strengthening coping skills and encouraging the mind to focus more on what is helpful in the present.

Different therapeutic approaches work in different ways. Some therapies explore past experiences in detail.  Solution focused hypnotherapy tends to place more emphasis on present resources, future goals and helping the nervous system feel calmer and more settled. For many people, that can feel gentler and more manageable, especially if they are worried about being overwhelmed.

Sleep, Stress and Emotional Processing

Sleep plays an important role in emotional wellbeing. Research suggests that REM sleep may play an important role in emotional processing and memory integration. Disrupted sleep is commonly associated with trauma-related symptoms such as hypervigilance, nightmares and difficulty concentrating. NICE also notes that sleep problems are among the symptoms commonly seen in PTSD.

In solution focused hypnotherapy, we often use the analogy of a stress bucket. When stress builds up day after day, it becomes harder to think clearly, sleep well and respond calmly. Trauma can leave that stress system feeling overloaded for a long time. Part of the therapeutic process is helping to reduce the ongoing pressure on that system.  This means the brain and body have more opportunity to recover.

When sleep is poor, everything can feel harder. Many people affected by trauma struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake feeling unrefreshed. That can make anxiety, irritability and emotional reactivity more intense. Improving sleep and reducing overall stress can therefore be an important part of helping someone feel more stable and better able to cope.

Why a Present-Focused Approach Can Help

It is completely understandable that someone who has been through trauma may become highly alert to danger, setbacks or worst-case scenarios. That is often the mind trying to protect them. In therapy, gently shifting attention towards what is going well, what feels manageable, what strengths are already present and what small signs of progress are emerging can help reduce the sense of threat. As people begin to feel calmer and sleep better, they often notice improvements in confidence, clarity, resilience and day-to-day functioning.

What Role Does Hypnosis Play?

Hypnosis is typically experienced as a state of focused attention and deep relaxation. In clinical practice, many clients find that it helps them feel calmer, less mentally cluttered and more receptive to positive suggestions and future-focused thinking. While it is important not to overstate the science, hypnosis may support emotional regulation and relaxation, which can be especially valuable for people who feel constantly on edge or exhausted by stress.

Who Might This Approach Help?

Solution focused hypnotherapy may be helpful for people who are struggling with trauma-related anxiety, poor sleep, hypervigilance, overwhelm, low confidence, emotional reactivity or a sense of feeling stuck. It may also appeal to people who want support but do not feel ready to talk through difficult past events.

Trauma Is Complex and Support Should Be Individual

Trauma affects people in very different ways, and no single approach is right for everyone. This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical, psychiatric or crisis support. The NHS explains that PTSD can include symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, nightmares, avoidance, hypervigilance and sleep difficulties, and NICE recommends assessment and treatment based on individual need. If you are struggling with severe symptoms, feel unsafe, or think you may have PTSD or complex PTSD, it is important to speak with your GP or an appropriately qualified mental health professional.

Thinking About Support?

If you are looking for a practical, future-focused approach and want to explore whether solution focused hypnotherapy could be right for you, I would be happy to talk you through how I work. The aim is not to force you to relive the past, but to help you feel calmer, stronger and more able to move forward.

Many people contact me because they want help, but feel anxious about therapy. If that sounds familiar, you are very welcome to get in touch. I can explain how I work, answer your questions, and help you decide whether solution focused hypnotherapy feels like the right next step.

Want to book a a free 15 minute chat over the phone to find out more? Contact Me Here