How does hypnotherapy help people with health anxiety?

Hypnotherapy can be helpful for managing health anxiety in several ways:

Reframing anxious thoughts – Through hypnotic suggestion, I can help you develop more balanced ways of thinking about health concerns, reducing catastrophic thinking patterns that fuel anxiety.

Physical relaxation – Hypnosis typically involves deep relaxation techniques that can help reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety like muscle tension, rapid heartbeat, and shallow breathing. Learning these techniques can give you tools to self-soothe when anxiety arises.

Addressing underlying causes – If appropriate, I can help explore and resolve past experiences that contribute to current health fears, such as childhood illness or loss of loved ones to disease.

Building coping skills – Hypnotic suggestions can reinforce healthy coping mechanisms like:

• Distinguishing between productive and unproductive health vigilance
• Developing appropriate self-care routines without becoming obsessive
• Managing uncertainty about health without jumping to worst-case scenarios
• Using grounding techniques when health worries become overwhelming

What does a typical hypnotherapy session for health anxiety involve?

A typical hypnotherapy treatment for health anxiety with me usually follows this process:

Initial Consultation: I offer a free 45 min consultation to understand your specific health anxieties, triggers, and goals. I will explain how hypnosis works and will address any concerns you have about the process.

Subsequent Hypnotherapy Sessions will follow this process:

Psychotherapy: My hypnotherapy sessions start with 15 – 20 mins talking therapy and goal setting

Induction Phase: I will then guide you into a state of deep relaxation, often using techniques like:

• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Focused breathing
• Visualization of a peaceful place
• Counting down. During this state, you remain aware but become highly focused and more open to therapeutic suggestions

Therapeutic Intervention: Once you’re in a relaxed state, I might:

• Guide you through scenarios that typically trigger health anxiety, helping you respond more calmly
• Offer positive suggestions about your ability to manage health concerns appropriately
• Help you visualize yourself handling health-related situations with confidence
• Provide post-hypnotic suggestions that can help you maintain calm when facing triggers in daily life

For example, I might have you practice not immediately assuming the worst when you notice a new physical sensation.

Bringing You Back: The session ends with me gradually bringing you back to full alertness. Many of my clients report feeling very relaxed and refreshed afterward.

Follow-up and Practice: I will provide you with an audio recording to practice self-hypnosis at home, reinforcing the therapeutic suggestions between sessions. Many of my clients need just three to six sessions to see significant improvement in their health anxiety.

Please call me on 07926 377827 to book a free consultation. I look forward to working with you.