When my friend Sara came back from living in Australia for a year, she was over the moon with the great times she had accumulated there. She had done so many new things and many great friends travelling around. But there was one thing which she wished she could feel differently about: her crippling fear of spiders which she had for quite some years and which was disabilitating.

While touring around to see the rainforest, the thought only of one encounter kept her on the parking lot instead of enjoying the nature and surroundings with the rest of the group. Even seeing a spider on TV caused her to having the leave the room. We met one afternoon, when she mentioned how bad it was and had a NLP session which successfully cleared her phobia, called arachnophobia.

What is a Phobia?

Phobias are very common among people, both men and women and even in the animal world. Statistics show that 2% of the population in the UK for example is experiencing a phobia. A phobia can be defined as a kind of anxiety disorder which amounts to an irrational fear when exposed to a certain situation or object. Most people will try to avoid the situation or object in order to avoid the fear or discomfort. In severe cases, these symptoms can also result in panic attacks, and affect someone well-being or health.

It is helpful to understand that a phobia runs on an unconscious level in our functioning. Neuro Linguistic Programming also works on the unconscious level while also working alongside the conscious mind. It is therefore very effective in the treatment of phobias. Using a combination of questioning, language and NLP Phobia Cure, it enables change fast and easily. In the example of specific phobias, it can often be cured in one session.

There are different types of phobia, and each person will be different.  Here are some of the most common ones:

• Animal Phobias when you fear a specific animal or insect, such as : Spiders, snakes, mice, rats, bees, birds, dogs
• Situational Phobias when you fear a specific situation, such as: fear of elevators, flying, dentists, tunnels, bridges, tall buildings
• Natural phobias when you fear an element of nature, such as: thunderstorm, water, darkness

It is important to note that phobias are often associated with fear, which is a normal ingredient of our functioning. Without fear, we will not be able to sense danger and react to it. Imagine if a zebra in the wild did not fear the lion approaching, he will quickly turn into a nice meal.

Now, we don't often live in the wild and our senses of fear are different nowadays but are still hugely useful and necessary to sense a danger if need be. In the case of a phobia, the sense of fear is activated when there is no real danger and the person still experiences the negative symptoms such as:

• Trembling or shaking
• Shortness of breath
• Palpitations, heart pounding
• Feeling of losing control
• Sweating and more

How does NLP work effectively to clear a phobia?

NLP enables us to understand what someone does in their mind to create a certain result. How can someone be perfectly comfortable while a bee fly near them while another person goes into a phobic mode and react very differently? Comparing these two different reactions suggest that this is not something that one has and the other has not, but more the case of what one does and the other does not do. Our brain processes information in what we call 'submodalities', which are pictures, sounds, feelings, smells, tastes and our internal dialogue.  By understanding how someone using these to create a specific result, we can then alter it so it create another result: positive and feeling good.

NLP has a fast phobia cure which works very well with the specific phobias (listed above). It does not require the person to be in the situation and experience more and more, but utilizes a visualization process for the person to change what it is that they do inside their mind to create this specific result: the fearful unreasonable reaction. If each action has a reaction, then the Phobia Cure changes the actions within the mind (pictures, sounds, feelings ect) which causes to also change the reaction (feeling comfortable while around a bee for example).

If you have been having a phobia, for at least a few months, and it causes you avoidance or fear, trust that it can be not only be changed, but in a relaxed and fast way.

Overcoming fear of heights 

'I was hopeful but not convinced that Sandy could help me. My fear of heights was so bad that the last time I went on a fairground ride I actually thought I was about to die of a heart attack, my panic was so bad. However, after just one session, I was not only able to board a 12 seater plane and actually look out of the window during the flight; I went on a zip line canopy tour through the rainforest.' -L.T., London, UK

Sandy Denize is a NLP Master Practitioner based in central Wellington. For more information or what NLP helps with, visit www.terrepacifique.com  or email Sandy on sandy@terrepacifique.com

About the author

Helping individuals and teams fulfil their own potential was a trigger in pursuing the career I have today. We are all seeking happiness and fulfilment, and I believe everyone has the inner resources to enhance their life and reach the goals they set for themselves. It is a gift using NLP in my daily life to fulfil bigger dreams and goals, and my mission is to guide you regardless of your destination in a fun, ethical and enthusiastic way. Life is a journey, not only a destination, and it is a privilege assisting my clients making their journey more fulfilled and enjoyable.