Emotional health
Hypnotherapy for fears and phobias
A phobia is old learning that never got updated. Hypnotherapy can help you overcome the fear and face what you have been avoiding, calmly.
How hypnotherapy helps with phobias
A phobia is a form of anxiety, and hypnotherapy can help relieve anxiety. A 2019 review of 17 controlled trials found hypnosis reduced anxiety more than about 79% of people in comparison groups, with the benefit growing at follow-up (Valentine et al., 2019). In settings that people often fear, the results hold up too: a 2024 review found hypnosis reduced anxiety in people having oral surgery, rated as moderate-certainty evidence (Steenen et al., 2024).
Research into specific phobias is more mixed than for anxiety generally: a 2022 review of dental anxiety found contrasting results between studies (Wolf et al., 2022). In Tim's experience, though, phobias are among the most rewarding things to work on, because the change is so easy to notice in daily life.
What a phobia is
A phobia is an intense fear of a particular object or situation. You probably know the fear is out of proportion to the real risk, and that logical argument does not help in the slightest. A lot of energy goes into avoiding it. Phobias can start with a frightening experience, be picked up from people around us, or appear with no obvious beginning. Whichever applies, the response was learned, and it can be updated.
What we work on
- Travel: flying, driving, motorways, tunnels, the Underground, lifts
- Medical: needles, blood, dentists, vomiting (see also surgery and medical procedures)
- Creatures: spiders, dogs, birds, insects, mice
- Situations: heights, enclosed spaces, crowds, blushing, public speaking
- Whatever yours is: the approach is much the same
How sessions work
After a free 15–30 minute consultation, you work with Tim in person in Farringdon, central London, or online. Using Ericksonian hypnotherapy and NLP, he helps you revisit what lies behind the fear from a calm, observing distance, so you do not have to relive it. You then rehearse, in a relaxed state, calmly facing the thing you fear, and you leave with self-hypnosis to use before the real thing. After 7 hours (usually five sessions), any further sessions for the same issue are £97.50 an hour: see the halve-fees promise.
Why Tim
Tim Dunton has over 20 years' experience and has been training since 2004. He is a member of the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), an Advanced and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, and a Master Practitioner of NLP trained by its co-founders, Richard Bandler and John Grinder. He has helped celebrities, film producers, sportspeople and business leaders. More about Tim.
Do I have to face my fear in the session?
No. You approach it gradually, in a relaxed state, at a pace that feels right for you.
My phobia started so long ago I can't remember why. Does that matter?
No. Many people don't know where their fear began. The work does not depend on remembering.
What if a fear is stopping me getting medical care?
Please tell your GP or dentist too. They can often make adjustments while you work on the fear.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Typical course | Usually around five sessions (7 hours) |
| Session length | 1 hour |
| Format | In person in Farringdon, London EC1, or online |
| First step | Free 15–30 minute consultation |
| Fee | £150 an hour online, £195 in person; see prices |
Hypnotherapy works alongside medical care. Please see your GP about any medical condition, and keep taking prescribed medication unless your doctor advises otherwise.
The research
- Valentine KE, Milling LS, Clark LJ, Moriarty CL (2019). The efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 67(3):336–363. PubMed 31251710
- Steenen SA et al. (2024). Review of hypnosis and anxiety in oral surgery. Journal of Anxiety Disorders 105:102891. PubMed 38945067
- Wolf TG, Schläppi S, Benz CI, Campus G (2022). Efficacy of Hypnosis on Dental Anxiety and Phobia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Brain Sciences 12(5):521. Europe PMC
Individual experiences vary. See all psychological problems Tim works with, or anxiety if your fears are broader.
Related treatments
A free, no-obligation 15–30 minute call by phone or video. Or call 07975 653893.