ORNITHOPHOBIA  – FEAR OF BIRDS

There are several methods used for ridding oneself of phobias – prescribed drugs, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Reflexology, to name but a few.

However, Hypnotherapy is particularly effective without the side effects of drugs and the trauma and fears associated with CBT.  In fact, there are no side effects from hypnosis conducted in a clinical setting other than positive effects, i.e. an improvement in sleep or a burgeoning of a client’s self-esteem etc.

Hypnotherapy particularly comes into its own when the origins of a phobia are consciously obscure or forgotten.

Take Maureen (a fictitious name) for instance.  She presented to my city practice with an extreme fear of birds – Ornithophobia.  This fear had been with her since a little child and was so severe that she would not go out of her house if any birds were in sight, however distant.  She would not go into her garden and hang washing out if there were birds flying around.  Her husband had to park the car outside her front door so that she could jump in as soon as birds were absent.  Of course, with seagulls and garden birds in the suburbs of Swansea, this meant a continual ordeal for herself and her family.

Despite Maureen telling me her life history, we could not find any clues as to when the phobia started.  So then, under hypnosis, we went steadily back through her life year by year.  When we arrived at the age of three she suddenly jumped and became agitated, as she recounted details of a deserted house where she was playing hide and seek with friends.  Upon entering a darkened room a crow suddenly flew towards her and brushed her hair as it went for the open door.  She described the fear and panic of this sudden trauma whilst under hypnosis.  Subsequently, I calmed her subconscious mind and made it realise that the trauma was finished with some 33 years ago and now she was safe and could be in the presence of birds without any fear.

Maureen travelled to London soon after she was cured and walked through Trafalgar Square with her daughters and she reported to me, “Well, I don’t like pigeons, but they are only birds and will not harm me!”

Without Hypnotherapy, she may have never recalled the originating cause of her fear.  No drugs or other remedies would have been able to access the subconscious mind and remove the one root cause.

Hypnotherapy allowed Maureen’s life to be calm and peaceful wherever she went.