Hypnosis, NLP and Guided Imagery in the Treatment of Phobias

Phobias are one of the areas of psychological difficulty that are most helped by hypnosis, guided imagery, NLP and other relaxation techniques.

A study that was a joint project between the Institute of Psychiatry and the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals in London compared hypnosis with systemic desensitization, the most commonly used treatment for phobias, in which the patient is exposed to the phobia trigger over and over again in increasing increments until he is no longer bothered by the phobia. This study contrasted two groups of patients who received one form of treatment or the other, and the researchers concluded that both forms of treatment produced significant improvements in the subjects and were therefore recommended as useful for combating phobias. (Marks, Gelder, Edwards, 1967)

In an article in the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Pediatrics, two professors in the Pediatrics department of Yale University"s School of Medicine concluded, "We recommend the use of hypnosis as an adjunct for the treatment of physical pain and anxiety, phobias, sickle cell disease, and a number of chronic pain disorders." These authors then go on to say that teaching children self-hypnosis is beneficial because it gives them a sense of control and mastery, and indicate that parents should be trained in the process as well, because any false beliefs they hold about hypnotism could impede the children"s progress. (Saadat, Kain, 2007)  

NLP, or neuro-linguistic programming, a therapeutic process developed at the University of California Santa Cruz that combines cognitive therapy with linguistic research, is also a very effective method of treating phobias because it replaces the negative thought processes regarding the phobia subjects with positive thoughts. In a study at the University of Miami which tested NLP as part of group therapy or individual therapy sessions for phobic patients, all of the subjects in both groups reported significant improvement as a result of the NLP. (Einspruch, 1988) Another study done by the University of Missouri, Kansas City found NLP to be more effective and work faster than alternate methods in the treatments of snake phobia. (Allen, 1982)

Guided imagery can also be extremely effective in the treatment of phobias, both due to its relaxation effect and its ability to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. In a study performed at Maastrict University in the Netherlands, researchers proved the opposite point, that guided imagery which increased the disgust factor in patients with spider phobia also strengthened the phobia. (2002) Similarly, a study at the University of Tasmania in Australia determined that people who had workplace phobia (fear of working) showed increased physiological signs of stress when exposed to guided imagery that simulated workplace stressors. (Haines, Williams, Carson, 2001)

Internal Medicine News, a professional journal for internists, reported that a study conducted by the National Kidney Foundation indicated that guided imagery, in conjunction with other relaxation therapies such as deep breathing and passive muscle relaxation, significantly reduced needle phobia in patients undergoing surgery. What"s more, the effects of the guided imagery continued after surgery, enabling the patients to sleep better after the operations. (Lowry, 2007) The indications that guided imagery is one of the most effective treatments for phobias of all kinds are many. For people suffering from phobias, this is a very reassuring thought, as rather than spending months in expensive therapy, there are practical things you can do right this moment to free yourself from the prison of phobias.