Anxiety: How to Overcome It with Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy - A Guide.

Anxiety: First Off. A Brief Introduction to Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy.

Anxiety disorders are a common experience for many people, affecting their daily lives and causing stress, fear and nervousness. While there are various treatments for anxiety, one promising approach is Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH).

Fear, anxiety, stress and nervousness are common issues that affect a large portion of the population. They’re rooted in our survival response so are part of our normal human experience. Where it becomes problematic, though, is when our response is out of sync with the circumstances we are actually facing. Pretty much everyone experiences anxiety from time to time to some degree. Honestly, we do. It really isn’t just you.

But. Often. The intense anxiety, panic and fear that we feel is not caused by the situation we are facing but the way we think about the situation.

As that famous philosopher Captain Jack Sparrow said ‘The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.’

What is Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH)?

Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH) is a form of therapy that combines the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with hypnosis to help people overcome anxiety and related disorders. CBH aims to change those negative thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to anxiety. And how does it do that? Well. It does this by providing patients with a deeper understanding of their thoughts and feelings.

This Guide to CBH sets out to provide you with a comprehensive overview of CBH; it’s application in treating anxiety disorders, and how it can help individuals overcome anxiety. By the end of this Guide, you can expect to have a better understanding of CBH and its benefits. And, you’ll have some practical tips for seeking treatment.

What are the symptoms of Anxiety and Nervousness?

People who experience anxiety and nervousness often report one or more of the following symptoms:

Symptom: Description

• Restlessness: An overwhelming feeling of unease and inability to relax.
• Racing thoughts: Uncontrollable and persistent worry.
• Increased heart rate: Physical manifestation of anxiety in the form of a racing heart.
• Shortness of breath: Physical manifestation of anxiety in the form of difficulty breathing.
• Muscle tension: Physical manifestation of anxiety in the form of tight or sore muscles.
• Dizziness: Physical manifestation of anxiety in the form of light-headedness.
• Insomnia: Difficulty sleeping due to anxiety and worry.
• Nausea: Physical manifestation of anxiety in the form of an upset stomach.
• Sweating: Physical manifestation of anxiety in the form of excessive sweating.
• Panic attacks: Sudden and intense episodes of fear or terror.

As you can see, it’s not a whole lot of fun to experience these symptoms, especially with any regularity or frequency….

What is Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy?

I know. Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy is quite a mouthful, isn’t it?! So, Let’s call it CBH for the sake of ease and to save my fingers from all that typing…..

So.

CBH is a form of therapy that combines the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with the use of hypnosis. CBH helps individuals identify and challenge negative thoughts and behaviours that contribute to anxiety and other mental health conditions. The focus of CBH is on the present moment, and the therapy aims to help clients change the way they think and behave in order to overcome their difficulties.

The hypnotic component of CBH is used to enhance the therapeutic process and facilitate positive change when in the client is in an inwardly focused state of concentration (hypnosis). CBH is a highly effective and evidence-based approach to treating anxiety and other mental health conditions (Golden, 2012). It has been shown to provide lasting benefits to clients who undergo the therapy (Hammond, 2010).

It is important to note that while CBH has been found to be effective in treating a range of anxiety disorders (Alladin, 2016), it may not be effective for everyone. So CBH should always be considered in conjunction with other evidence-based treatments.

What techniques are used in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy?

As you’ll no doubt remember, CBH uses a combination of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and hypnosis to treat anxiety disorders.

• CBT is a therapeutic approach that focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
• Hypnosis is a state of inwardly focused attention and heightened suggestibility.

In CBH, the therapist helps the client identify and modify negative thought patterns and maladaptive behaviours that contribute to anxiety.

Some Specific Techniques used in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy:

Cognitive Restructuring:

Ohhhh. Cognitive Restructuring. That sounds mighty complicated…..

Actually, it’s simpler than it might, at first glance, seem. It simply involves replacing negative thoughts with positive, realistic ones.

And how does it do that?

It’s a technique that can be used to help change negative thinking patterns. In essence, it is a process that helps to identify negative thoughts and then replace them with more positive and realistic thoughts. By asking questions and helping a client to notice their unhelpful thinking patterns a CB Hypnotherapist is able to support a client to develop a different approach.

Is that a bit clearer?

Cognitive Restructuring is actually a key technique used in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and hypnotherapy.

Exposure Therapy:

Ummm. No. You’re not exposed to the elements or anything like that. We don’t want clients getting hypothermia now, do we?!

This technique is where the client is gradually and systemically exposed to the source of their anxiety in either real life or in the imagination. This is always done in a safe and controlled environment and continues until the fear reduces or disappears entirely. The aim of exposure therapy is to help individuals to confront and overcome their fears, thus reducing their anxiety.

For example, I recently worked with a client who had a fear of flying. Their fear had got to the point where they ended up having to go and sit with the cabin crew at the front of the plane because they were experiencing panic attacks. Even thinking and talking about flying was a problem for them.

During our time working together over a few sessions, I slowly supported the client in experiencing the ‘flight experience’ in carefully guided visualisations (amongst other techniques) and the client slowly became desensitised towards flight and all the processes around flying. So successful was that that the client no longer feels fear and has taken numerous flights since and is planning a trip to the Far East soon!

Doing this helps to reduce fear and anxiety over time.

Relaxation and Visualisation Techniques:

As mentioned in the previous section, visualisation and relaxation techniques are also used to help clients manage symptoms of anxiety.

The therapist may guide the client through a relaxation or visualisation exercise to help them calm their thoughts, emotional responses and their bodily responses. This can help the client feel more in control of their anxiety and reduce the intensity of symptoms.

These exercises help individuals to manage and reduce their physical symptoms of anxiety, such as rapid heartbeat, sweating and shaking. By learning to control their physical symptoms of anxiety, individuals can feel more in control and less anxious in challenging situations.

CBH uses a range of evidence-based techniques such as cognitive restructuring (Cognitive Restructuring - Clark - Major Reference Works - Wiley Online Library, n.d.), exposure therapy, and relaxation and breathing exercises, to effectively treat anxiety disorders. It is always worthwhile noting, however, that CBH uses an individualised approach.

Each person is unique. And the particular techniques used will vary depending on the client's specific needs and the type of anxiety they are experiencing. Your Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist will always develop a treatment plan which is tailored to your particular needs.

How does CBH compare to other treatments?

How effective is CBH compared with other forms of therapy?

Many therapies are useful and effective to some degree in tackling issues that people see therapists about. There are a variety of factors that will affect how successful they are, not least of which will be how well the client engages in the therapy that is offered. For example, as standalone therapies, hypnosis, mindfulness and CBT can all be effective.

One study (Daitch, 2018) found that, often, clinicians noticed improvements in patients when using specific ‘modalities’ (a fancy way of saying ‘a way that something is done’. In this case, a type of therapy…) such as hypnosis, mindfulness and CBT as single therapies. They also noted that, on occasion, those methods as a ‘single’ therapy didn’t quite do the trick. However, both clinicians and researchers noted that when these 3 therapies were combined in a way such as within CBH, the therapy can be more effective (Daitch, 2018).

Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH) has been found to be a highly effective form of therapy for treating anxiety disorders (Hammond, 2010). This has been supported by numerous studies and research, which have compared the effectiveness of CBH with other forms of therapy such as behaviour therapy.

So. Tell Me. What are the advantages of CBH for Anxiety?

OK. Here goes.

Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH) has several advantages as a treatment for anxiety disorders. It is a highly individualised form of therapy and tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of each individual client.

Another advantage of CBH is that it tackles both the cognitive and behavioural aspects of anxiety, making it a highly comprehensive form of treatment. What does ‘cognitive’ and ‘behavioural’ aspects of anxiety mean? Well. It means that clients are able to address the underlying thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to their anxiety, rather than just treating the symptoms. In other words, it’s not simply a ‘sticking plaster’ approach. CBH helps clients to identify the cause of the issues and to establish more helpful thoughts and behaviours.

Additionally, CBH has been shown to be a highly effective form of therapy for a range of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorders. So. This means that patients with a range of different anxiety-related conditions can benefit from CBH, making it a versatile and useful form of therapy.

In short, some of the benefits of CBH are:

• Changes negative thought patterns to be more positive and productive.
• Develops behaviours which are more beneficial.
• Improves overall mental health.
• Reduces symptoms of anxiety.
• Increases self-confidence and self-esteem.

Overall, the combination of individualised treatment, comprehensive treatment approach, and good levels of effectiveness make CBH an excellent option for those looking to overcome their anxiety.

How does CBH Work to Overcome Anxiety?

CBH works by changing the way an individual thinks and behaves.

This leads to firstly, managing anxiety and then eventually overcoming it.

It combines elements of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and hypnotherapy to help clients identify and challenge negative thoughts and beliefs. Then to replace them with more positive, rational thinking patterns. In CBH, the therapist uses hypnosis to help the client enter a state of inwardly focused attention to help them to identify, focus on and change their unhelpful thoughts and beliefs.

This process allows the client to gain greater insight into their anxiety and develop new coping strategies.

CBH also focuses on teaching an individual new skills.

CBH helps the client to manage anxiety-provoking situations and symptoms. This is done by helping the client to develop a sense of control over their thoughts and behaviours.

Part of the therapeutic process can involve learning and practicing relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation. It might also include exposure therapy, which involves gradually confronting feared situations or triggers in a safe and controlled environment.

Anxiety: Conclusion.

In a nutshell, Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH) has been recognised as an effective form of therapy for people struggling with anxiety disorders. It’s effectiveness has been demonstrated through numerous studies and case studies. These studies have shown meaningful improvements in patients' mental health, including reduced symptoms of anxiety, increased confidence, and greater control over thoughts and behaviours.

CBH has also been shown to have advantages over some other ‘single’ forms of therapy, such as behaviour therapy, and has been found to produce larger weighted mean effect sizes in comparison to non-hypnotic treatments (Milling et al., 2019) . This suggests that CBH may be a more effective option for individuals seeking to overcome their anxiety.

As can be seen by the points made in the article, we can see that CBH is a valuable tool for people who are seeking to manage and overcome their anxiety disorders. Through its focus on changing the way a client thinks and behaves, CBH has been shown to provide real and lasting benefits for those who undertake treatment.

If you are struggling with anxiety, I encourage you to really consider CBH as a potential option for improving your mental health and quality of life.

Wishing you much health and happiness

Jan Sargent

Anxiety Hypnotherapy (Cognitive Behavioural) and Coaching in Yeovil, Taunton, Bath Exeter and all areas of Somerset, Dorset and Devon. In fact, anywhere in the UK!

Anxiety. So Let’s Make A Start!

Are you struggling with Anxiety? Need some help to Overcome Anxiety? Book your complimentary (FREE!) Hypnotherapy-Coaching Discovery Call to chat about Anxiety with me now. I’m Jan Sargent, Qualified Personal Coach and Certified and Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist and you can get in touch by emailing me on

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Anxiety: References:

Alladin, A. (2016). Cognitive Hypnotherapy for Accessing and Healing Emotional Injuries for Anxiety Disorders. The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 59(1), 24–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2016.1163662

Cognitive Restructuring - Clark - Major Reference Works - Wiley Online Library. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781118528563.wbcbt02

Daitch, C. (2018). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Hypnosis as Treatment Methods for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 61(1), 57–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2018.1458594

Golden, W. L. (2012). Cognitive hypnotherapy for anxiety disorders. The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 54(4), 263–274. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2011.650333

Hammond, D. C. (2010). Hypnosis in the treatment of anxiety- and stress-related disorders. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 10(2), 263–273. https://doi.org/10.1586/ERN.09.140

Milling, L. S., Valentine, K. E., McCarley, H. S., & LoStimolo, L. M. (2019). A Meta-Analysis of Hypnotic Interventions for Depression Symptoms: High Hopes for Hypnosis? The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 61(3), 227–243. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2018.1489777

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