Hypnotherapy for fear of needles and support with Covid 19 vaccinations

The fear of needles (trypanophobia) is a very common one. It is estimated that at least one in ten people are affected by this.* Many people who have this fear may go through life avoiding situations where they may have to have an injection. This includes avoiding the dentist or doctor, limiting what foreign holidays they may go on, and influencing choices around careers and whether or not to have children.

Since the roll out of the Covid 19 vaccination programme there continue to be people who want to have the vaccination to protect themselves and those around them but have very real fears around the injection. I undertook further training to best deliver hypnotherapy support to people who are in this position in late 2020 and have successfully helped a number of people with significant needle phobia to access the vaccination.

Why do people have needle phobias?

As with other types of phobia, needle phobia can develop after a bad experience in younger life. This does not have to be something a person actually experiences themselves; it could be what they see or hear happening to someone else.

The phobia may also develop from witnessing people with the same phobia; for instance if one of your parents was affected.

50% of people with a needle phobia have what is known as a vasovagal response which can be inherited. People with this response may faint or feel sick when they see a needle or blood, and their blood pressure can drop. It is important to note that hypnotherapy can help you with fear but not with the response you may have in this case which you need to bring to the attention of the person carrying out the injection.

A person may have one or a mixture of these responses and it is necessary to establish this before undergoing hypnotherapy.

How can hypnotherapy help people with needle phobias?

The first step is to establish what kind of phobia you have. In a (free) chat on the phone I can take some details and book you in for a session. Working with clients around needle phobia will generally take four sessions. The format is different to regular sessions. However should it become clear in our initial talks that you are under a lot of stress in your life generally I would probably recommend a couple more general sessions to deal with this first for maximum benefit.

In the first session we discuss your concerns and relevant medical history. There is no hypnosis in this session.

The hypnotherapy in the second session is designed to help you fully relax and get you comfortable with the process.

In your third session I use a rewind technique. This is generally used for people who have a specific incident or memory that started the phobia. This technique involves relaxing you and taking you to a comfortable room in your mind where you can see yourself on a TV screen. You watch the memory or incident and then rewind and fast forward it a number of times. It is important to note that you are not in the memory but an observer of it so you do not experience the distress you felt.

Before the final session I take lots of detail from you about the day you will have the vaccine so that I can build this into a personalised script of that day. It is a realistic but positive version of you in the situation that worries you, dealing with things to the best of your ability. This positive version then gives you confidence to deal with the situation in reality as your brain will already have a positive blueprint for it. Such visualisation techniques are also widely used with sports people and public speakers. (For more information on both these techniques see my previous blog article.)

Online hypnotherapy for clients with needle phobias

I see clients face to face in Hayfield but continue to work online. I have found this a very successful way of working. Clients are able to relax in their home environment which helps them feel safe and comfortable for the therapy work.

Hypnosis works well over Zoom and is safe. (For more information about how hypnotherapy works online please click here.)

I am able to offer sessions to people from different parts of the world who are able to pay via PayPal. Please note that this is subject to my professional bodies and insurance which depends on which country you are from.

Please get in touch to make an appointment.

Reviews from clients who had the Covid vaccination following hypnotherapy for needle phobia

‘Since childhood I have suffered from debilitating trypanophobia (fear of needles). As an adult this has resulted me in avoiding inoculations and any medical procedures where I was fearful that needles might be used.

The need to get Covid vaccinations has made needles unavoidable. I realised that I would be unable to get my vaccination unless I first addressed my fear.

I discovered Elizabeth, and her expertise working with sufferers of trypanophobia via Google. From the outset she was friendly, professional and sympathetic. Over the course of three sessions she helped me address my fear and build strategies for managing it..…I was able to get my vaccination and to do so in a calm, focused and peaceful state of mind. Elizabeth helped me no end in making this process feel as normal as going to the shops or post office, free of any apprehension.

If you suffer from trypanophobia, don’t suffer in silence. Help is out there, and Elizabeth will assist you in ridding yourself of this debilitating fear.’

Another client emailed me to tell me they had had their vaccination ‘I just had the….jab. It was a piece of cake! Thank you so much for your help.’

*Research published by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust