Hypnotherapy to overcome nerves/fears/anxiety

[zoeshiloh]

Has anyone tried it? Our riding club is having a lecture next month with a local hypnotherapist about how you can use hypnotherapy to overcome nerves etc and improve performance, and it would be good to hear from people that have had success with it in the past. If anyone was able to come and talk about ther experiences having used a hypnotherapist, that would be great! Does anyone have any stories to share?

What about the non-believers out there? Do you think it is merely a placebo effect? Would/could you then argue that in fact the therapy works, regardless of what it is called?

Has anyone undergone hypnosis and not had any improvement, or it has made things worse?

I am really interested in having some private sessions with this chap (to combat something else not riding related) so would be interested to hear people's opinions.

 

[Magicmillbrook]

I am awaiting some responses eagerly. I am seriously considering it myself. I realy enjoy riding but have been getting such bad nerves I find myself making excuses all the time to not ride tonight, or will ride but not hack because XY & Z

 

[lisab]

I bought a self hypnosis CD called Jumping With Confidence. It helped me for a couple of weeks but didn't really get to the bottom of my problem with my nerves.

Then a couple of people on here recommended Jo Cooper, who is an NLP/TFT practitioner.

I've had 2 telephone sessions with Jo and we got to the crux of the problem - which was a SJ fall I had 2 years ago when I broke my wrist. I'd been exaggerating the height/width of the jumps and, although my riding had improved greatly with lots of lessons, my nerves had gotten much worse and it was ruining my jumping.

I've jumped 3 times since my sessions with Jo and I can honestly say that I feel completely different about the whole thing. The jumps don't look so big and wide and we actually won our 3ft 3 class at Weston Lawns last Saturday, so I am a very happy bunny.

 

[zoeshiloh]

The chap coming to do our riding club talk is Gavin Roberts - http://www.stow-hypno.co.uk/ - he has had a lot of praise from everyone locally that I have asked, so I am very interested in what he has to say. He is brutally honest to those that I know who have seen him - he says to them "well, if x is the issue, I can help you in one or two sessions, but if y is the issue, it will take several months" - he apparently tries to get to the bottom of why you are anxious etc rather than just masking over the fact that you are.