We recently spoke to our founder William to learn more about his experience using hypnotherapy to help with his agoraphobia and generalised anxiety. Born and raised in South East England, William loves travelling and has lived across Europe and Asia.

William’s Anxiety and Agoraphobia Background

Ever since I was a young child, I remember suffering from anxiety. When I was 3 or 4, I  recall feeling anxious about my health and fearing that close family members were going to become gravely ill.

As I grew older the anxiety remained but it’s focus continually shifted to other subjects. The fears came and went every 3-6 months and included a fear that my appearance would become socially unacceptable or I had developed an incurable disease or was about to turn blind.

No matter the thought I ruminated about it all day long. However, I was fortunate to realise that a combination of CBT therapy, regular exercise, consistent sleep and a healthy diet were effective antidotes.

However, things only got worse before they got better.

When I hit adulthood one fear in particular took over my life and thinking for the best part of a decade. It was so bad at some points that I was afraid to leave my home to go outside during the day for years on end.

A turn for the worse

The anxiety eventually reached rock bottom after 7-8 years of suffering and I just couldn’t cope any longer. I needed something apart from exercise and medication to get out of this rut – I needed a reset.

So, this time I turned to hypnotherapy.

Finding a hypnotherapist

At first I struggled to find a hypnotherapist (and this is part of the reason I started Treatwiser.com). Although there were many hypnotherapists promoting themselves online it was difficult to validate their credentials and find a qualified one who is well placed to cater for my individual needs.

After a few weeks of searching and reach outs, I whittled my shortlist down to one and found a great hypnotherapist I was excited to work with.

I was convinced after a free discovery call which lasted 10 minutes. It was a great way to break the ice, explain my situation and understand how the sessions would run.

The hypnotherapist sessions

The first session lasted 90 minutes and I was made to feel at home right from the start with a large, comfortable sofa. The bulk of the time was spent deep diving into my situation as my hypnotherapist tried to build a detailed picture of what had brought me there.

The first session ended with a brief hypnosis exercise. It was easier and a lot more straightforward to follow than I thought coming in. We also concluded that I would most likely need another 4-5 sessions.

The subsequent sessions occurred once a week and lasted 60 mins. They were more focused on hypnosis exercises which made me became extremely relaxed, to the extent I thought I was daydreaming.

I noticed my situation improve quite dramatically after the second session and improve further after each session.

My hypnotherapist also gave me a customised recording of one of the exercises for me to play at home. This was  amazing and helped me keep progressing in between appointments.

The outcome

After finishing my sixth hypnotherapy session, my mind had started to free itself and I felt more optimistic about life.

I was able to do certain activities for the first time in years and which made me extremely happy!

I also booked in 2-3 more sessions at monthly intervals to check in on my progress and make sure I didn’t regress.

How much did it cost

Unfortunately hypnotherapy isn’t covered through the NHS or medical insurers.  I had to pay out of pocket and although it wasn’t cheap (more than £100 per session), in hindsight it really was worth every penny as it transformed my life.