Hypnotherapy based in Skipton and online: anxiety, stress, confidence, phobias, smoking cessation. Available in Embsay, Carleton, Gargrave, Keighley, Ilkley, Steeton, Silsden, Barnoldswick. Clinically led by Registered Mental Health Nurse, Christopher Hardy - 20 years of experience in NHS healthcare. Find us on the Hub of Hope, Joy, Autism Services Directory, Thomson Local and Yell.com.
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Evidence-based Clinical Hypnotherapy for Overcoming Fears and Phobias in Skipton & Online
A clinically informed, evidence-based approach led by a Registered Mental Health Nurse with 20 years’ NHS experience
✓ NMC Registered Mental Health Nurse
✓ 20 years NHS Experience
✓ Fully Insured
✓ Enhanced DBS Checked
Evidence-based support to desensitise to a feared stimulus or phobia
Evidence-based, individualised support tailored by Christopher Hardy, a Registered Mental Health Nurse of 20 years NHS experience - to facilitate controlled, imaginal exposure and modify automatic responses.
Modify automatic responses at a subconscious level
A Registered Mental Health Nurse-led support to help you desensitise to the feared stimulus or phobia
Reduce physiological arousal during fear activation
An evidence-based approach including controlled, imaginal exposure.
Whether it’s a fear of heights, spiders, needles, or a less common phobia, the intense physical and emotional reaction can feel completely out of your control. At Asclepieia Hypnotherapy in Skipton, we specialise in helping you dismantle these fears through a calm, clinical, and evidence-based approach. Managed by Christopher Hardy, a Registered Mental Health Nurse with extensive NHS experience, our practice focuses on retuning your brain's "alarm system" so that triggers no longer dictate your life.
Instead of relying on willpower alone, we use professional hypnotherapy techniques to address the subconscious roots of your phobia. By calming the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for the fight-or-flight response, we help you replace panic and avoidance with a sense of control and composure. Our goal is to empower you to face previously daunting situations with a new sense of freedom and ease.
Ready to leave your fears behind? Contact us today to join our waiting list or to find out how our clinical approach can help you reclaim your confidence.
About Chris
Struggling to overcome a fear or phobia?
Christopher Hardy is a Registered Mental Health Nurse with two decades of experience in the NHS, spanning acute psychiatric care, crisis support, and patient safety. His extensive clinical background allows him to bridge the gap between traditional mental health care and hypnotherapy, ensuring every session is rooted in safety, ethics, and a deep understanding of psychological distress. Based in Skipton, Chris brings a warm, genuinely human approach to his practice, offering a non-judgmental space where you can work through challenges at your own pace.
Fears and phobias are often misunderstood.
People sometimes describe them as “irrational”, but that doesn’t reflect the reality of experiencing one; because when a fear response is triggered, it doesn’t feel irrational. It feels automatic. Immediate. Physical.
You might know logically that a situation is safe: flying, driving, medical procedures, public speaking- but your body reacts as if it isn’t. That’s because phobias are not just thoughts, they are learned patterns of threat response, involving both the mind and the nervous system (LeDoux, 2012) and once established, they can become deeply ingrained.
When fear becomes a phobia
A phobia is a recognised type of anxiety disorder. According to UK mental health guidance, it involves an intense and disproportionate fear of a specific object, situation, or activity, often leading to avoidance and significant distress (National Health Service, 2026). In practice, this can mean:
avoiding situations that interfere with daily life
experiencing panic or overwhelming anxiety when exposed to the trigger
organising life around not encountering the feared situation
Over time, this avoidance can reinforce the fear, making it feel stronger, not weaker (Clark and Beck, 2010).
A mental health–led approach to hypnotherapy
I am a Registered Mental Health Nurse with over 20 years of experience working within the NHS, including roles in adult mental health and patient safety. That background is central to how I work. It means:
understanding phobias as clinical anxiety responses, not just habits
recognising when symptoms require broader mental health support
working within clear ethical and safety frameworks
and applying hypnotherapy appropriately, not universally
Hypnotherapy here is not positioned as a quick fix or standalone cure, it is used as part of a structured, psychologically-informed approach to change.
What does the evidence say about treating phobias?
In the UK, the primary recommended treatment for specific phobias is exposure-based psychological therapy, often within a cognitive behavioural framework. NHS-recommended exposure-based approaches (aligned with NICE guidance on anxiety disorders) emphasise approaches that gradually reduce fear responses through controlled exposure.
This is really critical, because it tells us something important:
That Phobias are learned responses that can be unlearned (Craske et al., 2014).
In the UK, hypnotherapy is not typically listed as a first-line treatment; however, there is consistent evidence and clinical use supporting its role as an adjunctive approach, particularly when integrated with behavioural methods.
Hypnotic techniques can:
facilitate controlled, imaginal exposure
reduce physiological arousal during fear activation
support desensitisation to the feared stimulus
and help modify automatic responses at a subconscious level (Hammond, 2010)
This aligns closely with established treatment principles; particularly systematic desensitisation, where relaxation is paired with gradual exposure to reduce fear (Wolpe, 1958).
How hypnotherapy may help with fears and phobias
Phobias are often maintained by a loop:
Trigger →
Immediate fear response →
Avoidance →
Reinforcement of the fear
Hypnotherapy works by intervening in this cycle.
In a focused and controlled state, it becomes easier to:
access the fear response safely
reduce the intensity of physiological reactions
introduce alternative, calmer responses
and gradually change how the trigger is processed
This process mirrors established psychological approaches, but can make them more accessible for some people, particularly where:
the response feels automatic and physical
talking alone hasn’t shifted it
or previous attempts at exposure have felt overwhelming (Alladin, 2016)
Why my clinical experience matters
Hypnotherapy in the UK is not a regulated mental health profession. That means training, clinical understanding, and risk awareness can vary significantly. My practice is grounded in over two decades of NHS experience, aligned with the safety principles promoted by NHS England (NHS England, 2025). That translates into:
structured assessment of your specific fear or phobia
understanding of how anxiety disorders present and overlap
careful pacing of any exposure-based work
recognition of when hypnotherapy is not appropriate
and a strong emphasis on safety, consent, and transparency
My clinical background is particularly important with phobias, where poorly handled exposure can increase distress rather than reduce it (Craske et al., 2014).
What makes this approach different
1. Clinically grounded, not generic
Your fear is understood in the context of mental health, not just treated as a surface-level issue.
2. Evidence-aligned
Approach reflects established principles such as desensitisation and exposure, supported by research.
3. Integrated, not isolated
Hypnotherapy is used alongside psychological and mental health understanding, not as a standalone solution.
4. Safety-led
Everything is paced and structured to avoid overwhelm and support gradual change.
What fears and phobias can this help with?
This approach may be helpful for:
fear of flying
driving anxiety
medical or dental phobias
social or performance fears
fear of animals (e.g. spiders, dogs)
specific situational fears (e.g. lifts, enclosed spaces)
Particularly where the response feels:
immediate and physical
difficult to control logically
or reinforced by avoidance over time (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
What to expect
Sessions are calm, structured, and collaborative. You remain aware and in control throughout. We focus on:
understanding how your specific fear operates
identifying what maintains it
and applying hypnotherapy techniques to support gradual, manageable change
There is no forced exposure.
Everything is done at a pace that feels safe and appropriate.
A realistic, evidence-based perspective
Phobias are treatable, but the process is not about eliminating fear entirely - it’s about changing your response to it. Research and clinical practice both show that when fear responses are reduced and avoidance is addressed, people are able to:
re-engage with previously avoided situations
experience significantly less distress
and regain a sense of control (Craske et al., 2014)
That is the focus of this work.
Take the next step
If a fear or phobia is limiting your life, it’s worth exploring your options. An initial conversation can help you:
understand how this approach works
assess whether it’s appropriate for your situation
and decide what the next step should be
No pressure. Just a clear, professional discussion.
References
Alladin, A. (2016) Cognitive Hypnotherapy: An Integrated Approach to the Treatment of Emotional Disorders.
American Psychiatric Association (2013) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
Clark, D.A. and Beck, A.T. (2010) Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety Disorders.
Craske, M.G. et al. (2014) Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy.
Hammond, D.C. (2010) Hypnosis in the treatment of anxiety- and stress-related disorders.
LeDoux, J. (2012) Rethinking the emotional brain.
National Health Service (2026) Phobias.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2011) Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults: management.
NHS England (2025) Patient Safety Strategy updates.
Wolpe, J. (1958) Psychotherapy by Reciprocal Inhibition.
Written by Christopher Hardy BSc (Hons), DipPSN, RNMH (NMC Registered Mental Health Nurse, PIN 09F0389E)
Phone
Asclepieia Hypnotherapy and Wellness, The Divergent Space, 6 Victoria St, Skipton BD23 1JE
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ASCLEPIEIA HYPNOTHERAPY AND WELLNESS LTD
Company number 17167132
Registered in England and Wales
Registered office: 15 Princes Drive, Skipton, England, BD23 1HN
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