Female 28 years old – Spider Phobia
Jenny, not her real name) came to see me with a very real Arachnaphobia problem. So intense was her phobia that she jumped out of the chair almost when I said the word spider!
Gathering information
With every BWRT session it is important to get a little information about the problem but it is not always necessary for the client to divulge a lot of information. In this case Jenny reported she had always been afraid of spiders and could not recall ever being at ease with them. In this case BrainWorking Recursive Therapy (BWRT) was a perfect fit, because unlike many other therapies BWRT does not require you know about the first time the event happened (often called the Initial Sensitising Event or ISE). Further questions were asked to establish the nature of her reaction to spiders e.g. was it simply seeing one, touching one, what environment triggered the reaction i.e. indoors, outdoors, just one place etc.
Having gained the required information and having explained how BWRT works we set to work on the problem. During one stage of the BWRT treatment Jenny recalled many memories of being in the presence of spiders, and with BWRT we chose the most uncomfortable memory to work with. Her feelings of discomfort were rated at 10/10 – the highest score and after we completed the process we discussed several other matters before returning to the Phobia subject.
A puzzled look
As with many clients who undergo successful treatment using BWRT I could already tell by her somewhat puzzled look that she felt differently about the problem. The word spider came out during our conversation and there was no reaction at all except for her to say “That’s weird, I don’t feel like I usually do when I hear the word spider”. Recalling some of the memories she had experienced with spiders illicited no fearful feelings at all, in fact she burst out laughing because she felt it was too good to be true.
We finished off the session with a visit to the garden and found several large spiders to which she was fascinated to the point where she actually touched one.
A week later she emailed me:
“Just to let you know Alan, this week I was able to pick up a large spider from my bedroom and take it outside, I was totally amazed!”
Before the therapy she had actually slept in the living room for a night because a spider was in her bedroom.
Do you suffer from Arachnophobia? Have you tried to get help for your fear of spiders? Please share your story or leave any comments about this common phobia below.
Alan has been a practising therapist since 2006 and is a director of JustLetGo Therapies. He sees clients from Salisbury, Amesbury and many other parts of Wiltshire & Hampshire. Alan offers a free confidential consultation to prospective clients. If you are looking for the life you really deserve why not call him today and start that journey to the new you!
