Hypnotist offering help to people with fear of needles
A local hypnotherapist is looking to help people overcome their fear of needles as the COVID-19 vaccine continues to roll out throughout Humboldt County
Elizabeth Connors-Keith, from Hypnosis for Health in McKinleyville, is offering her services to people suffering from this phobia in an effort to help the community return to pre-pandemic, normal life.
“I think it’s key in having to go back to normal that enough people get vaccinated. I think it’s what’s going to allow us to be able to go back to normal life,” she said.
Over her 15 years of experience, she has used hypnosis and other neurological programming techniques to help patients who want to correct unwanted behaviors or irrational fears.
According to ConnorsKeith, hypnotherapy can help treat the subconscious causes of a fear of needles.
“In hypnosis, we talk to the subconscious mind and get it in line with what the conscious mind knows or wants,” she said. “In this case, we release the trauma around needles and change the way needles are perceived, associating getting a shot with a relaxed state.”
She explained that in many cases fears can arise from a traumatic experience. Trypanophobia, the fear of needles, may be rooted in a blood draw or painful injection in the past. These associations are stored in the subconscious.
This is where she says her treatment methods can be helpful.
“I use neuro linguistic programming to change the way something is coded in the brain in a situation like this, like getting a shot. It works similarly to downloading a new program update onto a computer,” she said.
Connors-Keith also dispelled some common beliefs about hypnosis.
“You can’t be made to do anything you don’t want to do in hypnosis and you can’t be controlled through hypnosis or get stuck in hypnosis or be forced to reveal secrets. It’s different from what people think it is,” she stated.
This week, Humboldt County began to book vaccine appointments for all eligible residents over the age of 16 through the state’s MyTurn website, available at https://myturn.ca.gov/.
“In hypnosis, we talk to the subconscious mind and get it in line with what the conscious mind knows or wants. In this case, we release the trauma around needles and change the way needles are perceived, associating getting a shot with a relaxed state.”
— Elizabeth Connors-Keith, from Hypnosis for Health in McKinleyville