Client Case
Presenting Issues
Client was experiencing intense fear around health, public spaces, and uncertainty about the future. This manifested as social withdrawal, excessive handwashing, difficulty travelling, and panic symptoms when entering crowded environments.
Background Information
Client is a 41-year-old male who contracted COVID-19 in 2021. Though he recovered physically, the emotional impact lingered. He avoided social situations, public transport, and struggled to return to his former active lifestyle. He reported feeling “constantly on edge,” with a persistent sense that something bad might happen.
Assesment
The initial consultation revealed high levels of health anxiety, hypervigilance, and compulsive safety behaviours. A cognitive-emotional profile indicated:
- Core belief: “I’m not safe unless I’m in control.”
- Trigger points: media reports, public transport, unfamiliar environments.
- Emotional imprint: fear and helplessness, stemming from hospitalisation during his COVID illness.
Treatment Plan
Goals
- Reduce generalised anxiety and hypervigilance
- Rebuild trust in the body and immune system
- Reintegrate into normal daily activities without fear
Intervention Strategies
- Hypnotherapy sessions focusing on safety, resilience, and calm
- Timeline regression to process trauma linked to hospitalisation
- Reframing subconscious associations with public places
- Anchoring techniques to create internal calm during exposure
- Psychoeducation: understanding the body’s stress response post-COVID
Frequency and Duration
Weekly sessions for 8 weeks and
two follow-up sessions at monthly intervals
Results
Client resumed using public transport after 5 weeks
Anxiety reduced by 70% (measured using a pre/post self-report scale)
Improved sleep and reduced use of compulsive handwashing rituals
Client began attending social events again without panic symptoms
Described feeling more “centered,” “hopeful,” and “free in my body”
"I didn’t realise how much fear I was carrying until it started to lift. These sessions helped me feel like myself again"
Case Details
Symptoms Encountered
Fear of public spaces, social withdrawal, excessive handwashing, panic in crowds, hypervigilance, difficulty travelling, constant dread, distrust in body’s health, sleep disturbances, emotional overwhelm.