Inner Solutions

For Better Health Strategic Psychotherapy & Hypnosis, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) for better mental health

03/09/2026

You don't have to love needles in order to overcome a phobia of them.
Or spiders.
Or flying.
Or driving on a busy highway.
That isn't the goal.
Getting comfortable with a situation you are afraid of means you won’t have your old fear reactions automatically anymore.
Imagine noticing the spider without freezing.
Going to the dentist without days of dread.
Driving somewhere unfamiliar without planning an escape route.
Booking a holiday without the flight overshadowing the excitement.
Sometimes freedom is surprisingly ordinary.
It’s simply being able to get on with life.

01/09/2026

When asking someone with a severe Spider Phobia what scares them about spiders, first initial reaction would probably be: “Spiders!”
“Spiders!”
But look more closely and there can be another layer.
“What if it runs towards me?”
“What if I lose sight of it?”
“What if I freeze?”
“What if nobody is there to remove it?”
“What if I panic?”
So, the fear is not just of seeing a spider.
It can also be about the automatic reaction that is expected to follow.
It can completely change your way of thinking and understanding a phobia.

31/08/2026

The holiday might be exciting.
The destination might have been dreamed about for months.
But there’s one problem.
The flight.
For someone with flying fear, anxiety may begin days or even weeks before departure.
Checking the weather.
Thinking about turbulence.
Wondering what will happen once the doors close.
Imagining feeling trapped.
Sometimes the hardest part of flying fear isn’t being in the air.
It’s everything the mind does before the journey has even begun.

27/08/2026

Do Phobias Have to Be Confronted Head-On?

This approach to treating fears and phobias is sometimes mistakenly perceived to include forcing the patient to confront the object of their fear during the session.

That isn’t how I work.

My approach uses the Rewind Technique in a gentle, structured way that is designed to work with the learned fear response.

There is no requirement to face your feared object during the session (e.g. a spider, needle, etc).

There is no need for a client to recount distressing memories in detail.

The goal is not for the person to ‘prove’ they can handle their fear.
It is to help change the automatic response maintaining it.

25/08/2026

Avoidance makes perfect sense when something feels threatening.

Each time you avoid a situation, and all works out you are further convinced that your avoidance was the correct thing to do.

Your list of “safe” driving situations can become smaller.

The driving fear cycle is the key to understanding driving fear.

23/08/2026

MYTH: “I Should Be Able to Control This.”

One of the most frustrating things to note about a person’s fear is that even though it makes no sense, it still feels real to them.

That can lead to thoughts such as:
“I should be able to control this.”
“I know it’s safe.”
“Why can’t I just calm down?”

Automatic fear is different from intentional fear.

The alarm can be triggered before there is even time for rational thinking to intervene.

So, the better question may not be:
“Why can’t this be controlled?”

But:
“Why is the brain still sounding the alarm?”

A conversation about fear.

21/08/2026

Ben described his extreme fear of needles that caused him great anxiety even thinking about them.
The fear created such anxiety and fear that it would cause heart palpitations, sweating and even dizziness.

After we worked together, something changed.

He reported a very successful visit to the dentist where he had several injections without a single issue.

Ben told me:
“…That fear no longer has any power over me.”

This story reminds me that Ben’s fear of needles, although long standing, no longer has to be “so”.

If needle fear is interfering with your medical or dental appointments, you can read about my approach to handling needle fear on the Inner Solutions website. www.innersolutions.net.au

19/08/2026

“That’s Me”

Needle fear can start long before the actual needle arrives.

It might start when the appointment is booked.

Then there is the anticipation of the appointment, thinking about the blood test, injection or dental procedure that is going to be carried out.

The mind starts rehearsing what might happen.

The stomach tightens.

Sleep may become difficult the night before.

And by the time the appointment arrives the fear response has already been triggered.

One of the most problematic things about having a phobia is that your brain can be afraid of something even before it happens and even before it comes into sight.

These stages of needle fear help explain why “just don’t think about it” is not sufficient to stop anxiety about having a needle inserted.

17/08/2026

Why Fear Can Feel So Automatic

Many people react with fear before they have time to think before they have processed what is happening.

The heart races.

The body tenses.

There may be sweating, shaking, dizziness or an overwhelming urge to escape.

And yet, from a rational perspective, the situation will appear to be under control and safe.

That’s because a phobic response isn’t simply a matter of logic.

Once a brain has learned to associate something with danger, it can automatically trigger an alarm response whenever it is a trigger.

Understanding this is an important first step.

It’s a learned response, not a failing. And viewed in this light, it’s completely different.

Follow Inner Solutions for more simple explanations about fears, phobias and how learned fear responses can change.

10/08/2026

What if a phobia isn’t something that has to be lived with forever?

Phobias aren’t a sign of weakness.

They’re learned responses — and learned responses can change.

Why You’re Not Broken – The Truth About Phobias is a FREE PDF guide that explains how fears begin, why avoiding them can make them stronger, and how you can move from living with fear to finding freedom.

Download the FREE eBook today.
www.innersolutions.net.au

Address

Salamander Bay, NSW
2317

Opening Hours

10am - 4:30pm

Website

http://www.innersolutions.net.au/

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