Finding Calm Around Flying: How Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy Can Support You
Hi - My name is Andy Selway-Woolley (he/him) and I am a fully qualified Clinical Solution Focused Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist. I run HeadFirst Hypnotherapy, based in Upper Heyford (near Bicester), Oxfordshire.
Flying is now a normal part of everyday life — for holidays, visiting loved ones, or work. Yet for many people, the thought of stepping onto a plane brings a surge of worry or tension.
A fear of flying (sometimes called aviophobia) can feel restrictive, especially if it gets in the way of travel, opportunities, or time with the people you care about.
If this experience resonates with you, you’re not alone — and there are gentle, supportive ways to explore these feelings.
Understanding the Fear of Flying
Fear of flying is more than simple nervousness.
It can involve a mixture of physical sensations and emotional responses, such as:
increased heart rate
tension or restlessness
feeling trapped or out of control
worrying about the “what ifs”
imagining worst-case scenarios
For some people, the fear links to:
heights
enclosed spaces
turbulence
lack of control
unfamiliar surroundings
previous uncomfortable experiences
Whatever the trigger, the impact can be significant — limiting travel, reducing spontaneity, and sometimes creating frustration or disappointment.
An Introduction to Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy
Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) is a gentle, forward-looking therapeutic approach that focuses on:
how you would like things to be
your strengths and resources
small, achievable steps
what is already going well
Rather than analysing the past, SFH centres on your preferred future and the practical, emotional, and cognitive skills that can support it.
A typical session includes:
Solution-Focused Conversation
We explore your goals — including how you would prefer to feel when thinking about flying.
Guided Relaxation (Trance)
This natural, calm state helps many people connect with clearer thinking, mental rehearsal, and more balanced perspectives.
Positive Visualisation
Clients often find it helpful to imagine a version of themselves managing situations with greater confidence or ease.
SFH does not diagnose or treat medical anxiety disorders — instead, it provides a supportive space to build confidence, explore helpful thinking patterns, and reconnect with your own capabilities.
How SFH Can Support People with a Fear of Flying
People experiencing fear of flying often say that SFH supports them by helping them:
Create a More Helpful Mindset
Visualising preferred outcomes, such as feeling calmer during a flight, can help shift attention from fear toward possibility.
Explore New Perspectives
SFH encourages a move away from worst-case scenarios and toward more balanced, solution-focused thinking.
Build a Sense of Internal Control
Many clients find that focusing on their resources and strengths helps them feel steadier and more capable when approaching flying-related situations.
Reduce Cognitive Overwhelm
Through guided relaxation, people often find mental clarity that makes flights feel less intimidating.
This approach does not promise to “cure” fear of flying — but many people describe feeling better equipped, more grounded, and more prepared when thinking about travel.
About the Rewind and Reframe Technique
The Rewind and Reframe technique is sometimes included in phobia-related work.
It involves guiding someone through:
Rewind
Reviewing the feared situation safely and indirectly in a calm, relaxed state — helping people feel more distant from previously intense reactions.
Reframe
Exploring new, more helpful perspectives about flying, allowing individuals to imagine how they would prefer to respond.
Many clients describe this technique as helping them feel more settled and less reactive when they think about flying.
It is not a treatment or guarantee — but it can be a supportive addition within a solution-focused framework.
Conclusion
A fear of flying can feel limiting, but it doesn’t have to define your experiences or restrict your life.
Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy offers a gentle, encouraging space to explore new ways of approaching travel, build confidence, and focus on the future you want.
If you’re curious about how this approach could support you, I offer a free consultation (online or in-person) where we can talk through your goals and see whether SFH feels like a good fit.
You deserve to feel as free and supported as possible — both on the ground and in the air.
Want to find out more about how hypnotherapy could help with your fear of flying?
The next step is booking a FREE 45 Minute Initial Consultation / Hypnotherapy Discovery Session (no half-measures here).
In-person at my Oxfordshire Therapy Room (Upper Heyford, near Bicester or Online via Zoom).
The first step to setting yourself free and living the life you want.
My name is Andy Selway-Woolley (he/him) and I am a fully qualified Clinical Solution Focused Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist. I run HeadFirst Hypnotherapy®, based in Upper Heyford (near Bicester), Oxfordshire.
I assist people in regaining control of their lives by retraining their brains to overcome limiting thought patterns, master their emotions, and cultivate resilient behaviors for a brighter and more positive future.. I know… It’s awesome!
a nutshell, I ‘get you out of your own way’. Because, let’s face it, a lot of us are.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy taps into the power of your subconscious mind so you can move forward towards the life you’ve always wanted to live. It’s a quick, practical way to address thought patterns, emotions and behaviours that are holding you back in life.
I’m also a Level 3 Qualified Personal Trainer, after working in a gym environment in my early career.
I’m a registered and accredited member of the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (AfSFH) and National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH).
Hypnotherapy sessions can be done either in my garden therapy room in Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire (Near Bicester). Ideally situated, it also serves individuals in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Warwickshire and I also work online nationwide via Zoom.