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Fears And Phobias

Heights

A height phobia with traumatic roots

Important Note: This article was written prior to 2010 and is now outdated. Please use my newest advancement, Optimal EFT. It is more efficient, more powerful and clearly explained in my free e-book, The Unseen Therapist™.  Best wishes, Gary

Hi Everyone,

Some phobias are linked to past traumatic events. When this is the case, phobia relief is not likely to occur until the individual traumas (aspects) have been neutralized. Sometimes you have to do a little digging to find these traumas while, at other times, the client can bring them to awareness rapidly.

Loretta Sparks, a seasoned pro at these procedures, recalls a height phobia case where her client was able to recall his past traumas so rapidly that they seemed to be mere eyeblinks apart. Here's how it happened.

Hugs, Gary


by Loretta Sparks, MA

Hi Gary,

Jim, a colleague of mine, asked if I would help him with his fear of heights, as a group of us were scheduled to go to an amusement park with rides that he wanted to experience. However, all rides were elevated and beyond his ability to tolerate.

He reported his fear of heights was an unequivocal 10. After the first round of tapping it dropped to a 2.

He blinked and reported it was at a 10 again. I asked him what had come to mind. He reported that the year before at the Grand Canyon, he forced himself out on a promontory and became terrified. Focusing on that event he came down to a 3 after the first round.

He blinked and his SUD [0-10 intensity] shot up to a 10. Again I asked him what had come to mind. He said that the following day, at the Grand Canyon, he tried a promontory with a rail. But it didn't offer him any comfort as he was near panic while holding on to the rail. Again we tapped and again his distress dropped to a 3.

Again he blinked. What then came to mind was an event when he was 6 years old. He was on an airplane ride at a carnival when it broke down leaving him suspended in air. His parents became very distressed, as did the guy running the ride. His father and the ride guy started yelling at each other. His mother started crying. He remembers becoming scared and starting to cry himself, because the grownups were so upset. Again, we tapped, and his distress dropped to a 2.

He blinked and it shot up to a 10. Now, he was remembering a time when he was 3 years old, playing in the backyard with his big brother, who was12 years older. His brother was throwing him 'up high' in the air and catching him, high in the air and catching him. At one point he threw him high in the air and then turned around and let him fall to the ground. We tapped for the trauma and for the anger toward his brother. This time the SUD dropped to 0. That was 4 years ago and Jim's fear of heights has not returned.

Loretta Sparks, MFT

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