Tackling phobias

FEARS and phobias can have a crippling affect on a person’s life. But according to Moira Geary of Mind Expert Academy, “The good news about phobias is that, as they are learned in a matter of minutes somewhere back in the past, so too can they be successfully treated and unlearned in a very short period of time”.
From her Limerick clinic, Moira treats people from all over the Mid-West and nationwide, with some of the most common phobias treated including flying, public speaking, assertiveness at meetings, enclosed spaces, water, needles, driving and spiders.
However, Moira has also come across some very unusual phobias, including one client who was afraid of all types of fruit.
“While this may seem hilarious,” says Moira, “this phobia has had massive impact on my client’s life, resulting in a physical illness, Scurvy, a deficiency disease due to lack of vitamin C. My client experiences a real fear when in a room where fruit are on display.”
The symptoms of a phobia include an intense irrational fear of something on a regular basis. Physically, the phobic may suffer a panic attack or experience a feeling of anxiety, dry mouth, sweaty palms, agitation, palpitations, shortness of breath or dizziness.
“When a client has had a phobia for many years they may believe that they cannot cure it. However, the reality is that this is a pattern, which was learned very quickly in response to an experience or situation and over the years this pattern occurs again and again when the subconscious mind anticipates a phobic trigger,” says Moira.
“When working with a client we work together to isolate this pattern and scramble it so that it becomes unlearned, just like scratching a CD, so that it can never play the same song again. Then we replace the old pattern with a new positive pattern.”
Moira works with clients using quantum thinking technologies, a hybrid of many personal development tools and techniques she has learned over 20 years of studying in London, Rome and Turkey.
One of her most recent success stories is Brian Downes, a local entrepreneur, who is now planning an exciting future in Australia as he prepares to take to the skies following a transformational programme with Moira, which helped him overcome his fear of flying.
Brian, who had been suffering from the phobia for years, claims, “Working with Moira has completely changed my life. My fear of flying was holding me back from expanding my career as a leadership coach and Moira helped me to understand where the fear was coming from and how to obliterate it.
“Now I can plan my future career in business leadership and coaching with my wife, Sinéad and we are now heading to Australia where we are looking forward to starting a new adventure there.”
Brian can even be seen taking part in a loop the loop in a small two-seater Cessna plane and taking responsibility for the controls on a part of the flight on Moira’s website www.moirageary.com.
“The methods I use can be adapted to helping clients obliterate any type of phobia and give them the freedom to enjoy all aspects of their lives, be it career, family life, social occasions, travel, health or sport,” she said.