Some people get panic attacks because they're in a confined space or in a crowd. For others, going on a plane or being confronted by the office bully can trigger one. Sometimes they seem to occur at random, for example, in the middle of the night. As well as the physical symptoms people often have jammed thoughts, too. My aim is to show them how easy it is to create a relaxed state for themselves.

First, I spend 20 minutes teaching them self-hypnosis. It's very simple and enables them to become relaxed whenever they want. I ask them to remember a time when they felt calm, relaxed and in control. I get them to re-experience that by seeing, hearing and feeling it in their imagination.

Secondly, I deal with reversing the symptoms. I ask them to relive the attack in a dissociated way. This means watching themselves having an attack as if on video, with slow motion, freeze frame and rewind. We take each symptom and consciously reverse it.
One thing everyone can do is regulate their breathing. This makes the heart beat slow and the stomach unknot. I suggest they say the word "calm" to themselves every time they breathe out.

These techniques are like putting a bandage on the situation. I must also deal with unconscious learning. For this I put a client into a trance. While they're in it, the unconscious hears everything I say.

Sometimes people are cured after a session - but if their symptoms are only reduced they will need further ones.