CASE STUDY 00488

01 September 2026

30 Questions a Hypnotherapist Might Ask to Customize a Healing Program for You

Addressing Fear of Flying and Related Phobias Using Hypnotherapy

Purpose of this questionnaire

Fear of flying can be experienced in many different ways. For some people, the fear is specifically related to being inside an aircraft. For others, flying may activate deeper fears involving loss of control, heights, enclosed spaces, turbulence, illness, death, separation, uncertainty, or previous traumatic experiences.

These questions are designed to help the hypnotherapist understand your individual experience rather than simply treating the label “fear of flying.”

Your answers can help identify the thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, memories, beliefs and behaviours associated with your fear, so that an individualized therapeutic program can be developed.

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PART 1 — UNDERSTANDING YOUR FEAR

1. When did you first become aware that you were afraid of flying?

Was there a particular flight, event, experience or period in your life when the fear began?

2. What specifically are you afraid might happen when you fly?

For example: crashing, turbulence, losing control, becoming trapped, becoming ill, having a panic attack, dying, or something happening to someone you love.

3. On a scale of 0–10, how intense is your fear of flying?

Consider your fear at its strongest, where 0 = no fear and 10 = overwhelming fear.

4. At what point does your anxiety usually begin?

Does it begin when you think about booking a flight, when you arrive at the airport, during boarding, during take-off, during turbulence, during landing, or at another point?

5. What thoughts usually go through your mind when you know you are going to fly?

Try to describe the thoughts exactly as they occur rather than explaining what you think you “should” be thinking.

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PART 2 — IDENTIFYING RELATED FEARS

6. Are there other fears that become stronger when you think about flying?

For example:

• Fear of heights
• Fear of enclosed spaces
• Fear of crowds
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of being trapped
• Fear of death
• Fear of illness
• Fear of panic
• Fear of being away from home
• Fear of being unable to escape
• Fear of unfamiliar environments

7. Do you experience anxiety when using elevators, travelling through tunnels, being in crowded places or being in other enclosed spaces?

If so, what do you experience?

8. How do you feel about being at high elevations when you are not flying?

For example, on balconies, bridges, mountains, tall buildings or cable cars.

9. Do you have a fear of losing control?

If yes, what does “losing control” mean to you?

10. Do you fear experiencing a panic attack while on an aircraft?

If so, what do you believe might happen if you had one?

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PART 3 — YOUR PERSONAL HISTORY

11. Have you ever experienced a frightening or traumatic event involving an aircraft or another form of transport?

Please describe only what you feel comfortable sharing.

12. Have you ever experienced severe turbulence, an emergency, a near accident or another frightening event while travelling?

How did that experience affect you afterwards?

13. Has someone close to you ever experienced a serious aviation or travel-related incident?

If so, did that experience influence your perception of flying?

14. Did anyone in your family or close environment have a strong fear of flying or travelling?

If yes, what did you learn or absorb from their fear?

15. Have you experienced other significant fears or phobias during your life?

Were any of them successfully resolved?

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PART 4 — YOUR BODY’S RESPONSE

16. What happens physically when you become afraid of flying?

You might experience:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Sweating
• Shaking
• Tightness in the chest
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Muscle tension
• Tingling
• Feeling hot or cold
• A feeling of unreality
• An overwhelming urge to escape

17. Where do you feel the fear most strongly in your body?

For example, your chest, stomach, throat, head, shoulders or elsewhere.

18. What do you normally do to make yourself feel safer when flying?

For example, medication prescribed by a doctor, alcohol, distraction, music, talking to someone, repeatedly checking information, holding someone’s hand, avoiding looking outside, or controlling your breathing.

19. Have you ever avoided, cancelled or postponed a flight because of your fear?

If so, what happened immediately before you made that decision?

20. How does your fear affect you before and after travelling?

Consider your sleep, concentration, mood, relationships, work and general sense of wellbeing.

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PART 5 — BELIEFS AND THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

21. What do you believe flying says about your safety or your vulnerability?

Complete the sentence:

“When I am on an aircraft, I believe that…”

22. What is the worst thing you imagine happening during a flight?

And if that happened, what would you fear most about it?

23. What does being unable to control the aircraft mean to you emotionally?

For example: helplessness, vulnerability, dependence, uncertainty or lack of safety.

24. When you imagine yourself flying calmly and confidently, what feels difficult about that picture?

Is there a part of you that does not believe it is possible?

25. What would you like your subconscious mind to learn instead?

For example:

“I can feel safe while travelling.”

“I can remain calm when I experience unfamiliar sensations.”

“I do not need to control everything in order to feel secure.”

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PART 6 — YOUR DESIRED HEALING OUTCOME

26. If your fear of flying disappeared or became manageable, what would change in your life?

Think beyond the flight itself.

What opportunities, experiences or relationships might become possible?

27. What would you like to feel instead of fear when you think about flying?

For example:

• Calm
• Confidence
• Freedom
• Trust
• Safety
• Curiosity
• Excitement
• Peace

28. Imagine yourself sitting comfortably on an aircraft one year from now. What would you like to see yourself doing?

Describe the scene in as much detail as possible.

29. What would make you personally feel that your hypnotherapy program had been successful?

What would you be able to do that you cannot comfortably do today?

30. If your mind, body and emotions could learn one new message about flying, what would you want that message to be?

Complete the sentence:

“I am ready to learn that…”

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THERAPIST’S CUSTOMIZATION SUMMARY

After reviewing the client’s responses, the hypnotherapist can consider the following areas when developing the individualized program:

A. Primary Fear

What is the central fear?

B. Trigger Points

What situations activate the fear?

C. Related Phobias

Are there associated fears involving heights, enclosed spaces, panic, loss of control, death, separation or uncertainty?

D. Origin

Is there an identifiable experience, learned association or earlier life event connected to the fear?

E. Cognitive Patterns

What catastrophic predictions or beliefs maintain the anxiety?

F. Physical Response

How does the client’s nervous system respond to perceived threat?

G. Avoidance and Safety Behaviours

What behaviours maintain the fear by preventing the client from discovering that they can cope?

H. Desired Emotional State

What should replace the fear?

I. Desired Future Behaviour

What does successful, confident flying look like for this individual?

J. Therapeutic Resources

Which internal resources can be strengthened?

Possible resources include:

• Calmness
• Confidence
• Self-trust
• Emotional regulation
• Flexibility
• Patience
• Courage
• Grounding
• Resilience
• Acceptance
• A sense of personal safety

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IMPORTANT THERAPEUTIC CONSIDERATION

Fear of flying should not automatically be assumed to have a single psychological cause. It may involve a combination of learned fear, anxiety sensitivity, panic symptoms, claustrophobia, fear of heights, previous frightening experiences, catastrophic thinking, lack of perceived control, or other psychological factors.

A thorough assessment should therefore guide the intervention.

Hypnotherapy may be used as one component of a broader therapeutic approach. Where significant trauma, severe panic, major anxiety, substance dependence, medication concerns, or other mental-health difficulties are present, appropriate clinical assessment and referral should be considered.

The objective is not to force the client to “stop being afraid.”

The objective is to help the client develop a different relationship with the sensations, thoughts and situations associated with flying—so that calmness, confidence, choice and a sense of safety can become increasingly available.

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CLIENT’S CORE INTENTION

At the conclusion of the assessment, invite the client to complete:

“When I fly, I choose to feel…”

“When I experience turbulence or uncertainty, I can…”

“When I notice fear in my body, I can…”

“I no longer need to…”

“I am becoming someone who…”

“The freedom I want to experience is…”

These statements can subsequently be incorporated into the client’s personalized therapeutic and hypnotherapy work.