#E29 Breaking Free from Social Anxiety: The Power of Hypnotherapy and IEMT Techniques: With Karina Price

In this episode, host Louise Bryant welcomes back the insightful Karina Price, an anxiety specialist who has overcome social anxiety and is now dedicated to helping others do the same.

Together, they explore the connections between social anxiety, introversion and the transformative power of alternative therapies like hypnotherapy and Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) in reshaping thought patterns and easing anxiety.

With a mutual passion for mindfulness and being present, Louise and Karina invite you to join them on a journey of self-reflection and empowerment.

Discover how to reframe negative beliefs, conquer imposter syndrome and find a path to emotional healing.

Released August 29th 2024

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Our Guest 🫶🏻

Karina Price is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness, particularly in the area of social anxiety.

Having experienced the challenges of social anxiety herself, Karina is dedicated to debunking the misconception that social anxiety is simply feeling shy in social situations.

With a personal understanding of the impact of social anxiety, Karina aims to educate and support others who may be struggling with similar issues.

Through her advocacy work, she hopes to break down the stigma surrounding social anxiety and provide resources for those in need.

Karina's goal is to create a more understanding and empathetic society for those living with social anxiety.

Links

• FREE Anxiety Relief Guide: https://start.karinapricehypnotherapy.co.uk/anxiety-relief-guide-free

• Anxiety Relief Bundle: https://start.karinapricehypnotherapy.co.uk/anxiety-relief-bundle

• Insta: https://www.instagram.com/karinapricehypnotherapy

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile

• For more podcasts secretsinthepowderroom.com

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• Work With Me Louise Bryant

Newsletter 📧

Breaking Free from Social Anxiety: The Power of Hypnotherapy and IEMT Techniques  : With Karina Price

Dear Secret listeners,

Today, we are excited to delve into the topic of overcoming social anxiety and share some insightful tips and resources to help you on your journey towards a more confident and fulfilling social life.

In our latest podcast episode, we had the pleasure of hosting Karina Price, an anxiety specialist who shared her personal experience with social anxiety and discussed the transformative effects of hypnotherapy and integral eye movement therapy (IEMT) in addressing trauma and anxiety.

Karina's expertise and passion for helping others overcome social anxiety have inspired us, and we can't wait to share some of the key takeaways with you.

Karina emphasised the power of using the "even if" technique to reassure herself during anxious situations.

This technique involves reassuring oneself with positive statements, even if the worst-case scenario were to happen, helping to reframe the mindset and reduce anxiety triggers.

Additionally, Karina highlighted the importance of being present and utilising mindfulness techniques to manage and reduce social anxiety. Mindfulness can significantly improve one's ability to stay present in social situations and handle anxiety effectively.

We also discussed the significance of challenging negative thoughts to boost self-esteem, and Karina shared her future goals of making hypnotherapy and IEMT more accessible to help people with social anxiety and trauma.

She encouraged open-mindedness towards alternative therapies and suggested exploring different treatment options before committing to hypnotherapy.

If you're interested in delving deeper into these topics, we highly recommend listening to the full episode on our podcast.

If you resonate with the struggles of social anxiety, we'd like to introduce you to Karina's valuable resources:

1. Visit Karina's website to access free resources and sign up for her weekly newsletter.

2. Follow Karina on Instagram for insightful and supportive content related to anxiety and social anxiety.

Remember, everyone's journey is unique, and it's okay to seek help and explore different avenues that resonate with you. Whether it's through hypnotherapy, mindfulness, or other therapeutic techniques, the key is to find what works best for you.

As we conclude, we'd like to leave you with some reflective journaling questions:

1. What are some of the triggers that exacerbate your social anxiety?

2. How can you incorporate mindfulness techniques into your daily routine to manage social anxiety?

3. Are there any negative thought patterns you could challenge to boost your self-esteem?

We hope these questions prompt valuable self-reflection and provide a starting point for your journey towards overcoming social anxiety.

Remember, you are not alone, and there is always hope for positive change. If you ever need support, we're here for you.

Wishing you peace, courage, and a compassionate journey toward overcoming social anxiety.

Warm regards, Louise Bryant Host, "Me" Podcast

Warm regards,

Blog 🚨

Title: A Holistic Approach to Anxiety Management: Exploring Intuitive Eating, Mindfulness and Conquering Social Anxiety with Hypnotherapy and IEMT

In today's episode of Secrets In The Powder Room, host Louise Bryant and guest Karina Price dive deep into the multifaceted world of social anxiety and the tools available for overcoming it.

With a keen focus on hypnotherapy, Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) and various mindfulness techniques, this discussion sheds light on how to effectively manage and reduce anxiety.

Understanding Social Anxiety and Introversion

Social anxiety, distinct from introversion, affects 1 in 14 people, leading many to feel judged and inadequate in social settings.

Louise and Karina address how introversion does not automatically equate to social anxiety, despite common misconceptions. Introverts can enjoy socialising but may simply prefer less stimulating environments.

The Power of Hypnotherapy and IEMT

Karina Price sheds light on hypnotherapy and IEMT as powerful tools for anxiety management. While some may hesitate due to misconceptions likening hypnotherapy to stage hypnosis, Karina clarifies that hypnotherapy involves a deep state of relaxation where one remains fully aware of the process. With Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT), individuals can reframe their perception of traumatic memories, similar to the brain's processing during REM sleep.

Techniques for Trauma Processing: Rewinding Technique and NLP

For those dealing with trauma-triggered social anxiety, techniques like the rewinding technique and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) can be invaluable. The rewind technique allows one to process traumatic events without the need to relive them, enabling healing without emotional distress. Louise emphasises the importance of perception reframing for managing anxiety triggers.

Mindfulness Techniques and Being Present

Both Louise and Karina advocate for mindfulness techniques to stay present and reduce anxiety in social situations. Simple practices like focused breathing and body scans can ground individuals, helping them manage public speaking anxiety and improve self-esteem.

Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy and Mindset Coaching

Solution-focused hypnotherapy combines mindset coaching with hypnosis to reframe negative beliefs and support anxiety reduction. Through targeted sessions, people can enhance their subconscious mind’s perception of anxiety-inducing situations, leading to improved social interactions and self-confidence.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Louise and Karina share their own struggles with imposter syndrome, a common phenomenon linked with social anxiety. This feeling of not being sufficient or competent enough can stem from childhood trauma, ultimately affecting one’s personal and professional life.

Accessible Resources and Future Goals

Karina Price is on a mission to make hypnotherapy and IEMT more accessible via digital online courses and continued social media content. By visiting her website, individuals can sign up for free resources and her weekly newsletter, providing ongoing support for those tackling social anxiety.

Alternative Therapies: A Call for Open-Mindedness

Both speakers encourage an open-minded approach towards alternative therapies. Exploring different treatment options and understanding the process behind them can be crucial for effective anxiety management. Karina advises researching and connecting with therapists to find the right fit.

Journaling Questions and Self-Reflection

In closing, Louise recommends journaling questions to reflect on personal experiences with social anxiety and brainstorm ways to overcome it. Such self-reflection can offer profound insights into underlying issues and catalyse the journey toward healing.

For those seeking more information, Karina’s resources aim to empower individuals by offering practical tips and strategies. With commitment and the right tools, overcoming social anxiety is an achievable goal. Whether through hypnotherapy, IEMT, or other techniques, taking that first step can transform one’s life.

Stay connected via Karina’s social media for actionable content and updates in the field of anxiety management. Be curious, do your research, and remember that overcoming social anxiety is a journey well worth undertaking.

10 journaling prompting questions ✍🏻

Here are some journaling questions for you to reflect on your own experience with social anxiety and ways to overcome it after listening to the podcast:

1. How does social anxiety manifest in your life? Reflect on specific situations or triggers that tend to provoke anxiety.

2. What are the "even if" statements you could use to reassure yourself during anxious situations? Have you used similar affirmations before, and how have they helped you manage social anxiety?

3. Have you ever explored alternative therapies, such as hypnotherapy or IEMT, to address social anxiety or trauma? If not, what interests or concerns do you have about these methods?

4. Reflect on any experiences from the podcast that resonated with your own struggles with social anxiety, imposter syndrome, or introversion.

5. How do you currently manage and reduce social anxiety? Are there mindfulness techniques or other strategies mentioned in the podcast that you'd like to incorporate into your routine?

6. Consider the impact of childhood experiences or traumatic events on your social anxiety. Have you explored reframing negative beliefs or using techniques to process traumatic memories in a healthier way?

7. What misconceptions or hesitations do you have about hypnotherapy or IEMT? How might your understanding of these therapies have been influenced by popular culture or common misconceptions?

8. Based on the podcast, how might you challenge negative thoughts to boost your self-esteem and address social anxiety?

Happy journaling, and feel free to share your reflections with us!

Transcript 📝

NOTE: This podcast was transcribed by editing tool, Please forgive any typos or errors

Hello. Today I want to welcome back our special guest, Carina Price, who is an incredible woman who's walked the path of overcoming social anxiety and now helps others to do the same. Carina's story is not just about her expertise, but about real, relatable experiences that resonate with what so many of us go through. Today, she's sharing how hypnotherapy and integral eye movement therapy can be life changing tools for anyone feeling held back by trauma and anxiety. Together, we explore practical tips and share stories that remind us we're not alone in our struggles. So get ready to feel inspired and empowered as I dive deep with Carina. Welcome to the Secrets in the Powder Room, where we share stories and open up conversations about all the secrets women forced to keep out of fear and shame. I'm Louise Bryant, professional certified coach, intuitive eating counselor, and trauma informed domestic abuse specialist and survivor.

Louise Bryant00:00:55 - 00:01:37

We're here to support you on your healing journey and help you feel like you're not alone. This is not to be a replacement of your own professional, medical, or legal advice. This podcast contains adult language and content. Listener discretion is advised. I'm so excited to get started but make sure you hang around until the end when I offer some journaling and reflection questions to help you on your healing journey. And before we get started, I would really appreciate it if you would please leave a review and rating as this really helps the show and I love reading your thoughts and feedback. And if you're listening on YouTube, please subscribe and give a thumbs up and thank you so much for your support. Hi, Carina.

Louise Bryant00:01:37 - 00:01:38

How are you?

Karina Price00:01:38 - 00:01:41

Hello. Good morning Louise. I'm very well. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Louise Bryant00:01:41 - 00:01:52

It's an absolute pleasure. It's good to have you here again and I'm really looking forward to talking about therapy and IEMT and how that helps with social anxiety. So should we get started?

Karina Price00:01:53 - 00:01:55

Yes. Of course. Yeah. I'm looking forward to it.

Louise Bryant00:01:55 - 00:02:33

So I just wanted to remind you that Carina is an award winning anxiety specialist, hypnotherapist, and qualified yoga teacher who has a personal journey with social anxiety. With a warm and empathetic approach and a solution focused mindset, Carina helps individuals find inner calm and overcome their anxiety challenges. Through her own journey, Carina brings a relatable perspective and practical tools to help support others on their path to healing and self discovery. So Carina, can you just give us a bit of an insight and explain what hypnotherapy and IEMT are and how do they help women with social anxiety and trauma?

Karina Price00:02:34 - 00:03:17

Yes. Of course. So I'll just share a little bit to start off with, you know, what social anxiety is, because quite often, there's a misconception that social anxiety is simply feeling a little bit shy in social situations, but it's much, much more than that. And it affects about 1 in 14 of us in the population. So social anxiety is when we feel a real strong fear and nervousness in social situations. So we fear being judged. We worry about what people think about us, and we we we fear being embarrassed and saying or doing something wrong. And, usually, there is a limiting belief underlying that that we're not good enough, that other people are inferior to us.

Karina Price00:03:18 - 00:04:54

And when we think of it in terms of trauma, quite often, trauma can trigger social anxiety because it undermines our sense of safety and security. So what we know is, what the research tells us is is that we've experienced trauma in some point of our life, typically it's childhood, then we're we're at more risk of social anxiety by about 50%. So a lot of people who've experienced trauma, whether it's domestic violence or in childhood or any form of trauma in their lives, it increases the risk of social anxiety, that sense of not feeling safe, feeling judged, or that that we are inferior to other people. And solution focused hypnotherapy and integral eye movement therapy, they're really effective, natural ways to be able to help people to reduce social anxiety and also help to, work through any trauma that they may have experienced. So solution focused hypnotherapy, essentially what that is, it is, a combination of, like, mindset coaching. So we use modalities like NLP, CBT, solution focused therapy, and hypnosis to help to reframe negative beliefs and feelings, change any, unhelpful beliefs that we might have about ourselves. So that's, like I said, a combination mindset coaching combined with hypnosis, which is a deep state of relaxation. It's kind of like we're turning down the fear center on the brain, part of the brain, the amygdala that's responsible for keeping us safe and looking at the danger.

Karina Price00:04:54 - 00:06:13

A lot of the time when we've experienced trauma, that part of the brain, the fear center, is very, very hypersensitive. So we're more likely for that safety officer in our mind to go on lookout wherever we are looking for danger. Hence, why we're in social situations, we can feel more, anxious and nervous and scared because our safety officer's looking around for central dangers, like the way someone looks at us, the way someone might react, the verbal, nonverbal cues. So when we're in a state of hypnosis, we're highly relaxed. It's like we're turning down the dial on that safety officer, that fear center part of the brain, and we're allowing the subconscious mind to be very open to positive suggestions, how we wanna be feeling, safe, confident, calm, in control, you know, really helping us to let go of any limiting beliefs. So that's the wonderful world of solution focused hypnotherapy. And I also combine it in the sessions with integral eye movement therapy, which is a really nice way to help us reduce any negative feelings that we might be holding on to and to, kind of like re reprocess it. So it's it's if you imagine, in photoper eye movement therapy, it's kind of like, a windscreen wiper in your brain.

Karina Price00:06:13 - 00:06:40

It's wiping away all of the smudges in your mind to make you see a clearer picture, a much more helpful perspective on the situation. And it's it's very, very effective. So let's say, for example let's give you an example, Louise, and your lovely listeners. So, okay. This is a really good example. So, I always share this one with my clients. So if you imagine, Louise, most of us have watched the movie Jaws. You know, it's pretty, pretty scary.

Karina Price00:06:40 - 00:06:41

Yeah. You might Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Louise Bryant00:06:41 - 00:06:45

We watched that quite recently. Yeah. We've been watching 1 to 4. So, yeah.

Karina Price00:06:45 - 00:06:54

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, like, so for those of you who are listening, perhaps you haven't watched it in a long time. I haven't watched it in a couple of decades. It's a long, long time. But when I watched it, I was really, really scared.

Karina Price00:06:54 - 00:07:07

You know, it was really realistic. It was scary. When I think when I imagine it now, it makes me feel a bit like, oh, gosh. I don't think I'd wanna watch that movie. It's really scary. And instantly, my brain is pattern matching. It's going back to how it felt. It felt awful.

Karina Price00:07:07 - 00:07:30

So if I was to watch the movie now on my TV, I would have a very, very different experience. The film would look very old. The special effects wouldn't be very good. I probably wouldn't be very scared. I'd be looking at thinking, oh my goodness. That that doesn't even look like a real shark. You know, the acting is not great, and I wouldn't have the same reaction. You know? So I wouldn't feel as anxious.

Karina Price00:07:30 - 00:07:55

I wouldn't feel as nervous. And my perception of the movie would be different. So this is what integral eye movement does. It helps us. We have a set of, eye exercises where the brain is retrieving the memory. We're going back to when we felt a particular way. It's pulling it into the now, and we can have a very different perception of the situation. It's very quick and easy and simple exercise, but it's very, very powerful.

Karina Price00:07:55 - 00:08:14

So it's changing the way that we perceive a situation and the way that we feel about it. So the 2 combined, the hip hypnotherapy and total eye movement therapy, very, very good way of reducing anxiety and changing, any unhelpful memories that we might have about particular situations.

Louise Bryant00:08:14 - 00:08:51

Okay. So I use a technique called the rewind technique, which is designed to help you process a traumatic event without the need to relive or verbally share them in detail. So how it works is you'll think of a specific event and in your in your mind, and then you'll watch it on the screen, and then you'll imagine yourself jumping in and rewinding away from it. Creates a sense of distance. This approach allows you to process a trauma without the emotional intensity often associated with talk therapy or exposure therapy in a gentle way to heal without needing to retell your story. So is it kind of a bit like that?

Karina Price00:08:51 - 00:09:21

Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. It's very, very similar to the rewind technique. And so it's it's content free. So when we're working with a client, we don't need to have lengthy talks about the traumatic event, or why they're feeling anxious, or or the panic attack, whatever it might be. We're simply, very similar to the rewind, we're asking them to think about it without sharing it, which sometimes that can feel safer, and the brain becomes, you know, it's becoming nicely bored. And we're accessing different parts of the brain.

Karina Price00:09:21 - 00:09:51

We're retrieving the memory. We're going back to the feeling, and we're it's kind of like, when we sleep at night. If you think about REM sleep, rapid eye movement, you know, we let's just say we have an argument with, our our boss or or maybe someone offended us and we felt really sad. We would go home. We'd go to sleep. REM would work its magic. It would, you know, put into the the library what's important, and we'd let go of what's not. And so we would be having a very different feeling about the the situation.

Karina Price00:09:51 - 00:10:21

The next day, we'd wake up. We wouldn't feel as upset or as angry because our our REM sleep had basically processed it properly. Yeah? And so this is what integral eye movement's doing. It's processing. It's letting go of what what's no longer needed, no longer relevant, and then we have a new, experience, a new perception. We're not getting rid of the memory, so it's not like we're kind of erasing it. The memory will always be there, but it's a bit like the jaws, example. Jaws movie is still there, but the way that we look at it, the way that we feel about it, it's very, very different.

Louise Bryant00:10:21 - 00:10:22

Yeah. Yeah. Awesome.

Karina Price00:10:22 - 00:10:23

Yeah.

Louise Bryant00:10:23 - 00:10:32

Awesome. Have you got any examples or stories about how hypnotherapy and IEMT, I keep remembering that, have benefited any of your clients?

Karina Price00:10:32 - 00:11:04

Yeah. Yeah. So I I love them both and they're so nicely aligned. So I've got lots of examples, but we'll we'll be here all day. But the ones that kind of stick in my mind, are ones where it's had real kind of, you know, significant impacts on people's lives. So, you know, I worked with a lady recently who she could not leave the house, you know, whenever she went out, she was having extreme panic attacks. She was struggling financially because she didn't have the confidence to go out and work. And she come in, and we did several sessions of of hypnotherapy and a total eye movement therapy.

Karina Price00:11:04 - 00:11:47

And she started to feel less anxious because the the memory that was in her mind that was holding her back, that she wasn't really consciously aware of, she wasn't going back to it, but her her subconscious mind was pattern matching. So we were able to kind of release the emotion to that, and she we had the integral eye movement therapy. And when I said, you know, what happens now when you try to access that feeling, when you think about that time, She said, you know, the the feeling has gone from a 10 high level anxiety right down to a 0 or, you know, the the memory. What happens now when you're trying to think about the memory? Before, she was in the memory. She was looking through her own eyes. It was scary. It was daunting. After the session, she would be able to see it from an outside perspective.

Karina Price00:11:47 - 00:12:11

She could see her younger self in the room in a really scary situation. She was standing back with much more empathy for that younger self. So she wasn't coming from a place of I'm scared. I'm anxious. It was like, wow. You know, that that younger version of me actually needs love and empathy, and I just wanna go and scoop her up. So that that helped her to, you know, she reduced the panic attacks and she was able to stop going out and living her life again.

Louise Bryant00:12:11 - 00:12:13

How many sessions did that take for her to get there?

Karina Price00:12:14 - 00:12:17

So for for that particular client I was working, it was 6 sessions.

Louise Bryant00:12:18 - 00:12:24

Cool. Cool. So you haven't, like, raised it from her mind or made her completely forget about what's happened. She just sees it differently.

Karina Price00:12:24 - 00:12:36

Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. So that's the memory is still there, but she feels very differently about it. So I'll give you another example. Currently working with a client at the moment, and we're working on on a phobic response.

Karina Price00:12:36 - 00:13:14

But what kept coming up for him was that whenever he thinks about doing the thing that he doesn't wanna do, he's feeling really anxious. So in integral alignment therapy, it's about, okay. So I want you to think about the first time you can remember feeling this way. It doesn't have to be the first time, but the first time you can remember having this feeling now. And so they'll go back to a memory that quite often is not related to the thing they're scared about now. They're going back to a memory the first time they remember feeling this intense feeling of anxiety. For him, it was going back to a real traumatic experience of, you know, it was he was choking, in a canteen. Everyone was staring at him, and he felt like he couldn't breathe, and he felt really helpless.

Karina Price00:13:15 - 00:13:44

And after that, he he developed a real fear of social situations, eating in front of people, being in big crowds. And so we did one session of Integral Imotherapy. And after that, his whole experience of that memory had just gone. He he was no longer seeing it through those eyes. He was watching himself in the canteen and thinking, oh my goodness, you know, Hope he's okay and actually, yeah, you are okay. You've got this. And that that level anxiety went right down to 0. The feeling had disconnected from the memory.

Karina Price00:13:44 - 00:14:00

So the brain could process, okay, you are safe in social situations. It is safe to kinda eat in front of people. That was in one one session. We're still working on the the phobic response, but in terms of the memory, he's got a very different experience with it now.

Louise Bryant00:14:00 - 00:14:14

Wow. Wow. There's another thing as well. I mean, you mentioned earlier about NLP, because, obviously, I'm a NLP practitioner too. So it and sometimes we can use things where you go back to the situation and turn down, like, see how bright it is, see what color it is, see how big it is, and

Karina Price00:14:14 - 00:14:15

make people all make

Louise Bryant00:14:16 - 00:14:26

things smaller. You can make colors change, turn it into black and white, turn the sound down, maybe speed it up, make it funny. And it's kind of that change in the way that you see that memory.

Karina Price00:14:26 - 00:15:01

Absolutely. And, you know, and when we think about it, what's going on here is that our brain is very, very powerful. And if we tap into it correctly, we can be very confident, calm. We can overcome, you know, situations that cause us a lot of fear, tapping into the power of the subconscious mind. And that's what we're really doing when we're using NLP. We're tapping into the the subconscious mind, which runs the show 90% of the time. So how we respond to life, to situations, our fears, our, you know, limiting beliefs, how we react to people, our subconscious triggers. The subconscious mind is like that supercomputer.

Karina Price00:15:02 - 00:15:32

It's the program in the background responding to whether we're gonna have a panic attack in Audi's. You know, it's triggered from that supercomputer. It's not safe. We mustn't do this. We mustn't be in a social situation. And as we start to use these wonderful techniques like hypnosis and LP and type of eye movement therapy, essentially, what we're doing is we are using the power of the brain to update the program in our supercomputer so that we have a very different perception of the situation. And that's what it comes down to. So it's not that we're changing the situation.

Karina Price00:15:32 - 00:16:03

You know, we're not gonna go into Aldi's, at certain time of the day and all of a sudden there's no people there. There will still be people there, but we won't feel as anxious. We won't be having panic attacks because our brain's perception is that it's safe. Our brain's perception is I can handle this. My our brain's perception is I've got all of the resources within me to be able to deal with this right now, and we feel much more calmer and in control and the nervous system feels safe. So they're all wonderful techniques to help update the program in the supercomputer.

Louise Bryant00:16:03 - 00:16:07

Would this be a kind of similar thing with imposter syndrome?

Karina Price00:16:08 - 00:16:32

Yeah. Yes. Absolutely. So imposter syndrome and social anxiety, they're closely linked. And quite often, the 2 come hand in hand because with social anxiety, we we have, like I mentioned before, this this underlying belief that we're not good enough, this belief that whatever we do is we're we're gonna get it wrong. People are gonna judge us. It's it's not good enough. So we tend to start to have imposter syndrome.

Karina Price00:16:32 - 00:16:57

So lots of people, can present as, you know, really confident, the outside world. You know, people's social anxiety can still be functioning. You know, we can be in jobs. We might be, you know, managing teams. We might be running a busy household. In our household, we've got it all together in our house and caring responsibilities. There could be an undercurrent there of, oh, I'm winging it. You know, people really found out how I really felt.

Karina Price00:16:57 - 00:17:28

Any minute now, it's all going to go wrong. And so it's kind of like that we've got, like, a cognitive distortion of a lot of the time we're mind reading. We're assuming what other people think. You know, other people think I'm doing it wrong. Other other people think I'm not good enough. Other people think that I'm, I'm not worthy or I'm stupid or, I don't deserve this. So we're always, kind of assuming what other people think, which is completely a cognitive distortion. It's not, not true at all.

Karina Price00:17:28 - 00:17:37

And that's why hypnosis and integral eye movement therapy could help to, to change those, those beliefs and those, you know, distortions in the brain. Yeah. Because it

Louise Bryant00:17:37 - 00:18:02

could be like you said, but going back to children's, even just like a a sibling or a teacher or somebody that sort of that makes you feel like you're stupid. Like, my brother, eldest brother, always used to call me stupid growing up. So I've had this belief growing up that I'm not good enough, I'm not clever enough, I'm stupid. I you know? And Yeah. That's really stuck with me, the stuff that I've had to work through that's just that just that little thing. Like, it's just sibling rivalry. It doesn't he didn't mean it really in any kind of way, but it's it's deep rooted,

Karina Price00:18:02 - 00:18:41

isn't it? Yeah. It is deep rooted, and the subconscious mind will see that as a trauma. You know, we we might not now see that as a trauma, a traumatic event, but the subconscious mind absolutely will. So if we're in a situation where we felt embarrassed or silly or we've been put on the spot, and we've gone into that primitive emotional part of the brain and it's triggered fight or flight, the subconscious mind will pattern match. It would be like, okay, you feel this way because people are judging you. You feel this way because you're vulnerable. People are staring, and so it will pattern match, and it will go into the supercomputer. Like, for me, for example, I had dyslexia, and I wasn't diagnosed with dyslexia until I went to university.

Karina Price00:18:41 - 00:19:13

And I went to uni later on. I was about 22. So, you know, I had many situations where, you know, I was asked to read in class and all the, you know, the words are moving around, and I couldn't keep my words out. I would mispronounce words in in conversations with my friends. I couldn't think of the right word to say. So I had a real belief that I was, you know, stupid, that people would judge me. I felt really ashamed, you know, other people are getting the grades, other people are, brave enough to put their hands up. Why am I so shy? And it does.

Karina Price00:19:13 - 00:19:39

Those smaller traumas in childhood can absolutely stick with us. A subconscious mind will just simply pattern match. And the subconscious mind is not rational. It's not logical. So it won't see that situation as, well, you were 7, you asked to read, and it was really embarrassing, but social situations are very different now. You know, it's safe now. It's not rational or logical. It just sees as when everyone was staring at you and you were in a group, it's scary and it's dangerous.

Karina Price00:19:39 - 00:20:09

Let's avoid that. And so we'll start to feel anxious and overwhelmed whenever we go into a social situation. And that, that's what happened to me. And I think I shared on your previous podcast, Louise, that I had a real social anxiety growing up, real kind of fear of the attention being on me, public speaking, performance anxieties, all those things. And even now, it kind of pops up even now, you know, I'll I'll kind of be very mindful. Oh, here we go. It's my safety officer. You know, let's put you back in your box.

Karina Price00:20:09 - 00:20:23

And and now I've got the skills. I know what's going on. I know it's my my sexuality trying to protect me, and it's pulling out those experiences from my childhood, and I'll move it to one side. Okay. Thank you for trying to protect me, but I've got this. And I'll redirect to a much more helpful thought. It's okay. It's fine.

Karina Price00:20:23 - 00:20:25

You know, I've got this. I'm in control. Yeah. I

Louise Bryant00:20:25 - 00:20:41

had a situation quite recently. I did a a I launched a a networking event, and I was reading something out. And similar to you, like, I've sort of got had a dyslexic diagnosis as an adult, and I read something out. And I could read it fine. I could read it fine in my head.

Karina Price00:20:41 - 00:20:41

I could read it fine at home.

Louise Bryant00:20:41 - 00:20:43

As soon as I was standing in front of, you know, 20

Karina Price00:20:43 - 00:20:43

women trying to read this this paragraph from a book, my words just worked. It's like

Louise Bryant00:20:43 - 00:21:09

my brain and my mouth weren't kind of connecting. Yeah. And then I felt myself go red, and then I was like, this is awful. And I had to finish the whole thing. And, and yeah. So that kinda and I was and, again, going back to what you're saying, like, having these tools going, I know I've got this. I'm not but that whole social anxiety thing, I mean, as soon as the words started messing up a little bit in my mouth, coming out from my brain from my mouth, it

Karina Price00:21:09 - 00:21:09

just Yeah.

Louise Bryant00:21:09 - 00:21:15

Yeah. Sent me spiraling and Yeah. Just wanted the ground to open up and to to be thrown into it.

Karina Price00:21:15 - 00:21:37

Yeah. And your brain knows exactly what's going on, and it will go into your hippocampus, your library. It's okay. What do we normally do in these situations? What what's got us through before? And for most of us, it will be let's run. Let's run away. Let's never do this thing again. But we wanna update that program that actually is okay to make mistake mistakes. It's okay to, you know, forget words and even if and I and I love the saying, Louise.

Karina Price00:21:37 - 00:22:06

You know, even if even if I got my words muddled, I'll be okay. Even if I lost my train of thought, I'll be okay. So I always tend to now tag on those words, even if. You know? And I I had it recently where so with social anxiety, it's also kind of you feel like you're you're bound to mess up. You know, you're bound to do something wrong. Any minute now, you're gonna mess up and something's gonna happen. And so for me, it's always technology, and it would be like I would be fearing that something with technology would happen. Whereas now, it's much more about, okay.

Karina Price00:22:06 - 00:22:27

So if my Wi Fi dropped, even if my Wi Fi dropped, it'll be okay. Even if my phone glitched out, I'd be okay. And so recently, all these things, one after another was happening, and I was just like, I'll be okay. I'll be okay. And it all worked out. It was absolutely fine. And in the end, when we had we did the actual Zoom workshop in front of about 20 people, it was a bit of a joke. You know, we were making jokes out of it, and it was funny.

Karina Price00:22:27 - 00:22:51

And it become like a a fun thing that we were talking about. We were all sharing our experiences of when, you know, particularly during the pandemic, when we all kind of went online and things were happening with our our technology. Whereas before, years ago, it would have been, you know, I can't possibly do anything, online because something will go wrong, and I'll be humiliated, and I'll be judged, and and that that's just too scary. Yeah.

Louise Bryant00:22:51 - 00:23:21

So I don't really see myself as having social anxiety. When I say to people I'm a bit of an introvert, people go, really? Because when I'm teaching or doing these sort of things, I'm quite confident. But put me in a social situation. Like, for instance, I was up in London, a corporate organization that I work for, we had an office gathering. And as soon as it comes to, like, us going to to start networking, I just went off to the toilet. And I did the same when we did our networking event a couple of weeks ago. As soon as it was, like, like, to mingle, I just go the toilet and I have to kind of like compose myself because now I've gotta try and like Yeah. Make conversation with people.

Louise Bryant00:23:21 - 00:23:37

And I don't know if this has come from like COVID or just because I work for myself at home a lot now. Just I'm alright once more people. So being years of being a hairdresser as well, I can go into people's houses and just take control and be the hairdresser. But as soon as I'm put into a situation where we're, you know, having to to network like that and we're equals

Karina Price00:23:38 - 00:23:38

Yeah.

Louise Bryant00:23:38 - 00:23:45

I suppose imposter syndrome sets in and social anxiety. Yeah. And I I notice myself doing that. I'm like, I'm just going to the toilet. I don't need to go

Karina Price00:23:45 - 00:23:46

to the toilet. Yeah.

Louise Bryant00:23:46 - 00:23:49

But my brain needs to go, Get out of the situation and run away.

Karina Price00:23:49 - 00:24:24

Absolutely. Yeah. And, you know, that that can be, you know, a symptom of being socially anxious. You know, one thing about social anxiety, it doesn't have to be in all settings, but it could be that your nervous system has gone into a bit of fight or flight because it's perceiving the situation as scary or it's unfamiliar. So anything that we do, there is the element of uncertainty or unfamiliarity. The nervous system will try and protect us. We can be, we can be, you know, an introvert, and we can still be in a situation that's, you know, big group and busy and feel okay. Just means that if we're an introvert, I would class myself as a bit of an introvert.

Karina Price00:24:24 - 00:25:03

You know, we just, you know, we we would prefer not to be in a group, but if we were in a group, in a big social situation, it would be okay. We might not be the ones that are kind of having all the attention on us and putting our hands up, but it would be okay. We we wouldn't necessarily be running off to the toilet beforehand. We'd be fine. We'd just be, you know, there and it is what it is, but we'd much rather be maybe in our home office kind of, you know, doing our emails or or working people 1 to 1. So when we're an introvert, it doesn't necessarily mean to say that we've got social anxiety. Likewise, we might be an extrovert, We could be the life and soul of the party, but we still could be struggling with social anxiety Yeah. In the background.

Karina Price00:25:04 - 00:25:04

Yeah? And it's

Louise Bryant00:25:04 - 00:25:10

also like your mask. That's your mask, isn't it? And that's kind of dis disguising how you're really feeling.

Karina Price00:25:10 - 00:25:12

Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. So

Louise Bryant00:25:12 - 00:25:21

bringing it back to how you help people heal, how do you combine hypnotherapy and IEMT so that you can address social anxiety and trauma with your clients?

Karina Price00:25:22 - 00:25:57

Yeah. So what I tend to do is in the session so unlike the psychotherapy or other, you know, talking therapies that could take weeks weeks or months months, these two combined are are quite fast solution focused techniques. So normally, it's only, like, maybe 6 to 12 sessions that we'll need. So what I like to do is use integral eye movement in the first few of the sessions because that really gets deep. You know, if I've got a client coming to me saying, I've got social anxiety. I'm really struggling with panic attacks. You know, I feel like quitting my job, or, you know, even picking up my kids at the school gate. I'm just a nervous wreck, and I just can't do it.

Karina Price00:25:57 - 00:26:42

We'll go right in to try and reduce that anxiety. So we'll have, a few sessions where we're focused on the integral eye movement to reduce that anxiety, you know, as much as we can. And then it's nicely aligned. We'll have the general solution focused hypnotherapy sessions to continue to help to reduce anxiety, but also reframe the way that people perceive situations. So using CBT and NLP to help to retrain the brain. It's kind of like, you know, personal training for your brain, helping you to kind of think differently, helping you to develop your awareness of your thought processes. Because a lot of the time, we're only consciously aware 10% of the time. So a lot of our anxiety triggers is on a subconscious level.

Karina Price00:26:42 - 00:27:01

Like, lots of my clients will say, I felt nervous out the blue. I felt anxious out the blue. A panic attack come on out the blue, and I just don't know why. And that's because the subconscious mind, there could be underlying worries about that event that's happening in 6 weeks. You know, it's been 6 weeks. We're not we're not consciously thinking about it. The subconscious mind's thinking, oh my god. You're doing that event.

Karina Price00:27:01 - 00:27:24

Or, oh my goodness. You've got that job interview, and it's already preempting. You're gonna be embarrassed. People are gonna judge you. So, the hypnotherapy is a good way to work on the conscious thinking and also subconsciously changing the way that we think and the way that we view the world as well. So, yeah, normally, it's, internal eye movement, the first couple of sessions followed on by the hypnotherapy.

Louise Bryant00:27:25 - 00:27:34

Yeah. I suppose it's getting people to be in the moment as well, isn't it? Not worrying too much about the whole future, about panicking 6 weeks in advance for for something that might happen.

Karina Price00:27:34 - 00:28:06

Absolutely. And so a lot of that is, you know, helping people to understand the sort of the techniques to be in the moment because we are absolutely happiest in the present moment. 50% of the time, we're worried about the future, we're worried about the past, we're happiest in the now. So a lot of that comes down to mindfulness is a really effective way to help to reduce social anxiety or or anxiety in general. Being very mindful, being aware of what you're you're thinking, and trying to kind of redirect or reframe the way that you think about a situation.

Louise Bryant00:28:07 - 00:28:54

Awesome. So just another example of me. I just wonder how you would speak with someone who had maybe a bit of anxiety about coming to you for, you know, it's a lot of people have this misconception about what we're doing in the brain. Like, what are you doing with my brain? Like, are you kind of rewiring my brain to think a certain way? So just an example for for me, when I was going through a domestic abusive relationship, my ex partner had hit me. I was heavily pregnant with, with my son, and we went to have some couples coaching, couples, sorry, couples counseling. And he was a hypnotherapist, and he'd done a couples hypnotherapy with us, and I completely freaked out. Obviously, I was heavily pregnant. At that time, I'm going back quite a few years, and we had, Paul McKenna, and he used to get people up on stage to do, like, crazy things.

Louise Bryant00:28:54 - 00:29:36

So I had this thing in my head that he's gonna make me say something. He's gonna make me do something that's gonna get me in trouble, and I'm gonna this is gonna make this the situation worse. Obviously, this is quite an extreme example, but, just if anyone kind of has any kind of not that you would do couples' therapy, hidden therapy to someone who's going through an abusive relationship anyway. But if someone was to come into you and think, well, I'm I've been through trauma, I've been through some sort of abuse, you're gonna be putting me under some sort of hypnosis. I'm not quite aware of what's going on. You're gonna make me memorize this, and my eyes are gonna be doing stuff. How would you kind of really comfort someone in knowing that this is a really safe place for you to come, and this is a completely safe we're not doing anything. We're not, you know, changing your brain or putting anything in your mate.

Louise Bryant00:29:36 - 00:29:42

You're gonna start dumping around the garden like a chicken or anything like that. How would you kind of really give someone that?

Karina Price00:29:42 - 00:30:40

Yes. So that that's a really good question, Louise. You know what? Lots and lots of people are nervous about trying something new, particularly when it comes to hypnosis, because there's, you know, that sort of misconception that it is, like, stage hypnosis, that we're gonna count to 3 and click our fingers, then you're gonna be completely under and no no sort of conscious awareness of what's going on and mind control. And it really isn't anything like that. You know? It's a very deep state of relaxation. So it's it's more about, you know, you're on the couch. And if you imagine you know when you're really tired and you're quite comfortable, you're sinking into your bed, and, you know, maybe it's a bit of a, a cold chill in your bedroom and you've got your warm duvet, keep you nice and warm, where you just you feel ready to sleep and you're kind of you're not quite asleep but you're not quite awake. You just feel really content and your mind's kinda drifting into conscious awareness and you might drift off to a thought, to to an image, whatever it might be, and you just feel really relaxed.

Karina Price00:30:40 - 00:31:14

So kind of like if you, you know, when you're on holiday or maybe relaxing your garden, your sun baby, you're kind of drifting in and out. It's very much like that. So you're fully aware of what's going on. And in that relaxed state, our brainwaves start to change. So they change to a way that it it means the subconscious is very open to suggestion, how you wanna be feeling. You're fully in control, and you're fully aware of what's going on. And so what I would say to people, if you're feeling a bit nervous, you're thinking, I would like to try this, but, actually, I'm not too sure. You know, Karina's trying to reassure me that it's okay, and it's safe, and it's it's okay.

Karina Price00:31:14 - 00:32:00

What I would say to you is really kind of, you know, get a sense as to what who who whatever therapist you're gonna approach, really kinda get to know them first. That might be, you know, checking out their social media. That might be checking out their testimonials and their reviews on their website or on Google. That might be, you know, just phoning them up like a free chat and listening to the sound of their voice. Lots of therapists will have 3 audios that you can listen to. So you can listen to the, hypnosis track on on on your phone in the comfort of your own room, and you can get a sense as as to what what they're like. I mean, I offer a consultation. So the consultation really is about an opportunity for me to share what hypnosis is, what it what it will look like, the brain, how the brain works.

Karina Price00:32:00 - 00:32:51

It's an opportunity for them to ask any questions. So before we kind of dive deep, there's an hour together, you know, seeing if I'm the right person for them, and they get to sort of check out my room. If they're they're here in person or on Zoom, they can kind of see the surroundings. So really kind of doing your homework, really, and getting to know your your therapist. And if you've got any questions, you know, feeling free to message and and email. But usually what happens is is that at the consultation, people normally come to me, and they're kind of hypnotherapy and it's really sad actually, but hypnotherapy is like the last ditch attempt to try and, you know, they're they're at their wits end. It's got to a point where they just it's too difficult, the overwhelming anxiety. And they've tried everything, the medication, the counseling, the CBT, you know, all the things.

Karina Price00:32:52 - 00:33:09

It might just be on a whim, okay, someone's mentioned hypnotherapy. I'll give it a go. I'm not too sure. It probably won't work. It's it's normally like that. And then they come, and it's like, oh my goodness. I wish I tried this sooner because, actually, I'm learning about the brain. I never even understood this is why I had anxiety.

Karina Price00:33:09 - 00:33:24

I never realized there were ways to change the way that I think. I didn't realize that deep relaxation could reduce stress and make me feel much more positive and calmer afterwards. So usually people were pleasantly surprised. I'm not too sure if I answered your question. It's a bit of a ramble there.

Louise Bryant00:33:25 - 00:33:50

No. No. No. Totally. I think it's that's it. It's having I think with most kind of treatments that you have privately, you have the privilege of being able to explore different options and getting to know your whoever you're gonna be working with and getting recommendations. And, you know, we all always offer a free chemistry call or a discovery call or a connection call, what different people call it different things, but normally you get a chance to speak to them before.

Karina Price00:33:50 - 00:34:46

And also you can, like, now, I mean, fortunately now, hypnosis is becoming a bit more acceptable and sort of standard modality. I love listening to podcasts. I'm always learning self development, things like that. And there are lots of, you know, well respected and highly regarded neuroscientists and, you know, psychologists who are recommending hypnotherapy and hypnosis, who are saying, actually, this really does help reduce anxiety. You know, lots of medical papers now and hypnosis being used in in many hospitals in the UK to help reduce IBS symptoms, which often is related to stress and anxiety. Many sort of dental practitioners are trained in hypnosis to help to relax their patients before they go in, and they have their their their teeth out. So the medical profession are now looking into hypnosis and the power of the mind. When you actually think about it, you know, it's it's our mind.

Karina Price00:34:46 - 00:35:25

It's our perception of a situation that's triggering these real physical sensations in the body. So by using hypnosis, or not just hypnosis, anything that might help to kind of, you know, learn about the mind, we can start to tap into the power of the mind to calm and relax us and have a different perception of the situation. So it's becoming a bit more mainstream now, and so it might even be that you go off to your, you know, Spotify or Apple or YouTube, whatever it is, and just just be curious. Be curious. I quite like hip you know, try out hypnotherapy and do a bit of your own research and find some people you think, actually, I respect them. I know a bit about them, and they're telling me it's okay, and I'm gonna go off and find a practitioner.

Louise Bryant00:35:26 - 00:35:41

Thank you. That's really, really helpful. And it's really good to know that these alternative therapies, all the stuff that we do, are starting to be more recognized in the medical profession. So what are your future goals with your hypnotherapy and IEMT in supporting individuals with social anxiety and trauma?

Karina Price00:35:42 - 00:36:18

Yeah. Yeah. So I I am you know, I've always got all these ideas, much like you, Louise, of, you know, how can I help more people? How can I reach more people? And sometimes, you know, 1 on 1, people might find that, a bit too much for them. Maybe they're not in the right right time. Maybe financially, that's a bit too much. So I'm trying to make it a bit more accessible. So I'm trying to create more content on my social media, on my Instagram, on my Facebook. I'm also looking at creating a digital online course aimed at helping people with social anxiety to increase their confidence, their self belief, make them feel a bit more at ease socially.

Karina Price00:36:18 - 00:36:41

So whether that's out and about in groups, whether it's, you know, at work, they want to be put themselves out there, or public speaking, things like that. So, yeah, I'm looking at leaning towards creating more digital courses that are self led, self paced, that people can do in the comfort of their own home, that I can give them a taster as to what it's all about. And then the next step might be if they decide to to come and work me, 1 to 1.

Louise Bryant00:36:41 - 00:36:57

Awesome. Awesome. That sounds great. So it sounds like you've got lots planned in the future. So it would be ideal if people listening to this would, you know, sign up for your newsletters, or do you have anything on your on your website kind of people so people can sign up. It's a bit of an incentive maybe.

Karina Price00:36:57 - 00:37:14

Yes. Absolutely. So if they head over to my website, so it's carina price hypnotherapy, and they'll see, you know, free resources. You can sign up to my weekly newsletter. Head over to my Instagram, carina price hypnotherapy, where I'll be sharing more content aimed at helping with anxiety and specifically social anxiety as well.

Louise Bryant00:37:16 - 00:37:22

Awesome. Awesome. Well, is there anything else that you wanted to add to our conversation or anything that I've not covered here?

Karina Price00:37:23 - 00:38:02

No. No. I would just say that, if you're feeling a little bit sort of apprehensive and you think that it's a little bit woo woo, then you're not alone. I I felt like that too. And when I was really struggling with social anxiety, I then turned to, hypnotherapy to help me, and it it really did help me. I had a fear of driving a motorway, I had a fear of public speaking, and I was pleasantly surprised. So I would say, just be open minded because remember, our subconscious mind is that automatic part of the brain, which makes us think the way that we always think, and we don't always kind of challenge our thoughts. So just just maybe tap into being a bit more curious about what might help you and what might benefit you.

Louise Bryant00:38:02 - 00:38:08

Awesome. Awesome. Well, thank you. Thank you so much for coming on the show again. It's been an absolute pleasure having you.

Karina Price00:38:09 - 00:38:12

Thanks so much. Been great. Thanks for having me.

Louise Bryant00:38:12 - 00:38:13

Well, I look forward to having you on again.

Karina Price00:38:14 - 00:38:17

Brilliant. Yes. Me too. Okay. Thanks Louise. Thank you.

Louise Bryant00:38:18 - 00:39:32

As promised, here are a few journaling questions to think about or write about to reflect on our conversation today. So how have your personal experiences shaped your social anxiety or imposter syndrome? How do you normally respond to social anxiety? And what are some healthier ways you could try instead? What negative thoughts do you often have? And how can you change them to boost your self esteem? Which techniques from the episode, like hypnotherapy, I e m t, or the rewind technique interests you the most? And how might it help you? And what can you learn about it? How can practising mindfulness and staying present help you handle anxiety in social situations? Thank you for listening to this episode of the Secrets in the Powder Room podcast with me, Louise Bryant. For more journaling questions, check the link in the description or visit my podcast blog at Louise Bryant dog coach. As always, feel free to connect with us on social media to share your thoughts and suggestions for future episodes. Until next time, remember, self belief is the first step towards overcoming any challenges. Take care and we'll see you next episode.