The Thrive Programme with Michelle

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The Thrive Programme with Michelle

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Emetophobia and Anxiety Coach I Since 2015 I Licensed to deliver The Thrive Programme I Evidence-based, Empowering, Easy-to-Understand I Over 20,000 people have been coached via The Thrive Programme I Learn to Thrive

20/11/2025

I went on a boat for 3 hours last weekend. I don't get travel sickness generally but I wasn't really sure what to expect on this boat. It was smooth in parts but half way through a big swell came through and it was pretty rough.

Friends who had done the trip before said "make sure you take travel sickness tablets"!

I really wanted to do it. The coastline was meant to be stunning and we would be seeing seals and possibly humpback whales. My choices were:
1. Avoid it. Don't do it.
2. Do it but be worried the whole time thinking "what if I get sick?"
3. Do it and put it into perspective. "It's unlikely I'll get sick because I generally don't suffer from travel sickness. If I do feel a bit unwell, it'll just be a bit unpleasant, not truly horrible."

Avoiding is never the best option. It only compounds your fear.
Worrying / catastrophising is also not a great option as the chances are you'll be imagining the worst case scenario and creating physical symptoms!
Getting perspective wins hands down. Weighing up the odds, thinking logically, rationally. Knowing you will cope regardless.

Are you avoiding some of the experiences you really want to be doing? It might not be a boat trip to see whales but it might be something else like meeting new people, trying new foods, putting your hand up for that promotion, asking someone out on a date, starting a new exercise ...

DM me if you'd like to stop avoiding and start taking that chance.

11/11/2025

You feel embarrassed by your fear - emetophobia. You may even keep it a secret from many of your friends. But it doesn't define who you are.

You've copied - over many years - some unhelpful beliefs, thinking styles, language, behaviours, mannerisms etc. from others (mostly parents - or whoever raised you - but this isn't about blame). Combined, these have become the way you process experiences and the way you have created your fear/phobia. In other words, you weren't born with your fear and it didn't HAPPEN TO YOU because of some experience you had.

So it's not your fault BUT you are the only person who can overcome it. If you'd like to find out more about working with me then drop me a note. I've coached 150+ individuals to overcome emetophobia and I'd love to help you too.

10/11/2025

🤯 You bought the ticket. You booked the resort. But every time you think about your trip, your stomach drops.

This is the emetophobia travel paradox: You WANT the adventure, but your brain only sees all the potential risks.

It's the thought of being away from your control—away from your 'safe' places, away from your comfort zone.

And so, you overpack. Not just clothes, but panic. This is what you need to pack instead - a powerful mindset.

The real shift in beating emetophobia anxiety when travelling isn't about adding more anti-nausea, mints or gum to your travel bag. It’s changing how your brain imagines the journey itself.

Instead of using all your mental energy imagining what you FEAR might happen, think of what you WANT to happen. We work to reduce the panic response so your focus moves from: ❌ “What if I feel sick on the plane?” To: ✅ “While I might feel a bit anxious on the plane, I know I can cope. And I can't wait to get to the resort and enjoy myself!”

If you've missed out on a trip because of this fear, then book in a no-obligation conversation with me so we can map out a plan specifically for you so you're on that holiday thriving your socks off WITHOUT emetophobia tagging along. 🌍

07/11/2025

After you've experienced something that wasn't ideal - it could've been mildly unpleasant or extremely difficult - how you PROCESS that experience is critical.

How you REMEMBER (process) an experience is creating a MEMORY for your brain to use next time it comes across a similar scenario. It uses that to PREDICT how to respond in the future.

So you processing that mildly unpleasant experience as TERRIFYING, AWFUL, DISGUSTING is laying down a memory that is exaggerated and unhelpful. YOU are in control of how you process experiences which is great!

27/10/2025

Imagine stepping on to the platform, waiting for the train to arrive. Then it arrives.
There's a moment when it arrives and just before the doors open. The "mind the gap" moment.
At that point you can decide if you're going to get ON the train or not. It's a moment for you to evaluate your actions, your response.

Imagine now that train is a THOUGHT that's popped into your head. The thought is unhelpful. It might be something like "that person doesn't look well - what if they're sick - what if I get sick - I need to leave NOW".

As soon as you notice that unhelpful thought; you're in the "mind the gap" moment. You can decide if you're going to grab hold of that thought and BELIEVE it, or if you're going to just let it pass, reminding yourself that it's unhelpful and that you can tolerate this uncomfortable feeling you're creating. You can't control your thoughts but you can control how you respond to them. Do you get on the train or not?

23/10/2025

You say you're going to go to yoga 5 times a week, or start running, or whatever it is ... but after a while you don't complete it. It's just another one of your "things" that you failed at. Healthy eating, reducing drinking, saving money, or looking for that new job.

You actually no different to anyone else.

Every one of us will set goals but then not do all or some of them.

But the difference is how you PROCESS the experience. Do you beat yourself up, calling yourself a failure, only to set yourself another goal and hit the "repeat" button?

Perfectionist thinking is a vicious cycle. I work with clients to set goals that are flexible, achievable, and a stretch. But most importantly I work with clients (especially those who score high on perfectionist and black & white thinking) on how to create the steps towards their goals and how to process each step in a way that is helpful and powerful.

If you're stuck in the perfectionist cycle, feeling frustrated with where you're at, then send me a note. The Thrive Programme is brilliant. Every client who does it says "everyone should do this programme!" I think so too. 😁

20/10/2025

You feel really guilty if you don't let your kids enjoy these play areas but you really don't like them because they're probably pretty disgusting with other kids sick germs all over them - especially the indoor play spaces!

So to keep you safe, you'll be doubling down on hand-washing and sanitising when they get back to the car or home. And then you might even set yourself a time for when things should feel safe again because they've not caught something. You likely ask them dozens of times if they're feeling okay too which starts your kids thinking that "sick must be very scary".

This is a pretty common behaviour and thought process for emetophobes with young children.
But you're not keeping them safe unfortunately. As hard as you try, you can't keep your kids from getting sick. It'll happen. You need to learn how to cope and that's what I can help you do through The Thrive Programme for Emetophobia.

DM me if you're ready to let your kids back in the playground with you feeling emetophobia-free!

19/10/2025

If you think you're going to be my worst client ever, then so does everyone else.
I can guarantee you won't be. This is ONE YEAR after completing the programme with me. One year! It sticks! It's not coming back for her ... ever. How awesome is that.

Now it's your turn.

17/10/2025

If having a haircut or going to the beautician means you create a lot of anxiety because of emetophobia, then here's what you need to do.

Firstly, recognise that you're creating these unhelpful and frightening thoughts. The hairdressing/beautician salon isn't CAUSING your fear to spike, it's your thinking about it. That's the first thing.

Secondly, you also don't want to book yourself in for a big 2-hour session, create a whole lot of anxious thoughts, and run a mile. You want to do it slowly. What might the first step be? It might be a short session no more than 30 mins and go ahead and ask for a seat near the door. The second session will be a slightly further stretch so the seat this time might be a little further away from the exit door.

Most importantly, AFTERWARDS you need to process the experience in a helpful and powerful way i.e. I CAN do this. I CAN cope. I'm so proud of ME.

And remember, every person with emetophobia is different so I would tailor a plan just for you. So if you want to get back in the salon and look as glamorous as I do in this video 🤣 😂 then give me a shout. I'd love to help you overcome emetophobia for good.

16/10/2025

With emetophobia, the thought of getting on a plane can seem impossible. People coughing, awful toilets (ugh, disgusting), food you can't trust ... and then the worst bit ... you're trapped. No escape. Once the plane takes off, that's it.

Your mind is racing and your stomach is starting to feel a bit ick (most likely because you've not eaten anything ... just in case).

If this sounds like you then maybe you put yourself through hell to get on a plane OR you avoid them completely. Either isn't what you want. You want to feel excited as well as calm about flying. That might seem like an impossible wish right now for you but it's not impossible at all.

I work with my clients to not only overcome emetophobia but to start to tick things off their "wishlist" including getting on a plane with a big grin on their face knowing they can do it calmly. If you want that to be you, then contact me for an Initial Conversation (no obligation) so we can plan how to get you thriving.

13/10/2025

If you want to get rid of emetophobia for good, then here's what needs to change:
1. you fundamentally change how you think
2. you change how you process information/experiences; and
3. you change some of your unhelpful beliefs

When 1-2-3 happens (and it does once you understand the theory and put it into practice) then you will no longer have your fear. And it will not come back. It's gone.

12/10/2025

I know it sounds a bit too simple to just swap out I'LL TRY with I WILL.
But the words we use are very important to how we think. "I'll try" has a certain "doubtful" feeling to it. It's not convincing.

The secret to I WILL is not only the conviction of our intentions. It needs to be teamed up with a goal that isn't too big a stretch.

It would clearly be ridiculous to say I WILL overcome my fear 100% by the end of the week. That's not the idea. The idea instead is to choose a goal that you KNOW you can achieve it (i.e. you have the skills and resources) if you put your mind to it.

Send me a DM if you're curious to find out more.

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Everyone has the capability to Thrive

We create stress, anxiety, fears, phobias, and many other mental illnesses. We can learn how to develop strong psychological foundations so we can Thrive in life. I hear people say “I’ve always been a stressed-out person” or “my mother was anxious so I guess I got it from her” or “I could never be like him/her”. Not true. Well, maybe you have always been a certain way but it doesn’t mean you have to remain that way.

We all have the capability to Thrive and that’s exactly what The Thrive Programme will teach you.