05/03/2026
“The holiday sounds amazing… it’s the flight I can’t face.”
With spring around the corner, lots of people are excited for their summer holiday. But for some, trips abroad feel impossible. The moment flights enter the conversation, a wave of dread appears.
Fear of flying is far more common than people realise.
“I feel like I’m holding everyone back.” This is something I hear a lot. When partners, friends or family are excited about travelling, it can leave you feeling guilty or even embarrassed, as though you’re the reason plans can’t happen. That feeling alone can be incredibly heavy to carry.
“Flying is the safest way to travel.” Comments like this often come from people trying to help. But when fear is coming from a deeper, subconscious level of the brain, logic rarely makes you feel better. Instead it can leave you feeling even more isolated — as though no one really understands what you’re experiencing.
Some people can trace their fear back to turbulence or a difficult flight. Others are completely puzzled by it: “I used to fly all the time and it was fine. So why now?” Either way, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. And it’s important to understand that it’s not you that’s irrational, it’s your thoughts. Thoughts and responses can be changed.
The goal isn’t about suddenly loving flying. It’s about reaching a place where you feel able to cope… able to book the flight… and able to dial down that sense of dread on the lead up to the holiday.
I use a combination of solution-focused therapy and hypnotherapy to help people change the way their mind responds to flying — working both with mindset and at a deeper subconscious level. Most people work with me for a short series of sessions (typically starting with three), allowing us time to properly shift the patterns behind the fear and build your confidence step by step.
In fact, I’ve recently had a few clients return from trips abroad who, only months earlier, thought flying again wasn’t even in the realm of possibility. It’s truly an area of work I love, because freeing yourself from a phobia is life changing.
If this resonates with you, you’re very welcome to message me for more information. My private therapy room is based in Wells… It’s quiet, calm, confidential (and easy to park!).
Kirstie 💛
(Specialist in anxiety and phobia treatment)
Mindset Coach | Solution-Focused Therapist | Clinical Hypnotherapist