Fear of Flying
Fear of Flying Therapy in Newport Beach, CA
EMDR • Clinical Hypnotherapy • CBT • Somatic Approaches • The A.R.O.L.Y.N. Method™
Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC, CHT is a Newport Beach psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, phobias and trauma, including fear of flying and flight anxiety. Practicing since 1997, she is a Certified EMDR Therapist and Certified Hypnotherapist working with clients in Newport Beach, Corona del Mar and surrounding Orange County communities.
Written and clinically reviewed by Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC
Psychotherapist · EMDR Certified · Certified Hypnotherapist · Author of Anxiety Annihilated · Practicing since 1997
“Just one treatment for anxiety and a flying phobia.... A year later, I have been on 4 trips without fear and no anxiety. Best thing I ever did was give Arolyn a call.”
Has fear of flying started deciding where you can go?
Fear of flying can interfere with vacations, family visits, relationships and professional opportunities. For some people, anxiety begins days or even weeks before a flight. Others avoid flying entirely.
You may already know that flying is statistically safe. Knowing it often changes very little, because the reaction is not produced by your reasoning — it is produced by a learned fear response that fires on cues like boarding, the cabin door closing or the first movement of turbulence.
Treatment can address both the thoughts associated with flying and the physical fear response.
What flight anxiety can look like
- Anticipatory anxiety in the days or weeks before a trip
- Difficulty booking flights, or cancelling them
- Panic symptoms at the airport or during boarding
- Intense reactions to turbulence, takeoff or landing
- Fear of enclosed spaces, or of not being able to leave
- Fear of losing control or panicking in front of others
- Declining travel, promotions or family events to avoid flying
How treatment works
Treatment is individualized rather than based on a single technique. Depending on your history, symptoms and goals, it may incorporate:
- EMDR — processing distressing memories, triggers and associations connected with flying, such as a frightening flight, an accident or another emotionally significant event.
- Clinical hypnotherapy — focused attention, relaxation and therapeutic suggestion, used when clinically appropriate.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — identifying catastrophic predictions and behaviors that maintain fear and avoidance.
- Somatic techniques — recognizing and responding differently to the body's fear response.
- Solution-focused therapy — organizing treatment around a practical goal, often a specific upcoming flight.
- The A.R.O.L.Y.N. Method™ — Arolyn's framework for assessing and addressing anxiety, phobias and trauma.
A focused five-session phobia protocol
Arolyn has developed a focused five-session protocol for phobias, including fear of flying, based on her clinical experience treating anxiety, fear and trauma.
Five sessions describe the structure of the protocol rather than a guarantee that every phobia will resolve within five sessions. Treatment length and outcomes vary by individual.
The A.R.O.L.Y.N. Method™ for fear of flying
- A — Assess the specific triggers and what you predict will happen.
- R — Reframe thoughts and interpretations that reinforce the fear.
- O — Observe thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and avoidance behaviors.
- L — Learn therapeutic tools for responding differently to flight-related triggers.
- Y — Yield to a new response instead of following the established fear pattern.
- N — Normalize healthier responses through practice and integration.
What if my fear is connected to a specific flight?
For many people, flight anxiety traces back to a particular experience: severe turbulence, an emergency landing, an illness on board or a frightening event that had nothing to do with aviation at all.
When appropriate, therapy can address the distressing memory as well as the present-day triggers associated with air travel.
About Arolyn Burns
Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC, CHT is a California licensed psychotherapist who has practiced since 1997, specializing in anxiety, phobias, trauma and chronic pain.
She is a Certified EMDR Therapist and Certified Hypnotherapist, the author of Anxiety Annihilated and creator of The A.R.O.L.Y.N. Method™. Her private practice serves Newport Beach, Corona del Mar and surrounding Orange County communities.
Who you would be working with
Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC is a Newport Beach psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, phobias, trauma and chronic pain. She provides EMDR therapy and clinical hypnotherapy and has been practicing since 1997.
- CA LMFT #MFC40173, LPCC #LPC54
- M.A. Clinical Psychology, Azusa Pacific University
- 10× Best Newport Beach Therapist
- 2333 E Coast Highway #C, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625
Creator of The A.R.O.L.Y.N. Method™, the framework behind this work.
Frequently asked questions
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Ready to take the first step?
In-person appointments at 2333 E Coast Highway #C, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625, and secure video sessions anywhere in California. Mon–Wed 11am–8pm, Thu 11am–2pm (by appointment only).