• Case Study 1: Overcoming Choking Phobia in a 45-Year-Old Man.
• Case Study 2: Overcoming Choking Phobia in a 7yo girl. 

Case Study 1

Presenting Issue:
A 45-year-old man sought help for a choking phobia (phagophobia) that had persisted for several years. Although medical investigations confirmed his swallowing function was normal, he had developed intense anxiety around eating. To cope, he restricted himself mainly to purées and liquid foods and ate extremely slowly, focusing on every bite to avoid the sensation of choking. This pattern of hyper-vigilant eating made mealtimes exhausting and contributed to social withdrawal, as he was unable to join others at the table.

Initial Assessment:
At intake, the client reported:

• Reliance on soft or blended foods.
• Excessive chewing and concentration during meals.
• A complete avoidance of eating in public or with friends.
• Anticipatory anxiety hours before mealtimes.

He recognised that his behaviours were driven by fear rather than physical necessity, but felt powerless to change.

Session 1:
The first session focused on calming his system and beginning to rebuild trust in his natural swallowing reflex. Techniques included:

• Psychoeducation about the fear response and how avoidance reinforces phobias.
• Relaxation and hypnotic strategies to reduce anticipatory anxiety.
• Positive imagery to normalise comfortable eating experiences.

Outcome: After this session, the client was able to eat a meal more easily at home and reported that for the first time in years, eating felt “less like a battle.” However, he continued to eat slowly and carefully, and still avoided eating with others.

Session 2:
The second session targeted the deeper social fears and the protective “part” of his mind that believed hyper-vigilant eating was the only way to stay safe. This included:

• Reassuring the protective part of the mind and creating healthier strategies.
• Installing feelings of calm and courage when sitting down to eat.
• Rehearsing the experience of eating socially in a relaxed, natural way.

Outcome: After this session, the client reported a breakthrough: he was able to eat out at a restaurant with friends. He described being surprised by how natural it felt, even though he ate cautiously at first. For him, the biggest victory was not the food itself but being able to enjoy the social connection without the constant focus on every swallow.

Conclusion:
In just two sessions, the client made remarkable progress. From relying on purées and eating alone at home, he regained the confidence to eat more freely and socially. This change not only improved his relationship with food but also restored an important part of his social life. With continued practice, he is optimistic about expanding his food choices and letting go of the need to monitor every bite.

Case Study 2

Background
After a sudden choking incident, a 7-year-old girl developed an intense fear of eating. She began relying only on liquid foods, avoiding anything she needed to chew or swallow. Mealtimes quickly became stressful, filled with worry and frustration. Her parents were concerned not only about her nutrition and health but also about how distressed she was becoming around food.

Therapeutic Approach
Our sessions focused on helping her feel safe again — both in her body and around food. To do this, we combined:

• Child-friendly hypnotherapy – creating calm, focused states where she could practise new ways of thinking and reduce the impact of the fight/flight response.
• Regression and rescripting – gently revisiting the choking memory with support, so it no longer felt so overwhelming.
• Confidence-building techniques – installing “bravery anchors” and using playful imagery to strengthen her sense of courage.

Building Confidence
Once she had tools to feel braver, we introduced gentle exposure to food during the session. She practised small, tolerable bites in a safe, supported setting, focusing on bravery instead of danger.

Outcome
During the third session, she managed to eat again – the first time since her choking incident. Later that evening, she joined her family for dinner and ate there too. This was a huge breakthrough, proving to her that she could eat safely without getting sick.

Parental Guidance
Alongside therapy, her parents were coached to support her recovery by:

• Offering small, manageable foods without pressure.
• Avoiding constant reassurance (which can accidentally fuel anxiety).
• Using bravery-based language (“You’ve got this”) instead of safety-based language.

Conclusion
This case shows how children can recover from eating phobias after traumatic events. With the right mix of safety, playful imagery, confidence-building strategies, and gentle exposure, children can rediscover not just the ability to eat — but also the courage that was inside them all along.

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