Nail biting is very common and usually the result of anxious thinking. It can also simply be a behavioural pattern rather than
It is so common for a client that they don’t even realise that they are doing it! The first step is to explore the situations when this behavioural pattern occurs. Then we proceed to change the thinking process, which, in turn, changes the feelings that trigger the unhelpful behaviour. I see clients of all ages for nail biting. Clients often engage in nail biting at specific times of day, especially when they are a bit bored. Like many unhelpful behaviours, many clients are somewhat embarrassed about the issue and only make contact when something has happened, when they finally feel they can’t continue with this behaviour.
I recommend 2-3 sessions and regularly help clients with this at my Leeds and Manchester Hypnotherapy practices. The first step is to become more conscious of the specific times when this behaviour occurs, and then to think and feel differently so the unhelpful behaviour ceases to exist! It’s useful to remember that nail biting results from thinking and feeling in a very specific way. This requires working with a great deal of precision, rather than simply focusing on past events and/or analysing behaviour.