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The fear of speaking in public is closely related to social phobia and stage fright . It is thought to affect as many as three out of every four people, and as such, is one of the most common phobias.

When an ill prepared speaker has to stand in front of others, and give a talk, demonstration or performance, they may find the y will have sweaty hands and a dry mouth. Your knees may shake and your voice will lose its strength. Your heart may race and those well known butterflies will invade your stomach.

When all this happens most people forget what they are meant to be saying, they become unfocused and start to panic. It is of course normal to be nervous and have some anxiety when speaking in public. It is all a question of degree. The very fact that the spotlight is on you is enough to trigger every fear, anxiety and phobia you have ever had about public speaking.

Most probably you will believe that you will be judged badly by your audience, that you may feel like a fool or behave ineptly. You will be convinced that you will make mistakes and lose your way and as a result become completely humiliated.

The fear of public speaking can exhibit itself in many ways, such as making presentations at work, making a speech at weddings, stuttering or stammering when speaking and avoiding situations that might include public speaking situations.

Ultimately, the fear of speaking in public can, in some cases, lead on to a full blown panic attack.

Possible causes are:

• A traumatic event in early life, which may or may not be directly linked to speaking in public, or having to perform.
• The 'under-socialisation' of a child, whereby the child doesn't build up confidence in his or her own ability. This can often be caused by an overprotective parent, for example.
• A low self esteem, where the person feels that what they have to say isn't important.
• The expectation of failure, sometimes due to being overly criticised in early life.

Hypnotherapy can help novice public speakers to gain confidence and to speak comfortably and positively in a relaxed and yet forthright manner. By utilising a range of therapeutic protocols embracing relaxation strategies, self hypnosis and ego strengthening a programme of hypnotherapy can transform a nervous public speaker into one of confidence.