Chat Wednesday 9 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
Free Group Phone Counseling With Capt Tom Wednesday 10 PM - 11 PM Eastern Time
- dial (712) 432-3900
-
when asked, enter the conference ID 9352101 followed by the # sign
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More On Strengthening Exercise 2.0
Some clients find it hard to keep their concentration during the exercise and to keep track of what flight image comes next. If that is a concern, try this. Get a few sheets of paper and, as if you were a novelist, write a few lines about that moment of empathic attunement as if you were describing it to a reader. And then, tell the reader to imagine that the person is wearing a t-shirt and it has a photo of a plane just touching the runway in a beautiful place in Europe or an island. And then tell the reader that the person stands up, goes away and comes back with a different t-shirt on. This t-shirt carries a photo of a plane gliding down to land. And continue that until you include, in the narrative, a selection of the flight images.
That way, you can just read it, and the images will so easily float in and out of your awareness. I know it will take some work to write it out, but once you have done that, just reading it is all you need to do - a few times that is - to let the mind link these things together.
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About Keeping Things Out Of Mind
We all, when dealing with something that bothers us, try to keep the thing out of mind. That's a good ability, and up to a point, a good strategy. But when it stops being enough, it is time to give up that strategy and do the opposite.
Bite the bullet. Start making a list. Focus on each and every item that causes anxiety when flying. List every one of those things. Then, use the Strengthening Exercise on each item. If an item bothers you, use a cartoon character to get a bit more distance between you and the item.
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Passenger's Rights And Safety
Take a look at http://flyersrights.org/ . This organization is promoting legislation that increases safety and establishes a bill of rights which protects passengers against being trapped for hours on an airliner.
Here is a link to the petition they are sponsoring that is being sent to Congress. I just signed the petition as number 26648.
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How People View Risk
Here is a link to an outstanding article, by a pilot, about risk. He cites research that says that risk a person voluntarily takes is not a problem, perhaps even with rather large. But risk which is quite small can be a problem when involuntary. My guess is that it has to do with control. When risk is voluntary, there is a sense of control - if not of the situation during the risk - a sense of control whether to take it or no.
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A New Song: "Don't Be Afraid To Fly"
Hear it at this link.
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Southwest And The Unauthorized Parts
Southwest, like all other airlines except American, contracts out some of the "heavy" maintenance. That is, the overhaul of the planes. Their contractor allowed some counterfeit parts to be used. It involved a heat shield to keep heat from the engine exhaust off some areas of the flaps.
This is the sort of thing that I have long said is a problem when airlines do not do their own maintenance. When mechanics for the airline work on planes, they get passes. When they, or their family members ride free on a pass, it is on a plane the mechanic worked on. That does more for quality control than any punitive measures or supervisory oversight.
When airlines contract work out that self-preservation motive vanishes. That's why I list AA as the number one choice. But, at the same time, the safety record Southwest has established is the best in the industry. If you remember the movie "Rainman", the Dustin Hoffman character would only fly Qantas because, he said, "Qantas never crashes." Qantas has a great reputation because of that. But Qantas has only flown one-million flights.
Regardless of what this incident does to your thoughts, you thoughts also need to include the fact that Southwest has flown fifteen-million flights with no passenger fatalities. I would have a lot of confidence in an airline that has a Qantas-like safety record multiplied by fifteen! You can read the story at this link.
This is the sort of thing that I have long said is a problem when airlines do not do their own maintenance. When mechanics for the airline work on planes, they get passes. When they, or their family members ride free on a pass, it is on a plane the mechanic worked on. That does more for quality control than any punitive measures or supervisory oversight.
When airlines contract work out that self-preservation motive vanishes. That's why I list AA as the number one choice. But, at the same time, the safety record Southwest has established is the best in the industry. If you remember the movie "Rainman", the Dustin Hoffman character would only fly Qantas because, he said, "Qantas never crashes." Qantas has a great reputation because of that. But Qantas has only flown one-million flights.
Regardless of what this incident does to your thoughts, you thoughts also need to include the fact that Southwest has flown fifteen-million flights with no passenger fatalities. I would have a lot of confidence in an airline that has a Qantas-like safety record multiplied by fifteen! You can read the story at this link.
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A Good Article On Fatigue Rule Changes
See this link.
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American Retires The A-300
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"If I Can Fly I Can Do Anything"
I just knew for sure that any airplane that I flew on would crash and I would die. No doubt about it so I refused to fly anywhere for 26 years. But truly, from the bottom of my heart, thanks to the SOAR program my life has changed and I am living my life more fully. It showed me that I could go back to school and I will begin my senior year this fall and am majoring in Psychology. So SOAR not only helped me to fly, it has helped me in other areas of my life. By the way I am still getting into elevators; and it just goes to show that I can fly, I can fly and if I can fly I can do anything.
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Adventure Of A Lifetime
Dear Tom,
I am writing to thank you again for all of the work you do for us 'Fear of Flying' people. We really couldn't do it without you and your extensive information.
I went into the library this time and absorbed as much info as I could pertaining to my phobias. The articles about letting children cry themselves to sleep and the feeling of being separated from the earth, really hit home to me for whatever reason. It made so much sense to me.
I drove three hours to the airport and I was nervous because I wasn't nervous. My husband dropped me at the door and I was on my own. It could have been very scary to me, at first I was a little weak in the knees. As I began to go through the maze, I all of a sudden said, I am on an adventure of a lifetime. It was such a feeling of freedom to me. The flight on JetBlue, was incredible. Usually when I start to go down the ramp to the airplane, I start to panic. There was no panic. I was able to sit in the front and they have lots of leg room. I have finally reached my ultimate goal, to fly by myself.
I cannot thank you enough, your knowledge and information has help me to open up to a lot of new things. I can never thank you enough. I will be forever grateful to you for really caring for us enough to get us through this fear.
I am writing to thank you again for all of the work you do for us 'Fear of Flying' people. We really couldn't do it without you and your extensive information.
I went into the library this time and absorbed as much info as I could pertaining to my phobias. The articles about letting children cry themselves to sleep and the feeling of being separated from the earth, really hit home to me for whatever reason. It made so much sense to me.
I drove three hours to the airport and I was nervous because I wasn't nervous. My husband dropped me at the door and I was on my own. It could have been very scary to me, at first I was a little weak in the knees. As I began to go through the maze, I all of a sudden said, I am on an adventure of a lifetime. It was such a feeling of freedom to me. The flight on JetBlue, was incredible. Usually when I start to go down the ramp to the airplane, I start to panic. There was no panic. I was able to sit in the front and they have lots of leg room. I have finally reached my ultimate goal, to fly by myself.
I cannot thank you enough, your knowledge and information has help me to open up to a lot of new things. I can never thank you enough. I will be forever grateful to you for really caring for us enough to get us through this fear.
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SOAR Will Work For You Too
SOAR was established in 1982 because no programs existed that could
help people with moderate to severe difficulties. Even today, no other
program offers help that is effective except for mild difficulties. No
matter how difficult flying is for you, we can help.
- Call me at 877 332-7359 between 10 AM and 6 PM Eastern time or
- Set up a time online at http://soar.genbook.com
- No Charge. No Obligation. Just get the information you want.
Or Enroll Right Now And Get This Over With
You will feel better as soon as you make the decision.
You will feel better as soon as you make the decision.
- Accelerated courses give you the most help possible in the time you have available.
- A twenty-minute private session and unlimited group counseling sessions are included.
- What you pay is 100% transferable to the SOAR Video Course 11 DVDs.
Start viewing on your computer screen in two minutes.
- Get a compact version of the SOAR Course.
- Load it on your laptop, iPod or other media player. More info.
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Unsure Which To Choose
If
you are unsure which is best for you, please call me at 877 332-7359 so
we can talk it over. You will feel better as soon as you decide to act.
We are always here to help. As you go through the program, call or email whenever you have a question or a concern.
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Discuss Or Schedule An Individual Session -- Call 877 332-7359
Call between 11 AM and 6 PM Eastern Time (same time zone as New York)
You'll reach me easily. The toll-free number rings my cell phone.
Call between 11 AM and 6 PM Eastern Time (same time zone as New York)
You'll reach me easily. The toll-free number rings my cell phone.
- find out how I can help you with flying
- discuss the possibility of a counseling session
- set up a time that fits your schedule
Outside the U.S. and Canada call 203 258-4803
- a twenty-minute session is $60.00 if not enrolled in a course.
- one twenty-minute session is free if enrolled in any course.
- additional twenty-minute sessions are $60.00.
- two one-hour sessions are included in the SOAR Guaranteed Program
Schedule An Individual Session Online
Note: Times Listed Are Eastern Time (same as New York)
