Jacques (Koh-Lanta, The Cursed Tribe) confides in his astonishing mental preparation

Before leaving for the Philippines to Koh-Lanta, The cursed tribeJacques was terrified of everything that had to do with nature. He followed very specific mental preparation to overcome his stress level.

He is undoubtedly one of the most charismatic candidates of this season of Koh-Lanta, The cursed tribe on TF1. Jacques, a 38-year-old dancer from Charente-Maritime, has performed so far a flawless journey. Pillar of the former yellow tribe, he passed the fateful milestone of reunification without fail and even won his first immunity at the end of the episode broadcast Tuesday evening. But to succeed Koh Lantathis confident city dweller had to overcome his fear of wild life. And he left nothing to chance to give himself the means.

Koh-Lanta, The cursed tribe : Jacques' astonishing mental preparation before his departure to the Philippines

As he confides in an interview with Puremédiashe did not hesitate to consult a professional before leaving for the Philippines. “I saw a mental coach, who helped me know what images to visualize to overcome my fears in difficult times“, he says straight away. Before admitting to having resorted to “EMDR therapy sessions“. EMDR, which literally means “eye movement desensitization and reprocessing” is a therapy used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress. For Jacques, this was beneficial in fighting against his “phobia of animals, the forest and anything that crawls.” “I was scared to death of all that.” With very concrete effects once you arrive on the other side of the world. “At the camp, it was difficult, but I managed to control my anxieties. At home I wouldn't be able to catch a spider, but there I controlled myself even if rats climbed on me at night“, describes the dancer.

“I had to contain myself a lot“: how Jacques lived his adventure in Koh Lanta on TF1

He further assures: “I managed to take it upon myself, remembering the advice of the professional I had consulted. She advised me what to do in case of panic“Without this mental training followed before his departure, Jacques is certain, he would never have gotten this far in the adventure, he who is still in the game at the end of the 13th episode broadcast on November 12. “I had to contain myself a lot. I expressed my fears, and everyone knew I was afraid of almost everything. However, I controlled myself, because I did not want to appear too fearful. If I hadn't shown a minimum of desire, I would have been eliminated quickly“, he is convinced in hindsight.