Anxiety Hypnotherapists in Shelburne Falls, MA

9 practitioners who work with anxiety in Shelburne Falls.

9 practitioners found

A person standing in soft daylight, eyes closed, taking a calm breath

Anxiety is one of those things that's hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it. It's not just worrying. It's a full-body experience, a tightness in your chest, racing thoughts, a sense that something is wrong even when everything around you is fine. And the frustrating part is that knowing it's irrational doesn't make it stop.

That's because anxiety lives in a part of your brain that doesn't respond well to logic. The amygdala, your brain's threat-detection system, can get stuck in a pattern of overreacting. It fires alarm signals when there's no real danger, and once that loop is established, willpower alone usually isn't enough to break it.

How hypnotherapy approaches anxiety

Hypnotherapy works differently from talk therapy in one important way: it accesses the subconscious mind directly. During a session, your hypnotherapist guides you into a state of deep relaxation and focused attention. In that state, your mind is more open to new patterns and suggestions.

This matters for anxiety because the anxious response is largely automatic. You don't choose to feel panicked before a meeting or lie awake at 2 a.m. running worst-case scenarios. Those responses are programmed in. Hypnotherapy helps reprogram them.

A typical anxiety session might include:

  • Identifying triggers and patterns. Your hypnotherapist will want to understand what sets off your anxiety and how it shows up for you specifically.
  • Guided relaxation. You'll be guided into a calm, focused state. You're not asleep and you're not out of control. Most people describe it as similar to that feeling right before you fall asleep.
  • Subconscious work. This is where the change happens. Your practitioner may use visualization, reframing, or direct suggestions to help your mind respond differently to the situations that currently trigger anxiety.
  • Self-regulation tools. Many hypnotherapists teach you techniques you can use on your own between sessions, like self-hypnosis or anchoring.

What the research shows

Hypnotherapy for anxiety has a growing evidence base. A 2019 meta-analysis in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews found that hypnotherapy produced significant reductions in anxiety across multiple controlled studies. Research from APA Division 30 (the Society of Psychological Hypnosis) supports hypnosis as a tool for anxiety management.

Brain imaging studies are especially interesting. They show that during hypnosis, activity in the default mode network (the brain region associated with rumination and self-referential thinking) actually decreases. In other words, the part of your brain that feeds the anxious loop gets quieter.

That said, hypnotherapy isn't a magic fix. It works best when combined with other healthy practices, and it requires active participation. You won't be zapped out of anxiety in a single session. Most practitioners recommend 4 to 8 sessions depending on the severity and history.

What to expect in your first session

Your first session will likely start with a conversation. Your hypnotherapist will ask about your anxiety history, what you've tried before, and what you're hoping to achieve. This isn't just intake paperwork. It helps them tailor the hypnotherapy to your specific experience.

The hypnosis portion usually lasts 20 to 40 minutes. Afterward, most people feel noticeably calmer, though the deeper shifts tend to build over multiple sessions.

When to consider hypnotherapy for anxiety

Hypnotherapy is worth considering if you've been dealing with anxiety for a while, if talk therapy has helped but you feel stuck, or if you're looking for something that works on a deeper level than surface-level coping strategies. It pairs well with cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, and other approaches.

It's not the right fit for everyone, and it's not a substitute for psychiatric care in severe cases. But for many people, it offers something that other approaches don't: a way to change the automatic responses that keep anxiety running.

The practitioners listed below are based in or around Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts and have indicated anxiety as one of their areas of focus. Some profiles are verified directly by the practitioner, while others are broader listings from public sources.

Connect with a hypnotherapist in Shelburne Falls who works with anxiety

NB
Nick Boutros
Counselor, LMHC, NCC, CCMHC
Greenfield, MA
Anxiety Relief
Hi! I work with people who feel disconnected and who need help re-finding to what makes them feel alive. My specific areas of specialty are: (1) those experienced with meditation wanting a meditation-...
TT
Tiana Tovah Bella Mirapae
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MEd, , LCSW
Montague, MA
Anxiety ReliefDepressionFertility / PregnancyGrief / Loss+5 more
I treat all genders and specialize in Women’s Health Issues throughout the lifecycle. You want to explore and heal the root causes of your physical-mental-emotional-sexual health issues and live your ...
TP
Tony Parmenter - Holistic & Integrative EMDR
Counselor, LMHC, LCMHC, LCPC, CHT, EMDRIA
Brattleboro, VT
Anxiety ReliefDepressionFertility / PregnancyRelationship Issues+3 more
Are you looking for an effective path toward healing your whole self? I am available for trauma-focused therapy in IA, VT, NY, NH, MA, and ME, and take a transpersonal, holistic & naturalistic approac...
KB
Kristi Beck
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LICSW
Brattleboro, VT
Anxiety ReliefFertility / PregnancyRelationship IssuesStress Management+1 more
I work primarily with big-hearted women and femmes (cis + nonbinary), using inner child work, IFS (Internal Family Systems), andhypnotherapyto explore the roots of patterns like people-pleasing, self-...
VM
Valerie Miller
CHt
Hadley, MA
Anxiety ReliefStress Management
AE
Andrea E. Cole
Psychologist, PhD
Northampton, MA
Anxiety ReliefDepressionGrief / LossRelationship Issues+3 more
I am a clinical psychologist in private practice in Northampton, Massachusetts. I have worked with adults and college students for over 25 years. My areas of specialization include depression, bereave...
CW
Christian J. Whitney
CCHt
Winchester, NH
Anxiety ReliefPain ManagementPhobiasSmoking Cessation
Empathic, integrity-driven and claircognizant. Christian is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist who is reputable for helping others heal from the past, align with the present, and surface profound cla...
JA
Jennifer A Tattersall
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, CCDP, CBIS
West Dover, VT
Anger ManagementAnxiety ReliefDepressionRelationship Issues+3 more
Only accepting intensives and Ketamine Assisted tx. Despite difficulties in life, I believe people have an amazing amount of resilience and strength. I work to enhance their strength that gets lost w...
MS
Meaghan S McCulla
Counselor, MA, LCMHC, CH
Keene, NH
Anxiety ReliefGrief / LossOCDRelationship Issues+3 more
I love to bring in alternative approaches to my practice, includinghypnotherapy, progressive relaxation, and mindfulness techniques.I am a licensed mental health counselor in the state of NH with over...
NB
Nick Boutros
Counselor, LMHC, NCC, CCMHC
Greenfield, MA
Anxiety Relief
Hi! I work with people who feel disconnected and who need help re-finding to what makes them feel alive. My specific areas of specialty are: (1) those experienced with meditation wanting a meditation-knowledgeable therapist, especially vajrayana practitioners. (2) LGBTQI individuals who specifically want a male-identified therapist, and (3) individuals struggling with fear or anxiety around death.
TT
Tiana Tovah Bella Mirapae
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MEd, , LCSW
Montague, MA
Anxiety ReliefDepressionFertility / PregnancyGrief / Loss+5 more
I treat all genders and specialize in Women’s Health Issues throughout the lifecycle. You want to explore and heal the root causes of your physical-mental-emotional-sexual health issues and live your best Life: mind, body, emotions, spirit, sexuality and soul. You don’t want to be a victim defined by your traumas or other people’s bad behavior towards you. You want to be Healthy in your Sovereignty, in loving Relationships, with joyful Reciprocity. You want to learn about and integrate Self-care and Holistic Natural Medicine. individual, couples, marital & sex therapy, LGBTQ, entheogenic spirit plant medicine guidance and journeys.
TP
Tony Parmenter - Holistic & Integrative EMDR
Counselor, LMHC, LCMHC, LCPC, CHT, EMDRIA
Brattleboro, VT
Anxiety ReliefDepressionFertility / PregnancyRelationship Issues+3 more
Are you looking for an effective path toward healing your whole self? I am available for trauma-focused therapy in IA, VT, NY, NH, MA, and ME, and take a transpersonal, holistic & naturalistic approach - to help you develop a deeper and more connected relationship with all parts of your self. Working together in either one-hour or extended sessions, your higher self is the expert. We’ll help your nervous system find its natural balance, so the body can finally understand that it no longer needs to suffer from what happened in the past. And with the outdoors being a natural healer, our work can happen outside, in office, or online.
KB
Kristi Beck
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LICSW
Brattleboro, VT
Anxiety ReliefFertility / PregnancyRelationship IssuesStress Management+1 more
I work primarily with big-hearted women and femmes (cis + nonbinary), using inner child work, IFS (Internal Family Systems), andhypnotherapyto explore the roots of patterns like people-pleasing, self-doubt, and difficulty setting boundaries.You’re the one everyone leans on—and you’re so tired. You focus on managing others emotions, feel guilty for needing rest, and have spent years staying small to keep the peace. If you're exhausted from people-pleasing, from trying to be the “reliable employee,” the “easygoing partner,” the “strong friend”—you're in the right place. You’re insightful, you care deeply, and you’ve already done so much self-reflection. Now you’re ready for something deeper—true fulfillment, more ease, and relationships where you feel fully known & cared for, and truly yourself.
VM
Valerie Miller
CHt
Hadley, MA
Anxiety ReliefStress Management
No bio available.
AE
Andrea E. Cole
Psychologist, PhD
Northampton, MA
Anxiety ReliefDepressionGrief / LossRelationship Issues+3 more
I am a clinical psychologist in private practice in Northampton, Massachusetts. I have worked with adults and college students for over 25 years. My areas of specialization include depression, bereavement, loss, anxiety/stress and sleep difficulties. I also provide treatment to people with relationship, self-esteem, life transition and academic issues.
CW
Christian J. Whitney
CCHt
Winchester, NH
Anxiety ReliefPain ManagementPhobiasSmoking Cessation
Empathic, integrity-driven and claircognizant. Christian is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist who is reputable for helping others heal from the past, align with the present, and surface profound clarity to cultivate a wonderful, empowering future.Being a retired Martial Arts Grandmaster after 27+ years, Christian has an extensive background involving personal development with inner activation and enjoys that inner journey into the subconscious mind to guide others towards living the prospering lives they deserve. Christian discovered early on in life the true meaning behind moral courage, truth, and resilience by getting involved in martial arts at age five (1975). He practiced/studied Okinawan Isshin-RyÅ« Karate, Zazen Meditation and Chi Kung ‘8 Section Brocade’.He developed a strong, natural intuition from the ‘heart’ in his younger years, in addition to studying Eastern philosophies and learning about Chi cultivation and mental healing. Christian also studied the martial arts of Aikido, Wing Chun, Ninjutsu, Japanese Jujitsu, Pa Kua, and various other practices during his adolescence and early adult life. Collectively, this passion and drive became the catalyst for Christian to become the founder of Genshinryu.He retired as a certified instructor in Jun Fan Gung Fu and White Tiger Kung Fu (iron body and iron palm), a 7th Dan in Isshin-RyÅ« Karate, and 10th Dan in the founding style of Genshinryu after over four decades in the arts. Furthermore, his standing as a moral pillar against the violence in the cage fighting movement in the USA while drawing attention to the sport’s intentional misconstrued use of the words ‘Martial Arts’ due to non-regulation efforts did not go unnoticed.Back in 2012, Christian was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame as a ‘Goodwill Ambassador to the Martial Arts’ by Action Martial Arts Magazine’s Board of Directors. In conjunction with his deeply rooted history in martial arts, Christian was raised by metaphysical parents who were involved in telepathy, remote viewing, past life regression, crystals and healing, meditation, eastern philosophy, astral projection, and hypnosis, which inevitably influenced him to seek out the best Hypnotherapy college in the country. He found HMI College of Hypnotherapy in 2019 which led him to becoming the ‘well knowledged’ Hypnotherapist that he is today.Intertwining his discipline-rich martial arts background with instilled passion for helping others manifest their dreams, he continues his mission to humanity with helping others find their true self by taking that journey within. Christian is a triple Honors graduate. He first obtained his Hypnotherapy Diploma in 2020 from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, graduating with honors. He then enrolled in the college’s clinical residency program and graduated with honors for a second time in 2021 maintaining a 4.0 GPA. He also received HMI’s Academic Achievement award in 2021. Christian decided to continue his education to give his clients the opulent life-transforming experiences they merit and enrolled in HMI’s Mind-Body Psychology program after his clinical residency and graduated in 2022 obtaining his AOS Degree in Mind-Body Psychology with Honors. He also holds several specialty certifications from the American Hypnosis Association.As a passionate professional with benevolent humanity values, nothing makes Christian happier than supporting others in cultivating a quality life filled with ignited purpose, passion, and fulfillment. Whether it be past life regression, boosting self-esteem, pain management, to dynamic habit control, he finds immense joy in delivering hypnosis services that promote inner strength, resilience, and wisdom, all of which enable those who work with him the opportunity to conquer any obstacle. Christian’s motto is “the answers to everything in the universe is within.” Christian loves what he does and demonstrates his ardency by building his services on a foundation of transparency, absolute truth, and trust. However, when he is not working, you can often find him spending time reading, walking, and meditating to recharge.
JA
Jennifer A Tattersall
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, CCDP, CBIS
West Dover, VT
Anger ManagementAnxiety ReliefDepressionRelationship Issues+3 more
Only accepting intensives and Ketamine Assisted tx. Despite difficulties in life, I believe people have an amazing amount of resilience and strength. I work to enhance their strength that gets lost when overwhelmed by challenges. Using multiple modalities, individuals move beyond their old story and into the life they desire. I hear from clients that "therapy has never helped me" and clients of mine have achieved their goals. I have specialty training with trauma which, by definition is "a deeply distressing or disturbing experience". I assist people in trusting their innate abilities to make decisions from a healthy perspective.
MS
Meaghan S McCulla
Counselor, MA, LCMHC, CH
Keene, NH
Anxiety ReliefGrief / LossOCDRelationship Issues+3 more
I love to bring in alternative approaches to my practice, includinghypnotherapy, progressive relaxation, and mindfulness techniques.I am a licensed mental health counselor in the state of NH with over 20 years experience in the mental health field. I am also a certified life coach, certified hypnotherapist, and ordained minister. I now also offer pre-marital counseling and wedding officiant services in my private practice. Please inquire if interested!

Frequently Asked Questions

How does hypnotherapy help with anxiety?
Hypnotherapy works with the subconscious patterns that keep anxiety running in the background. Rather than just teaching coping skills (which are still valuable), it helps retrain the nervous system's automatic responses. Many clients describe it as getting to the root of the anxiety rather than managing the symptoms.
How many sessions does anxiety hypnotherapy take?
Most hypnotherapists suggest 4 to 8 sessions for anxiety, though some people notice shifts after just 2 or 3. It depends on how long the anxiety has been present and whether there are specific triggers or a more generalized pattern. Your practitioner should be able to give you a realistic timeline after an initial consultation.
Can hypnotherapy replace medication for anxiety?
Hypnotherapy is not a replacement for medication, and any practitioner who tells you to stop taking prescribed medication is a red flag. Many people use hypnotherapy alongside their existing treatment plan, and some find they can work with their doctor to adjust medication over time. That decision always belongs to you and your prescriber.
Is hypnotherapy for anxiety backed by research?
Yes. A 2019 meta-analysis published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews found hypnotherapy produced significant anxiety reduction across multiple studies. Research from APA Division 30 supports its use for anxiety, and brain imaging studies show measurable changes in the areas that regulate fear and worry during hypnosis.