Fear of being touched (haphephobia)

A fear of being touched can show up in crowded places, at the hairdresser’s, with handshakes and hugs, or in close relationships. It is more than simply liking your space, and it can be helped.

What it feels like

• Flinching or stiffening when someone touches you
• Avoiding crowds, hugs and handshakes
• Feeling on edge in close or busy places

Please note: If the fear is linked to a difficult past experience, a specialist counsellor can help alongside our work.

Common questions

Is this linked to something that happened to me?

Sometimes, but not always. For some people it has roots in a past experience, and for others it has built up gradually. You never have to share more than you want to, and we go at a pace that feels safe.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

See all session options and prices