Fear of hands (chirophobia)

Chirophobia is a fear of hands, either your own or other people’s. It can make handshakes, being touched or watching hands move up close feel very uncomfortable. Some people are mainly bothered by the look of hands, such as knuckles or veins, while others fear being grabbed.

About this phobia

The word comes from the Greek cheir, meaning hand, the same root as chiropractor. It is uncommon and found mostly on lists of phobias rather than in clinical writing. Where it is mostly about touch, it can overlap with haphephobia, the fear of being touched.

What it feels like

• Avoiding handshakes, high fives or holding hands
• Discomfort looking closely at fingers, nails or knuckles
• Tensing up when someone gestures near your face

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

What if this fear is about being touched by someone in particular?

Fear linked to a person’s hands can sometimes grow out of a past experience of being hurt or treated badly. If that might be the case, a GP or a specialist counsellor can help, at a pace that feels right for you.

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.

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