In person in London
A quiet, calm space designed for deep therapeutic work, in my private practice in Camden.
- 5 Calstock, Royal College Street, London NW1 0RX
- Within walking distance of King’s Cross, St Pancras and Euston
Health anxiety · In person in London & online
Hypnotherapy for Health Anxiety
Step out of the cycle of checking, searching and worrying about your health, and feel at home in your body again. Ericksonian hypnotherapy with Michele Occelli, in London or online.
- Postgraduate diploma, DistinctionEricksonian Hypnotherapy
- Diploma, DistinctionNLP, Advanced Level
- Registered and insuredGHR and GHSC
- 5.0 from 69 Google reviews
- Since 2010 15+ years' clinical practice
Michele has worked with
The short answer
Can hypnotherapy help with health anxiety?
In brief
Yes. Hypnotherapy can help reduce health anxiety by calming the body's stress response and loosening the automatic cycle of noticing a sensation, fearing the worst, checking and seeking reassurance.
Health anxiety keeps attention locked on the body, and anxiety itself creates new sensations, such as a racing heart, tight chest or tingling, which then feel like more evidence that something is wrong. Hypnosis works with that loop at the level where it runs, beneath logical thinking, which is why it can help when reassurance from doctors only brings relief for a short time.
I am Michele Occelli, a London hypnotherapist with over 15 years of clinical experience. My aim is to help you take your health seriously without it taking over your life, so that a new sensation becomes something you can notice and let pass.
Recognise yourself?
How health anxiety can show up in your life
Health anxiety looks different for everyone. You might recognise some of these patterns:
In your mind
- Persistent fear that you have, or will develop, a serious illness
- Jumping to the worst explanation for an ordinary sensation
- Reassurance from a doctor or a test that does not last
In your body
- Scanning your body for changes, lumps or symptoms
- A racing heart, chest tightness or tingling that adds to the fear
- Tension, poor sleep and feeling constantly on edge
In your behaviour
- Searching symptoms online, often late at night
- Checking your body, pulse or blood pressure repeatedly
- Avoiding doctors, news or conversations about illness, or seeking appointments again and again
Health anxiety is common and treatable. You do not need to wait until the worry becomes unbearable to get support.
Book a first session → The method
How hypnotherapy for health anxiety works
In hypnosis, your attention becomes focused and absorbed, and the critical, analytical part of the mind steps back. In this state, the nervous system settles and the mind becomes more open to new responses. In our sessions, that allows us to work on four levels:
- 01
Calming the nervous system
Hypnosis shifts the body out of "fight or flight" and into a state of rest. As your baseline settles, there are fewer anxious sensations to misread, and those that come feel less alarming.
- 02
Changing your relationship with sensations
In hypnosis we practise noticing bodily sensations with curiosity rather than fear, so a twinge or a skipped beat can be acknowledged and let go of instead of setting off a search for answers.
- 03
Loosening checking and reassurance
We rehearse new responses to the urge to check, search or ask, so the cycle that keeps health anxiety going starts to lose its grip.
- 04
Working with the roots
Where it helps, we gently explore what first taught your system to be on guard, such as an illness in the family or a frightening diagnosis, without needing to relive it in detail. You also leave with self-hypnosis techniques to use between sessions.
- 1
Book a first session
In person in London or online. Each session lasts 60 minutes.
- 2
We start with a conversation
About what you worry about, when the anxiety started, how you check or seek reassurance and how it affects your daily life.
- 3
Hypnosis
I guide you into a relaxed, focused state. You stay aware and in control, can hear everything and can stop at any time.
- 4
A plan that fits you
Many clients notice a change in how they feel after the first sessions. Long-standing health anxiety usually benefits from a series of sessions, often between 4 and 8, reviewed together as we go.
The research
What does the research say about hypnotherapy for health anxiety?
The best-researched treatment for health anxiety is cognitive behavioural therapy, and I am not aware of large controlled trials of hypnotherapy for health anxiety specifically. A 2019 meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, which pooled results from 15 controlled studies, found that hypnosis produced a substantial reduction in anxiety compared with control conditions, with larger effects when hypnosis was combined with other psychological approaches. Neuroimaging studies have also shown that hypnosis changes activity in brain regions involved in attention, self-monitoring and awareness of bodily states, which are central to health anxiety.
Read more about what happens in the brain during hypnosis Panic
“I started hypnotherapy with Michele a year ago after thinking I was actually going to have a heart attack. Since then I have experienced huge positive shifts in all areas of my life.”
Google review
In London or online
Hypnotherapy for Health Anxiety in London or online
Online, wherever you are
Online sessions follow the same structure as in-person work, and many clients find it easier to relax at home.
- Over Zoom, FaceTime or WhatsApp
- Anywhere in the UK, or abroad while you travel
Low-income clinic: a limited number of reduced-rate sessions each month. Ask about availability · All fees and gift certificates
Your hypnotherapist
About Michele Occelli
I am a registered hypnotherapist practising since 2010, with postgraduate diplomas in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy and NLP from the British Hypnosis Research and Training Institute. I trained with Dr Ernest L. Rossi and Dr Stephen Gilligan, both direct students of Milton H. Erickson.
- Practising since
- 2010
- Registration
- GHR & GHSC, fully insured
- Method
- Ericksonian & clinical hypnotherapy
- Locations
- London, NW1 & online
- GHR
- GHSC
FAQ
FAQs about hypnotherapy for health anxiety
Still have a question? Get in touch or call 07939 228 212.
Should I see a doctor before hypnotherapy for health anxiety?
If you have new, changing or worrying symptoms, please see your GP first. Hypnotherapy is not a substitute for medical assessment. Once you have been checked and the worry still will not settle, hypnotherapy can help with the anxiety itself. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, please contact your GP or call NHS 111 for immediate support.
How many sessions of hypnotherapy for health anxiety will I need?
It depends on how long you have experienced health anxiety and how much it affects your daily life. Worry that began recently may shift within a few sessions. Long-standing health anxiety usually benefits from a series of sessions over several weeks. We will review your progress together as we go.
How much does hypnotherapy for health anxiety cost in London?
A 60-minute session costs £150, whether in person in London or online. If you would like to commit to a series of sessions, bundles bring the price down to £140 per session (3 sessions) or £130 per session (6 sessions). A limited number of reduced-rate sessions are available each month through my low-income clinic.
Is hypnotherapy better than CBT for health anxiety?
They work differently. CBT has the strongest research base for health anxiety and focuses on identifying and testing anxious thoughts. Hypnotherapy works more directly with the automatic, emotional and physical side of the anxiety. Some people find hypnotherapy helpful when CBT has given them understanding but not enough change in how they feel, and the two can complement each other.
I have a diagnosed condition. Can hypnotherapy still help?
Yes. Living with a long-term condition can understandably bring worry about symptoms, test results or the future. Hypnotherapy can help you manage that anxiety alongside your medical care, so the condition takes up less space in your mind. Please keep following the advice of your medical team.
Can I have hypnotherapy if I am taking medication for anxiety?
Yes, hypnotherapy can usually be combined with medication, as it is a complementary approach. Please let me know about any medication or diagnosis before we start, and do not change or stop medication without speaking to your GP.
Book hypnotherapy for health anxiety
You do not need to have your worries figured out before you get in touch. If health anxiety is taking up more of your life than you would like, that is reason enough to start.