If you’ve ever wondered if there was anything that could help you overcome social anxiety, here my own story of how hypnosis helped me.
I used to romanticize NYC summers—the rooftop gatherings, the post-work happy hour in Bryant Park, the rosé-fueled picnics in Central Park with people who always seemed casually cool. But what no one could see was this: beneath my floral summer dress and curated talking points, my body was bracing for social combat.
And I even had a protocol. Because when you live with social anxiety, small talk feels like a Broadway performance.
If I’m being honest with you…I prepped for parties like exams. I devoured the NY Times and WSJ to have something smart to say. I made lists of interesting topics, planned outfits, and cut carbs to feel a little thinner, which made me feel more confident. I even read books on how to stop being shy. But still—underneath it all—I felt like I didn’t belong.
Eventually, I stopped trying to fix the surface and went deeper. Enter: hypnosis for social anxiety.
I booked a session at Maha Rose in Greenpoint with a hypnotist named Shauna (who eventually became one of my teachers). I was nervous—not just socially nervous—existentially nervous. At this point, I’d only tried YouTube hypnosis, and I wondered if in-person would be different…What if I lost control of my mind? What if I forgot who I was? What if I did something weird?
Turns out, it wasn’t like the movies. It was more like remembering something I’d buried a long time ago.
I remember the room smelled like sandalwood, and soft music played in the background. We sat and talked about my burning cheeks when I tried to meet new people and the sweat that would gather on my upper lip the moment I felt eyes on me. Then she had me lie down. I closed my eyes. She said we’d use my imagination—the same way I used it when writing or meditating.
She asked me to go back. Way back. To the first time I felt humiliated. Judged. Unsafe being seen.
And that’s when fifth-grade me came rushing forward.
It was a pep rally. I had choreographed a little performance to “Danger Zone” with a friend. (Talk about foreshadowing.) We’d spent all our time picking out outfits and fluffing our bangs instead of rehearsing. And, there we were, center stage, mics in hand. All eyes on us. Even my mom in the bleachers watching.
The music didn’t play right, and the choreography crumbled. I remember the blurry sting of being laughed at, booed, and humiliated. I’ll never forget the feeling of handing back the mic to the teacher and feeling so low. Afterward, a kid yelled from the bus window, “What were you trying to do?”
In hypnosis, I met that little girl again—but this time, through the eyes of compassion.
I saw someone who wanted to be seen. Yet, she just didn’t have the resources to hold that desire. The shame that had lingered for decades moved through me like a wave. Tears came rushing out of the corner of my eyes. And then, something subtle but seismic occurred: I felt a shift. A reclaiming. As if I was gathering pieces of myself I hadn’t realized I’d left behind.
That moment wasn’t just emotional—it was a turning point.
That session was the first of a few, and over time, something inside me began to reconfigure. My relationship with visibility changed. I started speaking up at work. I engaged with new people more easily. Even being on camera—something I used to dread—began to feel like an extension of who I was, not a test I had to pass.
It wasn’t that I stopped getting nervous. It’s that I stopped believing visibility was a threat.
The alarm bells in my nervous system quieted. I stopped overpreparing, stopped shrinking, stopped twisting myself into someone more “together” just to feel safe in a room.
That quiet rewiring—from fear into self-trust—changed everything.
I became more confident and clear. And, a pretty good speaker. Not because I was trying harder, but because I was no longer bracing — anticipating humiliation and the sting of rejection.
And I know I’m not alone in this, many other professionals suffer from social anxiety.
There are so many of us who appear polished and capable from the outside, yet inside we’re navigating a storm of self-doubt, social vigilance, and invisible fear. We’ve spent years adapting—learning how to appear composed while managing a nervous system that’s been on high alert since childhood.
This is exactly why I do the work I do.
Ready to explore hypnosis to help you overcome social anxiety?
I help professionals, creatives, and visionaries use hypnosis to reclaim their voice. To speak with clarity in rooms they once avoided. To show up on stage, in meetings, in life—not as a curated version of themselves, but as the full, integrated human they’ve always been beneath the fear.
Watching someone take their life back is the most powerful transformation I’ve witnessed. To reclaim your power from the bullies, the awkward moments, the misunderstood childhood experiences that fractured your sense of safety—that is healing in its truest form.
Because when we take our power back from the past, everything shifts.
If something in this story stirred something in you—a memory, a longing, or just the quiet thought, “Maybe this could help me too.” Then, I invite you to book a free consultation.
There’s no pressure—just a gentle space to explore what’s been holding you back, and whether my hypnosis for success sessions might be the support your nervous system has been waiting for.
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