Getting over your fear of snakes might be as easy as going for a massage

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — Boa constrictors, some longer than six feet, slither all over Pam Kelly's body. It's her first snake massage with Serpentessa, an interspecies facilitator at Dreaming Goddess in Poughkeepsie, NY.

People typically reach out to Serpentessa for healing, empowerment or to get over their fear of snakes. As she guides three snakes onto Kelly, they choose their own path -- gliding over her, wrapping around her feet and head, and even resting on her neck.

"Enjoy them and feel them on you," Serpentessa says.

While getting past a fear of snakes may be a goal for some, the slithery massage has other health benefits, according to the snake priestess, who had spent 25 years communing between body and boa.

"They tone and stimulate the vegas nerve in our body and that releases endorphins and oxytocin. Those are the feel-good hormones."

"It was a lot calmer and peaceful than I thought it was going to be. There was a point it felt like they were just hugging me around the shoulders and then it just became very calm. I could've just fallen asleep," said Kelly after her session.

Serpentessa says no one has ever been hurt by one of her boa constrictors but adds "you know, there are no guarantees with a wild animal. You are the one who's going to choose if this is safe for you or not."

For those summoning the courage to let the priestess and her snakes work their magic for the hour and a half session, the end result could be a less fear.

It worked for Kelly, who said the session helped.

CNN