Can online hypnosis be as powerful as one to one therapy?

The way in which therapy is conducted has started to change dramatically. There has been a significant move towards online therapy or self-hypnosis help via apps, downloads or even online courses. Gone are the days when you need to be in the same room as your therapist as now it is possible to speak to clients all over the world providing they have a good phone signal or broadband connection. Yet some people are suspicious of this therapy and wonder how on earth could it replicate work done when you are in the same room as someone else?

It is interesting that the younger generation need less persuasion of its effectiveness because they are the Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Periscope generation. They spend a huge proportion of their life online so talking with someone via a phone or computer seems second nature to them. Yet there is still some resistance with the older generation especially if they are not using technology in the work place.

Why Skype/Facetime therapy works

The simple fact is that providing you have the technology set up correctly, Skype or Facetime hypnotherapy can be just as powerful as sessions when a client attends a clinic. This is because when you are in your own home you tend to be more relaxed which means they are able to feel safer and more comfortable than in a clinical setting. This means that is it perfectly possible to conduct sessions for weight loss, stop smoking, anxiety without ever leaving your house.

Even better you don’t have to deal with public transport issues or parking charges. It also means that there are often less restrictive session availability as they are not confined to clinic hours. For the disabled or for clients who have a problem visiting a location, it also gives them a choice which they would never have had before. As a therapist I love the freedom it gives me and have worked with hundreds of clients online.

Basic safety and session rules

All the major therapy insurers now recognise how useful this form of therapy can be and the General Hypnotherapy Register one of the largest professional bodies for hypnosis in the UK has set out comprehensive guidelines for using online hypnosis. Providing basic rules are followed then it is possible to have very successful sessions. However it is important that if you do choose to use this form of therapy, you resist the temptation to trivialise the therapy and try and conduct sessions at times or places that are not appropriate.

Choose a time when you have no distractions – This means not having children, animals or babies around to interrupt the session. You need to take the time out to communicate with your hypnotherapist without your attention being diverted elsewhere.

Pick an appropriate place to conduct the therapy – One of my clients attempted to have a session when she was in her car at her place of work. This clearly is not acceptable place to conduct any form of therapy and probably spoke volumes about her stressed life where she was attempting to do too much at once.

Be ready – Make sure that your batteries on your devices are charged, that your computers are not about to do an update at a session time and that you are on time for your session. Just as with one to one therapy, being on time and ready at your session time is important.

As we use online more and more, I predict that this form of therapy may even eventually overtake clinical sessions. Technology will improve further and with the use of virtual reality headsets it may become so realistic that as a client you will feel as if you are in the room with us ending the need for clinics completely. The future is happening now and we are watching the upcoming trends with interest.