I have completed more than 1000 sessions via Zoom since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and the results show that these are every bit as effective as face-to-face sessions. But why?

When choosing a hypnotherapist to help you deal with anxiety, confidence issues, post-traumatic stress or something else, most people do lots of research before they book a session.

This is something I wholeheartedly recommend. Do your research. Look at the reviews. Read the therapist’s website. And, most importantly, have a chat with a hypnotherapist or two. I offer a free initial consultation for all clients so that they get a clear idea of what to expect.

During their research, many people discover that most if not all hypnotherapists now offer online sessions over Zoom or Skype. These sessions usually involve exactly the same kind of treatment methods & protocols as those used in face-to-face sessions.

And the same kinds of problems can be treated – such as helping people to stop smoking and enable them to deal with anxiety or sleep disorders.

But how can this be possible?

Especially if you believe that hypnotherapy is a personal, tactile exchange in which the hypnotherapist and the client need to be in the same room.

My experience over the past few years has shown me that online hypnotherapy is every bit as effective as face-to-face treatment. You do not need to be in the same room as your hypnotherapist.

In this blog post, I’ll explain why online sessions work just as well as in-person ones. And I’ll explain what needs to happen in order for you to maximise your chances of success.

Why the hypnotherapy ‘trance state’ is a myth

Many people believe that during a hypnotherapy session, they will be put in a trance. That they will ‘go under’ and have no recollection of what happens.

This is not the case. Put simply, hypnosis works with your unconscious responses; however, you do not need to be unconscious to do that.   In fact, during hypnotherapy, you are awake and aware of what is happening.  Clinical hypnotherapists like me use their training and a range of therapeutic tools (such as Havening) to help people deal with unconscious responses to things that bother them.

So there is no ‘look into my eyes’ or ‘you are feeling sleepy’. That’s for stage hypnotists.

And this can be achieved over Zoom just as easily as it can when I see a client face-to-face.  All you need to be able to do is sit in a quiet room, at a desk and have a device that’s bigger than a ‘phone.   The reason this is important is you need to be able to see my non-verbal gestures, as well as listening to my voice.  And frankly the former is easier on a tablet or laptop.

Why the power of belief is vital

Whether a hypnotherapy session takes place online or in my practice, the chances of a successful outcome are greatly influenced by the degree to which the client has faith in what we are doing.

If you look at the reviews on my website, almost all of them since March 2020 are about sessions that took place online. These testimonials from clients like you are well worth looking at – and should give you some confidence in how effective hypnotherapy is.

Because as strange as it sounds, believing in the chances of success is an important part of the process. Some therapists gloss over this, and would instead have you believe that it is their skills alone that result in success.

I’m more honest. While I have completed more than 1,000 hours of training and have successfully treated in excess of 4,000 people, I openly admit that belief in the process is an important part of the equation.

How we respond to what we see and believe

Let me give you an example of the power of believing in something. Imagine you won a £1,000 personal stylist experience at John Lewis. Would you feel more inclined to believe that you looked great if you were given the rock star treatment by a charismatic personal shopper who had once dressed Kim Kardashian?

Or by one who looked bored. And who insisted that your experience took place in a shabby back office changing room?

Even if the two stylists picked exactly the same clothes for you, you’d be far more inclined to believe in the first one – and feel that the clothes they selected really did make you look great.

Here’s another example. If you went to see a doctor and he avoided eye contact, looked disheveled, his office was a mess and he spoke in little more than a grunt, you’d likely have little faith in his proposed treatment.

Now compare that with a more serious, attentive, personable doctor who you instantly believed in.

The most incredible thing is that your actual recovery would be accelerated in many cases by the belief you had in that second doctor. It’s called the placebo effect. When we believe in something, it’s more likely to be effective.

Why therapists of all kinds manipulate the placebo effect

The most successful hypnotherapists are those that go to great lengths to make you believe in them – and also in the process. Therapists in different fields do this, too.

For my own part, I have spent a lot of time and effort to make sure that my website is as professional, informative and welcoming as possible.

If you were to book a face-to-face session with me, you’d see a well-appointed office with comfortable, stylish furniture, certificates on the wall and the latest iMac.

And during an online session with me, you’ll notice that I have professional quality sound and lighting. So that everything is clear. You’ll feel reassured that the therapy you are getting is a premium service.

By manipulating the placebo effect and making use of my training and a powerful set of hypnotherapy tools, I can ensure that the chances of success skyrocket.

If you’re still suspicious of placebos, it’s worth remembering that they feature in all walks of life. Studies have shown how people with a variety of different ailments have reported feeling better after taking pills they believed to be powerful drugs when they actually had no active ingredients in them.

The reality is that in order to heal and to improve in life, thinking about things in a positive way can be incredibly powerful.

What is the power of suggestion and why is it important?

At the very core of hypnotherapy is the power of suggestion – which goes hand-in-hand with the placebo effect

Before a session, your mind has already been encouraged to believe that the treatment will work – courtesy of the professional website, the testimonials and the other things I just mentioned. That’s the power of suggestion in action.

And the power of suggestion continues during online hypnotherapy sessions exactly as is it does when I see someone face-to-face.

That’s because it’s the same therapist giving the same suggestions to the same client. As a result, the outcome is the same. If that wasn’t the case, we could infer that the room itself was actually the driver. Which is, of course, nonsense.

The main things that make hypnotherapy work are the client’s motivation and desire to change, a belief in the process and the skill and experience of the hypnotherapist. And that’s true whether the session is in-person or online.

Why you can feel assured that online hypnotherapy is right for you

Clients tell me that they found dozens of testimonials on my website that reassured them when they were choosing me as their hypnotherapist.

They commonly mention one from a client named Kayleigh, who I treated in March 2022. Here’s an extract from it that many people are drawn to: “I had the first session with James, via Zoom, and I found it to be extremely effective, essentially eliminating my anxiety and enabling me to perform at my best straight away.”

She adds: “When you consider how quickly the techniques work and how much of an impact they can have on your life, you realise it’s extremely good value for money.”

There’s lots more feedback like this on the website, so please do take a moment to look at my testimonials.

And when you’re ready to book a session for yourself, and make a positive, lasting change in your life, I’m make sure you get your free initial consultation when you get in touch.