In the not too distant past, there was an established way of conducting a hypnotherapy session that was prevalent for many years.
The ‘go-to’ procedure involved a client travelling to the practice of a hypnotherapist for an in-person session that would last around 50 minutes.
While I tended to deviate from this by offering 90-minute sessions, I was as entrenched in the idea of face-to-face hypnotherapy as the next therapist.
While I had conducted some sessions online, most people believed that they needed to come in and see me in order to get results. And I had no reason to challenge that supposition.
As I have previously written, the Covid pandemic changed everything in terms of how we do things. Importantly, Covid was also a time of crisis for millions of people. Demand for hypnotherapy surged because nobody could travel for a while.
Online hypnotherapy sessions, then, were born out of necessity. And I was pleasantly relieved to see early on that they were effective.
I monitored the situation closely over several weeks and checked back in with many clients to make sure that the results were consistent with face-to-face sessions.
And they were. Over the coming months – now years – I started to form the opinion that online hypnotherapy sessions are actually better than when hypnotherapy is conducted in person.
The same experience from the comfort of your home
That might sound like a startlingly dramatic statement. But why mask the truth? If one of my clinical hypnotherapy clients is getting exactly the same experience and results from the comfort of their own home, then isn’t that something to promote and celebrate?
For the record, I do still offer face-to-face sessions at my hypnotherapy practice in Winchester or in London. And they’re as consistently effective as they have always been.
But the mood of the nation has changed post-Covid.
We are now prepared to do so much more online than we used to, including consult with our doctors. Video conferencing has not only become the norm, it has become much more convenient.
Think of the millions of hours that have been saved by no longer having to commute to meetings where you don’t really need to be there.
As I have improved the way I deliver online hypnotherapy to clients, they, in turn, have helped improve the process by becoming ever more accepting of the idea.
It’s made the whole process much easier to access – and that’s better for everyone.
The power of convenience
I believe there are two reasons why online hypnotherapy trumps face-to-face sessions. The first is convenience. Let’s look at some of the advantages from a therapeutic point of view that come from convenience:
Less stress: you no longer need to be inconvenienced by travelling to a specific location to receive the treatment you need. A result, you begin the session in a much more relaxed state. No late trains, no parking issues. Everything can be conducted easily in a timely manner.
Less awkwardness: previously, you may have needed to take time off work to visit my hypnotherapy practice. Now that we’re all a bit more flexible, it may be that you can do your session online and go into work just a little bit late that day.
More choice: previously, people tended to choose a hypnotherapist who was close to them. However, if you lived in a small village, a long way from lots of facilities, your choice of hypnotherapist was very limited. My testimonials and reviews now bring me clients from all over the UK and beyond.
A more involved session
The second reason that I believe hypnotherapy online is more effective is to do with ‘after-care’. When hypnotherapists see someone in the flesh, it has never been standard practice to ask them to jot things down. We just weren’t trained that way!
However, conducting sessions online has enabled me and other therapists to shake things up a little – for the better. I think in almost every online session now I ask the client to take notes.
These are often specific phrases or mantras that we agree would be good for the client to repeat in their own time.
Alternatively, they may be written instructions that will help people with anxiety, phobias, trauma or whatever else they have come to see me for at a later date.
When you write something down in your own hand, it is much more likely to be imprinted in your memory. Asking people to do something in this way is known as ‘tasking’ and it is a way for a session to have longer-lasting benefits.
A proven way of dealing with issues
These two elements, I believe, are proving instrumental in maintaining the very high rating I receive from clients on Google, and also by email.
There are, of course, extenuating circumstances that can sometimes derail an online session, and I will discuss these in a later blog.
If you want a sneak preview, it is basically about preparing yourself and making sure that we maximise our time together online.
Online hypnotherapy is a proven way of dealing with a wide number of issues that may be holding you back in everyday life. No two clients are the same, which is why I tailor treatment to everyone I see.
And if you think you are in some way flawed because of an anxiety, a fear, an inability to stop smoking, a sleeping problem or something else, please be assured that this is not the case.
I would estimate that at least half of everybody who wakes up in the morning has something that is holding them back in life.
Feeling that you can’t cope
For some people, through no fault of their own, this can all become too much. When you feel like you cannot cope any more and need a rapid solution, online hypnotherapy can be the answer.
If you want to come and see me in person, then by all means do so. Some people a prefer face-to-face encounter for all kinds of reasons, and I will do everything I can to ensure that your treatment is personalised and effective.
Having now conducted more than 5,000 hypnotherapy sessions – roughly half in person and half online – I believe that I have developed a system whereby I can ascertain the kind of client that I like to work with.
And this means that the chances of success are very high. If I don’t feel I will be able to help you, then I will say so.
Face-to-face, online, or if you’re especially shy, nervous or vulnerable, we could even consider a telephone session.
Whichever route you choose, you can expect my total focus, and, if past results are anything to go by, an end to or a significant reduction in whatever is holding you back.
