One of the first questions people ask when considering online hypnotherapy is, does only hypnotherapy even work? In this article, we’ll explore the answer to that question.
The short answer is, yes, online hypnotherapy works, and quite well, too. We usually do it over a video call, essentially Zoom hypnosis, but sometimes, due to technical reasons, we’ve actually done hypnosis over the phone and that has worked well too!
Working remotely with your mental health practitioner has become more popular as a result of Covid, but I’ve actually been doing successfully it for years with clients all over the world including Canada, England, German, Israel, and multiple parts of the US, such as California, New York, and more.
Why even use video for online hypnotherapy?
Now, a typical only hypnotherapy session is actually done with the client’s eyes closed, so you might be asking, why even use video for online hypnosis if it doesn’t resemble a regular therapy experience where both people are looking at each other?
This is because the hypnotherapist is gauging your body language for subtle cues about how you’re doing and what you might need. There are some fascinating ways to see whether someone is in a hypnotic trance, a feeling of deep relaxation where it’s very easy to access deep insights and create lasting change in your life.
We’ve written an entire article about this, but the short version is, a hypnotherapist can get feedback about what you’re currently experiencing by your body language, by the subtle movement of your face, and even by seeing your eyes moving rapidly behind your eyelids. They can then adjust their suggestions (a good hypnotherapist never tells you to do anything, they just invite you to try things) to what they think you might need.
For example, if it seems like you’re not relaxed enough yet, I might take a few more minutes to help you relax even deeper. If you’re processing an emotional memory, I might pause from asking you anything else until you’ve finished experiencing it. That’s where using video as part of online hypnotherapy can be so helpful for making your experience as powerful and effective as possible.
The Advantages of Online Hypnotherapy
There are several key advantages of utilizing online hypnotherapy as part of your healing journey.
Firstly, you get to work with the right person for you. When selecting a therapist or hypnotherapist, it’s important to keep in mind both their areas of expertise, and your personal connection and chemistry with them.
Having a good, trusting connection with your mental health practitioner is one of the most important aspects of the healing process! Especially with hypnosis, where you’re going very deep very quickly, you want to have a foundation of trust with your hypnotherapy (although it’s important to remember that you are always in control and can ignore or modify any suggestion the hypnotherapist makes to you_
Working with an online hypnotherapist allows you to find the person who is the right fit for you, regardless of your geographic location. You might be the only LGBTQ or ex-religious person in your small town of 5,000 people, and you can still connect with someone who totally gets you (trauma, especially can be a very isolating experience).
At Navya, that’s an important part of why we let you browse and choose the practitioner that you personally resonate with.
And then of course there’s the convenience. Instead of having to commute around the city to your therapist, whether it’s freezing out (I’m writing this in frosty Canada) boiling out (I lived in Israel for most of my life, one of the hottest countries in Asia), or just way too much traffic (I used to commute across the city to see my therapist). You can save valuable time, and have less internal resistance to overcome when you can simply pop open your laptop and be connected with your hypnotherapist.
Should you use zoom for online hypnotherapy?
The type of video platform you use will usually depend on your hypnotherapist’s preference. Zoom became very popular during the pandemic, and at this point, a lot of people are familiar with it. Google Meet and Microsoft teams are other popular alternatives. Most of these will give you a fairly similar experience, overall.
At Navya, we use a platform called Whereby, which we prefer because of just how simple it is to use – you click a link and you’re connected, no need to download software of any kind. All you need to do is enable your microphone and camera and you’re in your virtual hypnotherapy session.
Whereby is also great because it’s always the same link – no need to search for an email with the current Zoom login, so if you’re having multiple sessions with the same hypnotherapist, which many people do, you can just save the link and use it for each session.
How Online Hypnotherapy Works
Here’s a typical structure of an online hypnotherapy session that we conduct here at Navya.
- First, you’ll connect for a few minutes with your hypnotherapist to just check in and see if there’s anything specific you’d like to work on (and it’s totally ok if you don’t have something concrete in advance, we can always hone in once the session has begun)
- Then, the hypnotherapist will guide you through a few minutes of guided relaxation. If you’ve ever listened to a guided meditation before, it can feel very similar to that, except here your guide is customizing the experience specifically for you.
- Once you’re relaxed, you’ll spend some time connecting to your inner resources, and states of mind that put you in you a positive, creative, and optimistic frame of mind. You can solve your problems much more effectively and with far less effort when you’re feeling empowered and open-minded.
- Then comes the bulk of the session, where you’ll dive deep into a range of psychotherapy techniques that will help you dive deep into issues that might be bothering you. You can rapidly identify your deeper motivations, and heal them in a way that allows you to live in a more aligned and effective way. We strive to achieve a state of resolution to any issue within a single session! (Although some deeply ingrained patterns can take multiple sessions to address)
- As the session comes to a close, the hypnotherapist will guide you back to a state of full awareness and spend a few minutes discussing your experience with you and answering any questions you might have.
Our approach to hypnotherapy, called Hypnosis Assisted Psychotherapy, has been compared by many clients to the closest thing to a psychedelic experience without actually ingesting any substances.
We invite you to try out an experience that is radically different than probably any type of conventional therapy you’ve ever tried. Just a few sessions will tell you if this is the right fit for you, most clients can tell right away if this is what they’ve needed (check out some testimonials here)
4 Tips for Maximizing your online hypnotherapy experience
Here are some useful tips to get the most out of an online hypnotherapy session.
- Find a practitioner who is right for you, regardless of location. One of the best parts of working online is you can find someone who specializes in your presenting issue, for example, anxiety or addiction, as well as someone who you personally trust and feel a connection with. At Navya, we offer a range of practitioners for you to choose from to ensure that you’re working with someone who fits your needs and preferences.
- Make sure you’re in a quiet location – typical therapy involves you going to a physical office that is set up to be relaxing and feel safe. If you’re doing hypnosis remotely, it’s important to try to create a similar environment for yourself. One where no one will walk in on you, where you aren’t afraid of being overheard, and where you won’t be disturbed by noises (including your phone). Working with a hypnotherapist online allows you to set yourself up in your favorite, coziest spot, with your favorite blanket or pillow, even in your own bed! That’s something you might not be able to do at your therapist’s office.
- Use headphones – creating an immersive experience for yourself can be really helpful, especially if you aren’t able to be in a completely quiet location. Wearing headphones, especially small wireless ones like air pods which allow you to move freely and even lie on your side if you’d like, can help block out outside noise and really feel like the hypnotherapist is right there with you.
- Have a good internet connection and charged devices – you want to avoid interrupting your session halfway through to fix your internet or find a charger, so try to get as much of the technical aspects taken care of in advance.
Of course, life isn’t perfect, and your practitioner will always try to work with you within whatever limitations you have.
Any type of personal growth work is better than waiting for the perfect moment so no matter what your circumstance, it’s worth giving online hypnotherapy a try and seeing if it works for you.
