Online Hypnotherapy: Will it Work for You?
Online Hypnotherapy: Effective and Accessible Across the UK
A few weeks ago now, I wrote an article for Psychology Today on the benefits of online therapy and how studies show that it is as effective as psychotherapy delivered face-to-face. Since that article went live, I’ve had several emails asking if this also applies to hypnotherapy. The short answer is: “yes.”
The Rise of Digital Hypnotherapy
During the pandemic, hypnotherapists had to switch their clinics to an entirely online model, whether clients liked it or not. Since then, like other therapy forms, some therapists have remained fully online, while others offer both face-to-face and web-based sessions.
Although official studies on digitally delivered hypnotherapy are limited (at least as far as I know), some research is promising. One study showed effectiveness in treating migraines, while another suggested it helps children with nocturnal enuresis, or bedwetting.
Anecdotally, a magazine editor wrote positively about her experience with online hypnotherapy, while another described the joys of a FaceTime Hypnotherapy session. Many successful hypnotherapy apps now allow you to benefit from suggestions via smartphone or tablet.
Also, I am listed with the Hypnotherapy Directory and they are firmly in favour of it.
My Experience Delivering Online Hypnotherapy
From my own experience, online hypnotherapy works just as well as in-person sessions. I’ve been delivering digital hypnotherapy for years, long before the Coronavirus pandemic forced the first UK lockdown in March 2020.
Early in my career, about 19 years ago, a client asked to continue sessions while traveling across Europe for work. I conducted sessions in hotel rooms, once by a large empty pool, and another time on a patio overlooking a glorious mountain. Back then it was Skype rather than Zoom, but the variety of backdrops did not hinder our work together.
Choosing Between Online and Face-to-Face Hypnotherapy
Ultimately, the choice between online or in-person hypnotherapy comes down to preference. Some clients opt for digital sessions due to convenience or other constraints, while others prefer seeing their therapist face-to-face.
Reasons to choose online hypnotherapy include convenience, flexible scheduling, work-life balance, access to therapists in London, Bristol, or nationwide, comfort at home, mobility issues, and more.
Benefits of Web-Based Hypnotherapy
Web-based hypnotherapy is effective for many issues, including stress (life, work, burnout syndrome), anxiety disorders, reactive depression, anger management, self-esteem challenges, weight control, and pain management.
Preparing for Your Online Session
If you are considering digital hypnotherapy, keep a few things in mind:
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Ensure your internet connection is stable so every hypnotic suggestion is delivered clearly.
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Choose a larger screen; laptops or tablets work best for optimal visibility.
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Sit in a comfortable chair to support deep relaxation.
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Keep a blanket nearby if you prefer warmth and coziness.
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Use high-quality speakers or headphones for precise audio.
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Select a safe, private, and secure environment to maintain confidentiality.
Also, consider the severity of the problem. For high-risk cases involving suicide or self-harm, one-to-one live therapy with a nearby therapist and a clear care plan is essential. Mild-to-moderate issues, however, are well suited to online hypnotherapy.
Online Hypnotherapy and REBT in London, Bristol, and Beyond
If you would like to see me for online hypnotherapy—or online rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)—my contact details are at the bottom of this page.
Finally, REBT is an elegant form of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that works well for stress management, anxiety, confidence issues, and more. It can be used alone or alongside hypnotherapy.
Everybody is Stressed, but What Can You do About it?
I’ve been a therapist now since 2004 and, for most of that time, when people asked me what I specialised in, I told them that anxiety disorders and work-related stress management were my forte but, on reflection, and for several years now, I would say that both life and work have made me a stress specialist.
That term still covers anxiety disorders and work-stress but, it also covers a whole lot more. Stress affects us all and we are becoming more stressed, not less so. In fact, research from the Chartered Institute of Development has found staff absences due to stress are at their highest levels in over a decade, with the pandemic, the high cost of living and other issues all being significant contributing factors, (click here). But what is stress?
According to the World Health Organisation, “stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation.”
However, there are two types of stress: good stress (eustress) and bad stress (distress).
Eustress refers to the sort of challenge and pressure that you thrive under or rise to meet with excitement. It could be a work deadline, or a wedding, or a rollercoaster ride. Meanwhile, distress is what we often mean when we are talking about ‘stress.’ It can refer to seemingly insurmountable pressures in any context (life or work), pressures that you feel you can’t cope with, or are not dealing with as well as you’d like. But stress isn’t a diagnosis in and of itself. It’s an umbrella term for a variety of things including:
- Anxiety
- Reactive depression
- Anger-management
- Guilt
- Shame
- Procrastination
- Insomnia (often stress related)
- Skin conditions such as psoriasis (also often stress related)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, (nearly always stress related)
You can turn to unhealthy coping strategies when you are stressed, such as alcohol, drugs (both prescription and recreational) and comforting eating. Stress can wear you down, it can affect you physically as well as mentally. You can become distracted, less productive, more forgetful, and more prone to illness (stress affects your immune system). Chronic work stress even has its own diagnosis: Burnout Syndrome. This is a purely occupational phenomenon not official recognised until 2019 and characterised by exhaustion, increased negativity (or cynicism) towards your job, and reduced professional efficacy.
Stress is such as small word for something with so many distressing ramifications.
Stress affects both your mind and your body. A little bit of it is good for you, but too much stress can easily overwhelm you. And we are living in a very stressful world; one that doesn’t seem to be interested in getting any easier. Stress quickly mounts up and it soon takes its toll.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to help mitigate your stress, such as yoga, meditation, taking regular breaks, and going for long walks. And, if those things aren’t enough then therapy and coaching can help.
I practice rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) and clinical hypnotherapy, and both can help you mitigate your stress and build effective coping strategies in the face of it. With REBT and hypnotherapy the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in your daily live become something much easier to deal with.
So, if you think your stress is getting the better of you, feel free to book a call. I work face-to-face and online and can see anyone, anywhere (time zones permitting). And online therapy is just as effective as face-to-face, studies say so (click here).
Hypnotherapy: Icebergs and Hidden Depths
Quite often in psychology they compare the mind to an iceberg in the ocean. It was Freud who originally came up with the analogy. But why, and what purpose does it serve?
Well, very simply put, there is about ten percent of an iceberg above the waterline. You can see it. But, there’s about 90 per cent of that iceberg hidden below the waterline, and you can’t see it. It’s what can make them quite tricky buggers (or bergs) to navigate.
And there are two parts to your mind (again, very simply put): the conscious and the unconscious, but it’s not a fifty-fifty split.
Which is where that analogy comes in.
Your conscious mind is like the ten percent part of the iceberg visible above the waterline. It’s responsible for all your short-term memory ‘stuff.’ It’s responsible for your everyday thoughts. It’s the part of you that remembers that appointment you have at 1.30pm (if you remember that appointment, that is) and that phone number you only need to use once. It’s also the part of you that remembers to pick up a loaf of bread on the way home from work because your other half asked you to (and, because it’s cheeky and not entirely reliable, it sometimes only reminds you of that just as you cross the threshold to your home). And it’s also the logical, rational and analytical part of your mind.
But, what about the hidden bit?
What is actually going on with the 90 percent of the iceberg below the waterline? What is your unconscious mind responsible for?
Well, the short answer is, “everything else.”
Right now, as you read this article, you are blinking and breathing and regulating your body temperature, together with a thousand other process that you don’t consciously think about: your unconscious mind simply takes care of the for you. But, it’s also the database of everything you are. Everything you’ve ever learned and experienced, all of your skills and habits and all that you have seen and done.
To put it into a context, a 2017 study by tech giant Huawei found that whilst the brain actually makes around 35000 decisions every single day, we’re only ever conscious about a hundred of them. Most of our daily decisions then are made by the unconscious. We are not consciously aware of them. That means there’s a hell of a lot going on with that hidden beneath the surface part of you.
Now, a very nice thing happens in hypnotherapy and it happens to your mind. Hypnosis itself is a trance-like state, very similar to nodding off, daydreaming or losing yourself in a really good book. In this nice-and-dreamy, trance-like state, your conscious mind becomes more passive. It kind of takes a back seat for a while. When that happens, the unconscious part of your mind (that big old database of everything you are) becomes more alert and receptive to positive suggestions.
Especially when those suggestions are tied to goals you already know you want to achieve.
So, in a hypnotherapy session, the hypnotherapist can communicate directly with your unconscious mind and suggest new thoughts, feelings, behaviours and ideas. And these suggestions take hold because you are motivated for change; they take hold because those suggestions are totally in line with what you want to happen and how you want to be.
Pretty cool, huh?
Hypnotherapy: Why it is about the thing you think it isn’t actually about
I’ve been in practise as a hypnotherapist since 2004. Over those years, I’ve lost count of the amount of articles I’ve read on the subject, written by journalists who all seem compelled, somehow, to kick start said article by saying, “You’d be forgiven for thinking that hypnosis is all about swinging pocket watches and pendulums but, it’s isn’t.” And, by doing so, perpetuating the idea that, somehow, hypnotherapy is, or was at some point, all about swinging pocket watches and pendulums. Again, and again, I’ve read the same stereotype being perpetuated, for over thirteen years. Enough, already!
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
You’re thinking, “Hang on a minute, but isn’t he starting his article off that way too? The hypocrite!” Well, yes. Yes, I am. But and the point really needs to be made, finally and for the last time, so that it need not ever be mentioned again: Hypnotherapy is not about being hypnotised by a hypnotherapist with either a swinging pocket watch or a pendulum. Except.
Except.
Except, it can be.
I have a pocket watch. A friend bought one for me as a present when I graduated from hypnotherapy college. And I have hypnotised someone with it, once, but only because they asked me to. I’ve also hypnotised someone with a sonic screwdriver. Not a real one mind, but one of those £10.00 plastic replicas. But, that’s only because A: I had one in my possession at the time and B: the person concerned was a Doctor Who fan and was absolutely over the moon when I waggled it in front of him.
The point of swinging pocket watches, or pendulums, or Doctor Who sonic screwdrivers, or anything waved rhythmically, side to side, in front of someone’s eyes, for that matter, is to tire those eyes; to make someone want to close their eyes, preferably with some relief. “Thank god they’ve stopped waving that bloody thing in front of me,” they mentally sigh.
This is known as inducing trance. It is the first stage of hypnosis. Once someone’s eyes have closed, once a trance has been induced, it can be deepened to the appropriate level. Once it has been deepened to the appropriate level, the therapy part can take place.
You can also induce a trance but having someone stare at the palm of your hand, or the back of their hand, or a spot on the wall, or by holding their arm in the air, or by listening to the sound of your voice, or to a specific sound around them and more. All to the same point: inducing trance, getting someone to close their eyes and begin to comfortably relax.
So, to journalists everywhere, I say this: You’ll be forgiven for thinking that hypnotherapy is all about swinging pocket watches and pendulums because it can be. And, now that you know that, you need not ever kick off an article about hypnotherapy that way again. Much to the relief of actual hypnotherapists everywhere.
Now, do not get me started on that old, “look into my eyes, not around the eyes, in the eyes you’re under” malarkey.
Anxiety Disorders: A Brief Overview
As a rule, I tend to specialise in the areas of anxiety disorders and work-related stress management. Between the two, I cover a multitude of sins. And, but sins I mean I help people deal with a series of emotional and behavioural problems that have them thinking, feeling and acting in ways that they don’t like but don’t seem to be able to change.
The term ‘anxiety disorder’ on it’s own could mean any one of several things up to and including, but not limited to panic attacks and panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosexual dysfunction, health anxiety and any and all types of phobias.
Broadly speaking, anxiety is your response to danger; it’s the fight, flight (or freeze, for those of you who experience brain lock) response to a threat or a danger. However, this response is being triggered in situations that aren’t that dangerous. Coming across a hungry lion whilst walking down your street is very dangerous, whereas sitting an exam is not. However, if you have anxiety, the same thoughts and feelings are being triggered in the face of an exam as they are when confronted by that hungry lion.
Anxiety problems are the number one presenting symptom here in the United Kingdom
Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are an extreme type of fear response. They are an exaggeration of your body’s normal response to danger, stress or excitement. They’re not much fun
Panic Disorder
This is where you have regular or frequent panic attacks that don’t seem to have a specific cause or trigger. It can mean that you are so afraid of having another panic attack that the fear itself can bring on a panic attack. Not good.
Social Anxiety Disorder
This is where your fear response is being triggered by social situations, such as pubs and parties, work and networking events. Basically, anywhere you have to talk to another person. This is also known as social phobia and it’s more common than you think.
GAD
Pity the person who is living with this condition, for they are experiencing regular or uncontrollable worries about many different things across most aspects of everyday life. It could be that there are many, many triggers or no specific trigger at all, making GAD a tricky little bugger to pin down.
OCD
This problem is made up of two parts, an obsession and a compulsion. Obsessions are unwelcome and intrusive thoughts, images, urges, worries or doubts that repeatedly appear in your mind. The compulsions are repetitive activities that you feel compelled to do in order to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsession. It could be checking that a door is locked, or repeating a specific phrase in your head and so on. Some people have what is known as ‘Pure O’ where they have the obsession but not the compulsion. This does not make it any less distressing.
PTSD
This is an anxiety problem that gets diagnosed after you have gone through something that you found traumatic. A close brush with death or a violent attack on you or someone near you can do it. PTSD can cause flashbacks and nightmares that make you feel like you are reliving the fear and anxiety you experienced during the traumatic event again and again. Who said the mind isn’t your best friend?
Psychosexual Dysfunction
When related to anxiety, psychosexual dysfunction is the inability to become sexual aroused or achieve sexual satisfaction because you are afraid of something happening or something going wrong. The problem is not physiological it is psychological. It can affect both men and women and, obviously can be quite miserable and debilitating.
Health Anxiety
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this means anxiety about your health. You will have an obsessive preoccupation with the idea that you have (or are about to develop) an illness. Common health obsessions including cancer, heart health, HIV and so on, but people can become preoccupied with any condition. Behaviours include researching symptoms, constant checking to see if you have them and many, many, many visits to your local GP.
Phobias
A phobia is an extreme form of anxiety that can be triggered by a particular situation or object, even when there is no danger. The sufferer knows that their reaction is out of proportion to the danger but they just can’t stop themselves. People can becoming phobic about anything and everything: spiders, mice, lifts, heights, thunder and lightning, buttons, ships, you name it.
Other anxiety problems include performance anxiety (stage fright and exam fears, for instance), body dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and more.
Thankfully, all forms of CBT are considered the gold standard of treatment for anxiety disorders. Hypnotherapy is also a highly effective adjunct to CBT. So, if you need to find a therapist to help you with your anxiety, look for someone who has CBT skills, or hypnotherapy skills, or both.
Obviously, there is quite a lot to digest here so I’ll leave the heady world of work-related stress (the number one cause of staff absenteeism) until next time.
Travel in Time with Hypnotherapy
Yes, you read that right.
With hypnosis and hypnotherapy, you can revisit the past and visit the future as often as is needed (therapeutically speaking) via regression techniques (to the past) and with what is known as pseudo orientation in time (to the future). But, why would you do so? Read more