Hypnotherapy Online — Can it Work and What You Need to Expect

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WebMD explains that hypnotherapy guides patients into a trance state of heightened relaxation, concentration, and attention to expand their awareness. While an individual is in this trance state, they have focused attention on the thoughts, and the imagery therapists are verbalizing.

As such, hypnotherapy can help manage stress and anxiety or facilitate behavioral changes like stopping smoking or improving poor sleep hygiene. Additionally, the BBC reports that hypnotherapy can treat even severe conditions like PTSD, stressful labor, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Today, hypnotherapy is offered online, allowing patients to receive treatments from medical professionals no matter where they are. Read on if you’re curious about how hypnotherapy works, whether it’s effective online, and what you need to expect.

The only things you would need for online hypnotherapy are a device for video calls, a stable network, and a quiet space. Avoid distractions that can disrupt your hypnotic state.

During your first call and at the start of each session, you and your therapist will set goals and track your progress. They will then guide you into a hypnotic state through verbal repetition or mental images that induce calm, relaxation, and safety. While in this state, you can work toward your goals. If you want to address repressed traumatic experiences, this relaxed state will help you be much more willing to confront what would otherwise be painful memories. In doing so, you can work towards a larger overall goal of overcoming trauma. Hypnotherapy can also help you quit negative behaviors like smoking by unearthing the underlying motives behind your impulses. Once the session is done, your therapist will guide you out of the hypnotic state.

Hypnotherapy does not involve physical contact or special equipment, meaning it is just as effective online as in person. Since the process relies on a patient’s relaxed state of mind, hypnotherapy may be more effective online since you feel safe within your own space.

Hypnotherapy should only be administered by a trained professional. Because it has applications in pain management, behavioral change, and psychiatric treatment, many medical professionals study it. These include physicians, psychotherapists, and nurse practitioners who undergo hypnotherapy courses. Once they’ve finished the program, they receive a certificate attesting to their expertise in the practice.

However, hypnotherapy conducted online should ideally be administered by medical professionals with the proper telehealth certifications, mainly if they operate across state lines. These requirements vary in each state. So a nurse practitioner can accommodate patients in Ohio without additional certificates as long as they have a master’s or doctoral degree and a minimum of five years of experience. However, a nurse practitioner in Alabama must be licensed by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners and Medical Licensure Commission to provide remote care. With these extensive requirements, you can be assured that qualified medical professionals can provide effective treatment with online hypnotherapy.

Online hypnotherapy, like in-person hypnotherapy, is perfectly safe. Our article ‘How Hypnosis Can Help You Shift Your Mindset’ points out a common misconception that, in your hypnotic state, you may be forced to act against your will. However, you are entirely conscious throughout the process and can fully control your actions.



Beyond raising the chances of relaxation, online hypnotherapy is more practical. Since you can consult any professional, even if they live in another state, you can choose a therapist who makes you feel comfortable and understood. Lastly, since hypnosis is meant to make lasting changes in your mindset, behaviors, and emotions, having a convenient set-up like video sessions on Zoom can help you attend sessions more consistently.

Hypnotherapy can guide you toward achieving your goals and addressing mental or physical health conditions. Working with video and on Zoom, you can attend sessions online for greater ease and relaxation.