If you have ever wondered whether hypnotherapy can work through a screen, you are not alone. It is one of the most common questions we hear from clients across Florida, the US, Canada and the UK. The short answer from research is encouraging, with a few details worth knowing before you book.
Does online hypnotherapy work?
Most of the strongest research on video hypnotherapy comes from gut-directed hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), one of the best-studied uses of clinical hypnosis. Those studies give a useful picture of how well live online sessions hold up.
In 2019, researchers at the University of Manchester published a study in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis on hypnotherapy delivered over Skype. They found it effective, with results close to those of their in-person program, which has treated about 1,000 patients.
A 2022 follow-up in BMJ Open Gastroenterology surveyed 52 people who completed 12 remote sessions. Fifty-eight percent reported at least a 30 percent improvement in overall symptoms, 90 percent said they would recommend remote sessions to others, and 52 percent said they would choose remote sessions even if in-person care were available.
Is a live online session the same as a hypnosis app?
No, and the difference matters. A large 2026 trial in the journal Gut randomized 230 people with IBS to in-person hypnotherapy with a therapist, a self-guided smartphone hypnotherapy app or education alone. Forty-eight percent of the in-person group had a meaningful drop in pain, compared with 33 percent in the app group and 22 percent in the education group. The app helped, but it could not match a live therapist.
That is why our online sessions are live, one on one, with a certified hypnotherapist who adjusts the session to you in real time. Recordings and self-hypnosis audios are a helpful extra between sessions, not a replacement for a session.
What can online hypnotherapy help with?
Clients work with us online on the same concerns they bring to our Orlando office, including anxiety and stress, grief, divorce and life transitions, performance anxiety, confidence and self-esteem, sleep, and past life regression. Sessions are open to English speakers anywhere in the world.
Hypnotherapy works well alongside medical and mental health care. If you are in crisis, please call or text 988 in the US.
What do you need for an online session?
You need a private, quiet room where you will not be interrupted, a comfortable chair or a place to recline, headphones, and a laptop or tablet with a steady internet connection. Place your device so your hypnotherapist can see your face and shoulders. Many clients find they relax more deeply at home, because they do not have to drive afterward.
Is online hypnotherapy safe?
Yes. You stay aware and in control the whole time, just as you would in our office. Your hypnotherapist checks in with you throughout and brings you back to full alertness at the end of the session. If your internet drops, you will simply come back to normal awareness on your own, the same way you would wake from a nap.
Who are your online hypnotherapists?
Your sessions are with Shannon Rollins-Rodriguez, a certified clinical hypnotherapist and QHHT® Level 2 practitioner, or Jennifer Adams, a clinical hypnotherapist. Both offer trauma-informed sessions in person near Lake Nona and online. Learn more about online hypnotherapy or meet our team.
Ready to try a session from home?
The best way to find out whether online hypnotherapy fits you is a short conversation. Book your free 15-minute consultation with A Way Forward, offering hypnotherapy in Orlando and online worldwide.