Hypnotherapy Via Telephone

I've been asked if a hypnosis session can be done over the phone. The Individual calling did not live near a hypnotist/hypnotherapist and needed help. He wanted to know if I could work with him and what would be involved. The answer is yes, I can work with someone over the phone; I've done it many times. To do a phone session, the person's phone should either have a speaker or if it's a cell phone, has headphones so that he doesn't have to hold the phone to his ear. There should be privacy and a comfortable chair or couch. The client does not pay for the call; I call them. Depending on the individual's issue, I send him paperwork by email or regular mail ahead of time that would be relevant to the therapy session. Before we agree to a phone session, I take the time to discuss what hypnosis is and what it is not so that the person has some good familiarity with the process. We also discuss what his or her issues are so that I can have a good idea how to work with the person during the session.  Any questions are answered at this time. Some questions that I've been asked include the following: Will you make me bark like a dog?  (Only if you really want to) Is this true serum? Am I going to tell you everything? (No it's not truth serum. If you would ordinarily   lie, you could do that in hypnosis. You tell me exactly what you want to tell me.) Are you going to know all my secrets? (No, not at all. This is not mind control, and you will know everything that is occurring.) I advise the person that they will learn self-hypnosis during the first session. With self-hypnosis, they can work on their issues when not in session. Getting the person into hypnosis is important, of course, and I listen very carefully for breathing, responses to my questions, etc.  With a lengthy pre-talk, the person has a very clear understanding of what is involved in the hypnotic process, and any apprehension is eliminated or reduced. It will make it easier to go into hypnosis. As I tell my clients, once they are In hypnosis with their eyes closed, it does not matter if they are 3 feet away or 300 miles away. It still will work. I encourage the individual to dialog during the session. The more responsive the person is, the more successful the results will be. Work is done to resolve the issues that are discussed. When the individual comes out of hypnosis, we discuss what has occurred during the session, and what can be done next. I ask the person to go into self hypnosis using the technique that was taught to ensure hypnosis is achieved, and to return to a waking state. If the person chooses, an appointment is made for a subsequent session.