Online Hypnosis
Online hypnosis: effective from wherever you feel at ease
the question I get asked most — and the short answer
Yes, hypnosis works online. It works just as well over the internet — and sometimes better than in person, because you are in a familiar environment. The one thing you really need is a working pair of headphones.
Book an appointmentThe short answer
Does hypnosis really work online?
The most common question I get is: can hypnosis work online? The answer is a clear yes. Hypnotherapy works exactly as well over the internet — and sometimes better than offline, because you are in a familiar and hopefully pleasant atmosphere.
Experience has taught me that I do not need to touch my clients, and they do not need to smell me for hypnosis to succeed. Most people close their eyes during hypnosis anyway, so you do not even need to see anything for an effective trance. What we mainly need is sound.
That is why I say: with headphones, online hypnotherapy works exactly as well as in person. You can book an online appointment without worry, knowing the effect will be at least the same.
Hypnotic suggestions are mostly acoustic. Whatever arrives through good headphones works — whether the speaker is two metres or two thousand kilometres away makes no difference to your unconscious.The long answer: does hypnosis work online? →
How it runs
Hypnosis over video chat: how a session works
We do the hypnosis through a video chat programme — usually Microsoft Teams, or Zoom or Skype if you prefer. The sequence is exactly the same as an in-person session.
- 1
Appointment and link
You book a slot online and receive everything you need by email, including the link to the session. No other setup is required.
- 2
Preliminary talk, 20–30 minutes
We clarify everything relevant to your topic: what it is about, what the behaviour does for you, and where you actually want to end up. This runs exactly as it does in the practice.
- 3
The formal trance
Then comes the trance itself. You sit or lie comfortably, usually close your eyes, and listen through headphones. I work with suggestions, not commands.
- 4
Back into your day
We briefly talk through what came up. Afterwards you are not standing in an unfamiliar practice — you are already at home. That is worth more than it sounds.
Comparison
Online or in person — where the difference actually lies
In terms of effect, I see no difference. The differences are elsewhere — and from where I stand, they argue for online.
In-person session
- Travel there and back — across two or three sessions that adds up.
- The practice is an unfamiliar place at first, which costs some people a run-up.
- The change can attach itself to the practice room and has to travel into everyday life.
- Only reachable for people in and around Zurich.
Online session
- No commute. A minute before the appointment you are still in your life, and straight back into it afterwards.
- Your home is somewhere you already know how to relax.
- The change happens where you need it — in everyday life itself.
- Possible anywhere with a stable connection and a shared language.
Advantages
What online sessions genuinely do better
Home sweet home
When someone came to my practice for the first time, it was usually something exciting — but the practice was still a foreign place. For almost everyone, their own home is somewhere they feel comfortable and can relax. That is very helpful for successful hypnosis, because the inside often follows the outside.
There is something else I saw again and again in the practice. In the second session, someone would say: "Now that we are sitting here again, it is all coming back." The hypnosis had brought a change, but the change had not yet moved into everyday life. A certain dependence on location can develop.
Online, that reverses. When the changed state is linked to your own home, you are reminded of it far more often — so the hypnosis keeps working in daily life after the session ends.
Someone once told me he had been on his sofa during the online hypnosis — and afterwards remembered that effective state every single time he sat down on that sofa.
Saving time
Online sessions save a great deal of time. The journey there and back disappears, which makes appointments far more flexible — including at short notice or at the edges of a working day. When someone comes to me because of stress, sending them through traffic first is close to absurd.
Wherever you are
I have had clients from all over the world. Wherever we share a language, we can work effectively. And for people who cannot easily leave the house for health reasons — limited mobility, a psychosomatic illness, agoraphobia — access over the internet is sometimes the only route that works at all.
My own experience
I was sceptical myself
I have to admit I was sceptical about online hypnosis at the start. In 2020 I was forced into it. Much to my amazement, the sessions were just as successful as in person.
Clients who have done hypnosis both in the practice and over the internet have shared their experience with me. The feedback was always the same: "It is exactly as good as in person — but only with headphones." That is precisely why that one point sits so high on the list below.
"When I read that Jan Mion only works online I was not sure what to expect, but I can tell you: it works really well. Online hypnosis has helped me overcome my fear of flying, and I have now flown twice while being almost completely calm."
Areas of application
What can be worked on online
An online session can address exactly the same topics as one in the practice: psychological themes, physical themes, and changes in behaviour. The induction and the intervention are the same. For some topics the setting even adds something.
Quitting smoking
The process is the same as offline: the unconscious parts of the nicotine habit are reduced, and the urge to smoke goes with them. Quitting by video can be just as easy as in the practice.
Hypnosis to stop smoking →Weight loss
For most people, home is exactly where attempts at losing weight fall apart. That is precisely where the online session takes place — so the unconscious recalls the suggestions when eating at home comes up.
Hypnosis for weight loss →Stress
With stress, hypnosis helps bring more calm into the system. And when someone is already stressed, doing the session online rather than adding a journey makes twice as much sense.
Hypnosis for stress →Anxiety and panic
I see the clearest advantage for people who are afraid to leave the house or to be around others. Online hypnosis for agoraphobia and similar themes can bring exactly the change that is wanted.
Hypnosis for anxiety →Nail biting
The appropriate suggestions to leave your nails alone travel over the internet just fine. The setting changes nothing about the approach.
Hypnosis for nail biting →Self-confidence
For introverted people especially, there is something to be said for building self-confidence without having to leave the house to do it.
Hypnosis for self-confidence →Requirements
What you need for an online session
From the human side, an online session needs exactly the same preparation as one in the practice: essentially none. Writing down what is bothering you and what the goal should be is helpful, but it is not necessary. Technically, though, a few points make the difference.
Headphones — the most important point
The single most important requirement is working headphones. Most computer speakers sound thin and far away. With some clients I tried both: with headphones, noticeably more happened. Wireless ones are the most comfortable — just charge them beforehand.
A spot that feels like comfort, not like work
Many people have set up a place at home for the home office. That is probably not the best place for a relaxing trance. Find somewhere you can genuinely sit or lie comfortably, and where pets, children, partners or flatmates will not interrupt you.
A stable internet connection
The connection should run without interruptions. Stutters and dropouts can disturb a trance — this is the one point where technology can genuinely get in the way of the session.
Power and quiet
Plug your device in so it does not die mid-session, and put your phone on silent at the very least. Let the people around you know that you are unavailable for an hour.
Experience & cost
What does online hypnosis feel like?
Exactly like a session in the practice. You sink into a trance of fitting depth and relaxation.
Depending on the topic and on what your unconscious intends, the conscious experience can range from daydreaming to the conscious mind being entirely absent. Both are right. The hypnosis works either way — including when you tell me afterwards that you were "not really under".
What does an online session cost?
An online session with me costs CHF 200 and usually lasts an hour. That is exactly the same as a session in the practice — the difference is the journey you save.
All costs in detail →Questions and answers about online hypnosis
Does hypnosis work online?
Yes. Because hypnotic suggestions are mainly acoustic, they work over the internet too. I have written about this at length in a separate article: "Does hypnosis work online?"
Is online hypnotherapy as effective as in person?
Yes. With the right technical conditions — above all good headphones — an online session is exactly as effective as one in the practice. Some clients even reach trance faster at home.
How does an online hypnosis session run?
Exactly as offline: 20 to 30 minutes of preliminary talk, then the trance itself. We use a video chat programme, usually Microsoft Teams.
Do I really need headphones?
Yes — this is the one point I insist on. Clients who have done both say it unanimously: exactly as good as in person, but only with headphones. Charge wireless ones beforehand.
Which programme do we use?
Usually Microsoft Teams, or Zoom or Skype on request. There is nothing for you to set up — you get the link by email in advance.
What does online hypnosis cost?
An online session costs CHF 200 and lasts an hour — the same as a session in person.
Who is online hypnosis suitable for?
Anyone interested in hypnosis. It is particularly suited to people who cannot leave the house easily, whether for health reasons or because of an anxiety.
If you have a question about online hypnosis or would like an appointment, I will get back to you as soon as I can.
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