Remote Hypnotherapy. A new possibility?

Week 3 in lockdown and I just wanted to offer some thoughts on how this service is continuing to adjust and function during the current conditions, and I have to say I have been pleasantly surprised at how effective remote hypnotherapy has been. Since the government announced the lockdown measures I have treated all of my clients through a combination of WhatsApp and Skype and up to this point I have seen no evidence that this has been detrimental to the overall effectiveness of any of the treatment. People appear to respond very well to direct hypnosis through the screen. This would have been unthinkable a few years ago with slower internet speeds and poorer technology.

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This was also the week I was invited to speak about tips for better sleep and anxiety management on Radio Cumbria. During a 20-minutes interview with Radio Cumbria's Darren Milby I was able to share some of my tips for establishing better sleep rhythms and even though the technology did let me down half way through the interview with a bit of team effort we were able to get back on track and deliver the intended message. Full broadcast can be accessed here
Radio Cumbria Interview


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Nobody knows exactly where this current situation is leading and undoubtedly that is the main reason many people's mental health is being challenged right now. Whenever there is a void where there is a lack of clarity of how each day is going to turn out we fill it with our own stories and 'what if' scenarios. Those stories we tell ourselves are often less than helpful or productive and belie the fact that in the moment we find ourselves in more often than not there is no immediate danger even though everything around us from the media to social media and the echo chambers of our own fear would suggest otherwise. At the time of writing I do know that there is a tremendous spirit in all of us and a much stronger resilience than we might appreciate especially among the vast majority of people in our individual communities and neighbourhoods. We will come through the other side and my hope is we will be better people for it with more empathy and willingness to connect with the real world and not just virtually. Never has there been a better demonstration of our willingness to accept we are part of a collective whole than on Thursday nights at 8pm when everybody celebrates our appreciation for our key workers. In years to come we may remember 2-minutes every week when we stood outside with our neighbours and other strangers, looked at each other smiled and waved and then realised that may be for far too long we have taken our relationships for granted and ignored what we are all about.

Be safe, be well.

David