How hi-tech hypnotherapist is treating busy clients over the internet

A hypnotherapist has found an unusual way of taking care of her busy clients – by treating them over the internet.
Mary Beth Hazeldine decided to introduce hypnotherapy over the web as a way of helping people more quickly and conveniently.
The online service has been so popular since she launched it earlier this year, she now treats the majority of her clients using Skype or over the telephone.

The therapist said the innovative move means she can treat her clients out-of-office hours and when they are most in need of help.
While some people may be skeptical of the effectiveness of a treatment that is not face-to-face, Mary Beth says the therapy can actually be more effective as ‘the client is more relaxed in their own home or in familiar surroundings.’

‘It means I am able to treat somebody when they most need help,’ she added. ‘For example, somebody suffering from insomnia can schedule a therapy session just before they go to bed at night.

‘If a client has a fear of public speaking, they can have a therapy session over the internet just before their presentation or, if they are suffering from a fear of flying, just before they take a flight.’
Mary Beth treats fears and phobias, stress and anxiety, sleeping disorders and depression as well as helping clients lose weight and stop smoking.
She explains how hypnotherapy works on her website. She writes: ‘You will gently be guided into a relaxing comfortable trance, where you are more suggestible. While in this state, you can come out of it anytime you wish to resume regular consciousness, but you will find that you want to stay in this stress-free, peaceful state.
‘You will consciously hear what I am saying and you can accept or reject any of the positive suggestions I will be making to you. It is perfectly safe and you are never out of control.’

Clients have been taking advantage of Mary Beth’s internet sessions when on business trips or when they find it difficult to visit her office in Leatherhead, Surrey.
But some people remain uneasy about the idea of being hypnotised because they won’t want to be ‘out of it’ and have a fear of not waking up. This fear could be heightened when being hypnotised over the internet or phone – what if the connection is lost or the signal cuts out when you’re in a trance?
Mary Beth said these fears are unsubstantiated. ‘Some people fear that they will get stuck in a trance, but this is impossible,’ she said.
She added that many of the misconceptions on hypnotherapy comes from stage show hypnosis and TV shows.
‘Many people believe that they will lose consciousness when they are hypnotised, but this is not true. Hypnosis is similar to meditation and you are normally fully aware of what is going on around you,’ she explained.
Mary Beth has been overwhelmed by how successful her online scheme has been. Not only is it convenient for her clients, she can also be anywhere in the world – including her second home in Spain – when she does treatments.
‘My clients are saved the trouble and expense of travelling and I can even offer a big discount because there aren’t the overheads that I have when using my office.
‘It means I can now reach clients all over the world. My services are no longer restricted to a 50-mile radius from my practice. My clients can now benefit from telephone or Skype hypnotherapy whether they are in Europe, the Americas or Asia,’ she added.