Have you ever had anxiety or trepidation about transitioning? It might be about starting a new job or joining a new club, or it could even be about moving to a new city or studying in a foreign land. Sometimes in these situations, seeking needed help in a timely fashion might feel overwhelming or almost impossible. Well, in this era of the Internet, such a problem could be remedied quicker than you think. Assistance could possibly be available at the tips of your fingers or with the click of your mouse. Let me explain how it can be done.

Most people have the ability to Skype or use FaceTime to converse with someone over the Internet. There is also something called VSee which is an encrypted form of video conferencing. These tools can be used to help someone interact with a therapist or coach if they are unable to meet face to face. The following is an example of how I used such communication:

About two months ago, I received a call from the mother of a client whom I had seen for several sessions around testing anxiety. She and her twin brother were stellar students but suffered from fear of taking College Entrance Exams. Both sister and brother responded well to hypnosis and ended up doing superbly on the standardized tests. Subsequently, they attended the colleges of their choice.

Several months ago, the siblings had embarked on an adventure of studying abroad. According to their mother, the young man began flourishing the moment he set foot on foreign soil. The young woman whom I will refer to as Maria went to another country and did not acclimate so well. Maria was suffering from much anxiety about being away from home and traveling to other parts of the continent. Her mother feared she and her husband might have to bring her home. Since I was acquainted with the family, she appealed to me for help.

Maria called me, and we set up a time to discuss the situation. When we met via the Internet, she requested that I do something to help her alleviate the stress she was feeling. Because of her positive response to hypnosis, I explored with her the idea of trying it for relaxation, becoming more confident in her environment and staying focused on her desire for travel as a way to overcome the paralyzing anxiety. Following induction and deepening (please see my article at my website), I used confidence building and ego strengthening to help Maria feel more in control. Towards the end of the session, I gave her posthypnotic suggestions for internalizing relaxation, increasing comfort with her surroundings and greater ease in traversing the continent with her friends. When Maria came out of hypnosis, she let me know that she felt amazingly more relaxed and was ready to have fun.

A few weeks later, Maria requested my services one more time. She found the session to be so helpful that she was hoping for reinforcement with one more session. With few alterations, we used some of the same imagery reminding her of the great success she recently experienced. Once we finished, it was clear from her smile and body language that Maria was on her way to enjoying the rest of her time abroad. I did not hear from the family again.

I want to be clear that I would not have offered such a service over the Internet with someone whom I had not met live and treated with hypnosis. In addition, going forward, I would only use VSee which is not only encrypted but is HIPPA (Health Privacy Act) compliant.

For anyone who is experiencing such anxiety, hypnosis can be an extremely beneficial tool in mitigating these feelings. For those who are feeling immobilized about transitions, you might want to consider hypnosis and making an appointment with me. After meeting with me a few times and scheduling conflicts or travel to my office becomes challenging, consideration could be given to utilizing the Internet as a way to enhance the positive experience from hypnosis.