How to Prepare for a Hypnosis Session Virtually or in Federal Way, Washington: What to Bring, What to Expect, and Why You'll Want a Blanket
A practical guide for clients in Federal Way, WA and anyone joining me for a virtual hypnotherapy session online.
Serving Federal Way, Auburn, Kent, Tacoma, and the greater Seattle area — plus virtual sessions worldwide.
If you have a hypnosis session coming up, a little preparation makes a real difference. Not because hypnosis is difficult, but because the more comfortable and settled your body is, the easier it is for your mind to drop in and stay there.
Here is everything I tell my clients before their first session.
Why do people get cold during hypnosis?
This is the question I get most often, and it surprises almost everyone.
When you go into a deep hypnotic state, especially the somnambulistic state, your body temperature can drop by a degree or two. You may feel a chill even in a warm room. Here's what's happening:
Your muscles stop working. Most of the heat your body generates comes from muscle activity. In deep hypnosis your muscles release completely, sometimes to the point of feeling heavy or absent. Less muscle tone means less heat production.
Your nervous system shifts gears. Hypnosis moves you out of sympathetic "fight or flight" mode and into parasympathetic "rest and digest" mode. Heart rate slows. Breathing slows and deepens. Metabolic rate drops. Your body is running quieter, and a quieter body runs cooler.
Blood moves toward your skin. As you relax, the blood vessels near the surface of your skin widen. That's part of why your hands and face may feel warm or tingly. But it also means heat is radiating off your skin and out into the room rather than staying in your core.
You stop moving. Under normal circumstances you shift, fidget, and adjust constantly without noticing. In hypnosis you can stay almost perfectly still for the duration. Nothing is stirring the warm air trapped against your body.
This is the same set of changes your body makes at the edge of sleep. Core temperature naturally dips as you drift off, which is why a blanket feels so good at bedtime and why a nap without one leaves you shivering.
A blanket solves it. In my Federal Way, Washington, USA office I provide blankets for every hypnosis client. If you are joining me virtually, have a blanket ready before we begin, plus socks if your feet run cold. It's much better to be slightly too warm than to have a chill pull you out of a beautiful, deep state.
Why some people get warm instead
Not everyone cools down. When I combine Reiki with hypnosis, many clients report the opposite. They describe warmth spreading through the body, a sense of heat in the hands or chest, sometimes a feeling of light moving through them as I send warm healing energy.
Both responses are normal. Some people cool, some people warm, and some people move between the two during a single session. Bring the blanket either way. You can always push it off.
Why you'll wake up thirsty
Almost everyone comes out of hypnosis feeling dry. Dry mouth, dry throat, sometimes a general sense of dehydration.
Part of this is simple: your breathing changes, and if your mouth falls slightly open during deep relaxation, air moving across the tissues dries them out. Salivary flow also decreases during deep rest. Add in the emotional processing that often happens in session, and it's very common to finish a session parched.
Have water within arm's reach. Room temperature is easier on your system than ice cold. Drink some before we start, and plan to drink more after. Keep drinking through the rest of the day. Clients who hydrate well after a session almost always report feeling clearer and less foggy that evening.
Your attitude is the actual prerequisite
Everything above is comfort. This part is the work.
You cannot be hypnotized against your will, and you cannot be hypnotized while resisting. All hypnosis is fundamentally self-hypnosis. I'm a guide. You're the one who goes.
Four things need to be in place:
You have to be ready. Ready means you actually want the change we're working toward, not that someone else wants it for you. If your spouse booked this session and you're here to keep the peace, we should talk before we begin.
You have to believe it can help. You don't need certainty. Curiosity is enough. But active skepticism, the kind that sits in the back of your mind narrating "this isn't working, this isn't working," will keep you at the surface. If you have doubts, bring them to me before the induction rather than carrying them in with you.
You have to trust me. Trust is why I offer a consultation first. Ask me anything. How I work, what my training is, what happens in a session, what I'll do if you become emotional. You should feel safe with the person guiding you. If you don't, that's information worth acting on.
You have to let go and let your subconscious lead. This is the one people struggle with most. Your conscious mind wants to analyze, evaluate, and stay in charge. In hypnosis its job is to step aside and let your subconscious do the driving. That means not judging whether you're "doing it right," not checking to see if you're hypnotized yet, and not editing the images and feelings that come up.
If you notice yourself analyzing, that's fine. Just return your attention to my voice. Nobody does this perfectly, and the returning is part of the process.
What hypnosis is not
Clearing these up ahead of time removes most of the anxiety people carry in:
You do not lose control. You will not do or say anything against your values.
You will hear everything I say. Most clients are surprised by how aware they feel.
You can come out any time you choose. If there were an emergency, you'd get up and handle it.
You will not get stuck in hypnosis. It isn't possible.
You will remember the session, usually most or all of it.
Many people don't feel "hypnotized." They feel deeply relaxed and slightly detached. That is hypnosis.
Your preparation checklist
The day before
Sleep well. Exhaustion makes people fall asleep rather than go into hypnosis.
Think about what you actually want from the session. One clear goal beats five vague ones.
Write down any questions you have for me.
The day of
Eat something light one to two hours before. Not a heavy meal, not an empty stomach.
Go easy on caffeine. A little is fine. A lot makes it harder to settle.
No alcohol or recreational substances. They interfere with the work.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Layers are ideal in the Pacific Northwest.
Use the bathroom right before we start. Sessions can run 60 to 120 minutes.
Take off anything restrictive: tight belts, watches, contacts if they bother you when your eyes are closed.
Leave buffer time afterward. Don't schedule a session an hour before a meeting you're nervous about. Give yourself space to reorient and process.
If you're coming to do hypnosis in my Federal Way, Washington office
Arrive about ten minutes early so you can settle in rather than rushing through the door.
Bring a water bottle, though I'll have water available.
Blankets are provided. Bring your own if you have a favorite.
Bring layers. Our weather can turn between when you leave home and when you arrive.
If we're meeting virtually
Virtual hypnosis works beautifully. It just requires you to build the environment I would otherwise build for you.
Pick a private space. A room with a door that closes. Tell everyone in the house that you cannot be interrupted.
Handle the pets. A cat landing on your chest at minute thirty is memorable for the wrong reasons.
Sit in a recliner or a supported chair. A bed makes most people fall asleep. If you must use the bed, sit up against the headboard with pillows rather than lying flat.
Use headphones. Wired earbuds or over-ear headphones give you a much more intimate, immersive experience than laptop speakers. Wireless is fine if it's charged.
Plug in your device and set it somewhere stable where the camera can see you. I want to be able to observe you.
Silence everything. Phone on do not disturb. Notifications off on your computer. Close other applications.
Test your connection a few minutes early.
Have your supplies ready before we start: blanket, water, tissues, socks. You do not want to get up mid-session.
Adjust the room temperature slightly warmer than you'd normally set it, and dim harsh overhead lights.
Know the backup plan. If we lose connection, I'll call you. Nothing bad happens if the internet drops. You'll simply become alert on your own.
After the session
Drink water. More than you think you need.
Take a few minutes before driving or jumping into a task. Most people feel alert immediately, but a moment of reorientation is worth it.
Jot down anything that came up. Impressions fade like dreams do.
Be gentle with yourself for the rest of the day. Some clients feel energized, others feel pleasantly tired. Both are normal.
Follow through on any self-hypnosis or homework we discussed. The session starts the change. Your practice keeps it.
If you're in Federal Way, Washington or the surrounding cities: Auburn, Kent, Tacoma, or anywhere in the South Sound, I'd love to do your hypnosis session in person. If you're anywhere else, virtual sessions are available and every bit as effective.
Bring the blanket. Bring the water. Bring an open mind. I'll handle the rest.
[Book your session here] or [schedule a free consultation] if you'd like to ask questions first.
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