In 2006 I was approached by someone who had suffered a stroke 4.8 years earlier and his recovery curve stalled and had been flat for 2.8 years. We discussed that this was an uncharted area in hypnotherapy and that I would need to confer with other hypnotherapists to evaluate its possible potential. After talking with other hypnotherapist from around the world who are considered the best of the best, we came up with an approach that made sense based on other similar therapies applied with hypnosis. So the stage was set with no promises or guarantees on success, but the desire to proceed was shared by all. What happened next was remarkable and rapid improvement and that set the start of hypnotherapy being applied to stroke. Read the paper I wrote on this here.

That paper became the framework for other hypnotherapists to expand the therapy and refine it. In late 2009 classes were being offered to hypnotherapist to learn how to apply this therapy in their local area. At the time communication technology was still not good enough to do this therapy remotely so the need to find a qualified hypnotherapist locally was a limiting factor.

That all changed in the first half of 2012 when the newest release of Skype had finally reached an acceptable level for hypnotherapy. The key quality that was missing was the quality of the image. Hypnotherapists need to read the body language of the people they are working with. This is the method of feedback from the subconscious mind so adjustments in hypnotic suggestion can be made on the fly. The only other thing that was needed to make that happen was a good quality webcam. To make that happen all it takes is a quick trip to any store that sells computer equipment if your computer does not have one built in.

In July 2012 I conducted my first Skype therapy session for stroke and the results were within acceptable expectations. The only thing lacking was the ability to physically touch the person so measurements of strength could be made, however a suitable workaround was available. The distance between us was 8300 miles (13350 km) and several time zones. As expected recovery was accelerated when accurate information and feedback was given.

This advancement in communication technology has now opened the door for people from around the world to interact and benefit with people like myself who pioneered and created this promising new form of hypnotherapy.

A stroke is like a fingerprint in that no two are the same. The area of brain injury may be small or big and the shape can vary widely. So the connection between the brain and the muscles is disrupted in what could be best defined as a bridge that is out on the interstate between the brain and muscles. Sometimes the bridge has only minor damage, and other times a lot. Because of that the method of how hypnosis works can vary widely. It is the brain that decides what is the best way to restore theconnection. Sometimes it is faster to fix the bridge, and other times it is faster to find a working bridge on some back road. Whatever the brain decides, hypnotherapy helps to make it happen faster. It is not up to the person who has the stroke, nor the hypnotherapist to make this decision.

The advantage hypnotherapy has is it helps the brain better identify the back road. On the back road the connection is still there, however the road may need to be widened some to accommodate the increased traffic. The brain will also need to learn to do things differently to get on that back road. For example it may be the difference between using a fork and chopsticks. The method to pick up food is different and becoming proficient is needed to get the most out of it.