Which is better - one-to-one hypnosis or group hypnosis?

In group hypnosis, several participants are led into trance at the same time and the same suggestions are transmitted to them. This type of hypnosis is offered by some practices in connection with a desired smoking cessation or weight loss. The size of a group can vary from under 10 to as many as 50 participants. A group session usually lasts as long as an individual session.

Participants who have never been through hypnosis before may find it reassuring to go into trance for the first time within a group. The individual sometimes feels safer when surrounded by a group. Especially if there are participants who have been through hypnosis before and seem correspondingly confident. But the biggest advantage is for the hypno-therapist himself, because he can subject more people to a hypnosis session in less time than would be the case in an individual session.

However, within the framework of group hypnosis it is not possible to respond to the client individually. However, in order for the treatment to be successful, it is necessary that the therapist knows the client, understands his needs and adapts the treatment and hypnosis to them individually. In order to do justice to the client, a detailed anamnesis is necessary, which is carried out in a 45 to 60-minute preliminary meeting. During this session, the client should speak openly about his or her needs and goals. This would hardly be possible in a group session. For one thing, there would not be enough time. For another, not every client wants the group to know about his personal background as well.

In addition, during hypnosis not every person needs the same kind of suggestions. While the hypno-therapist works with only certain suggestions when hypnotizing a group, he reaches some clients more than others. Also, each person responds differently to hypnosis and it is possible that one participant may be particularly sensitive to it and need more attention. Others can only relax slowly and do not manage to go into a trance during hypnosis. Hypnosis as an individual session is always preferable to group hypnosis for these reasons.