Online sophrology: preparing for a video session that works

Many people ask me whether online sophrology really works. They picture a cold screen, a connection that drops just as they start to relax, and the feeling of doing exercises alone in front of their computer. I understand those doubts. I had them too before I started offering video sessions.

I am a sophrologist, hypnotherapist and wellbeing coach in Bordeaux. I see people at my practice on rue Ducau, and I also offer sophrology and coaching by video call, for people who live far away, are short of time or feel more comfortable at home. Hypnosis, on the other hand, I only offer in person at my practice.

Here you will find what an online session looks like, what the research says, my checklist for preparing your space, the exercises that work well at home and the cases where I would rather you came to my practice.

What a video session is really like

An online sophrology session follows the same pattern as at my practice and lasts the same time, about an hour.

The conversation

We start by talking. How you are, what has changed since last time, what you want to work on today. This moment matters as much by video as in person, because it is what lets me choose the exercises.

The exercises

I then guide you with my voice: breathing, gentle dynamic relaxation movements, body relaxation, visualisation. You can keep your eyes closed most of the time. I watch you on screen to adjust the pace and check that the movements feel comfortable.

The debrief

We finish with a moment where you describe what you felt. Those words help me plan what comes next, and I often give you an exercise to repeat at home before the following session. If you would like to know in detail what happens in a session, at my practice or online, I have described it in my article on what happens in a sophrology session.

What the research says about remote support

There are few studies on sophrology by video specifically. Talking-based psychological support delivered remotely, however, has been well studied, and the results are reassuring.

A meta-analysis by Fernandez and colleagues, pooling more than a hundred studies, concludes that support delivered by video gives results very close to support delivered in person. A review by Simpson and Reid looked at the relationship of trust between the person and the professional. Across 23 studies, the people being supported rated the bond and the sense of presence at least as highly as face to face.

This is not sophrology as such, and I would rather make that clear. But what I see in the people I work with online points the same way: voice, breath and attention to the body come through a screen very well.

Preparing your space before the session

This is the part that makes the biggest difference. A badly set-up session is frustrating. A well set-up session feels almost like being at my practice. France's Haute Autorité de santé, the national health authority, gives advice for any remote appointment that is very close to mine: a quiet, well-lit place suited to the exercises, and making sure you will not be disturbed.

The room

• A room where you will be alone for an hour, with the door closed.
• Let the people you live with know, and put a little note on the door if needed.
• A stable chair without armrests, where you can put both feet flat on the floor. A bit of space around you to stand up and move your arms.
• If you like, a blanket within reach: you can cool down quickly while relaxing.

Equipment

• A computer or a tablet set down securely rather than a phone held in your hand.
• A reliable connection. If your network is patchy, move closer to the router and close other apps.
• Earphones or headphones if possible: my voice reaches you more clearly and household noise distracts you less.
• Your phone on silent and your computer notifications turned off.

The camera

Place it about one and a half metres away, so that I can see your chest and shoulders when you are sitting and, if possible, your whole body when you are standing. Avoid having a window behind you: I would only see a silhouette. Log on five minutes early to check the sound and picture.

What to wear

Wear loose clothes you can breathe into your belly and raise your arms in without feeling restricted. Take your shoes off if you like. This is not a minor detail: a tight belt or stiff jeans get in the way of belly breathing, which often opens the session. Keep a glass of water next to you too.

During the session: what changes compared with the practice

By video, I adjust a few small things. I describe movements more precisely, because I cannot show you with a gesture or correct a shoulder. I ask you more often how things are going, in a few words. And I sometimes demonstrate a movement on screen before asking you to do it with your eyes closed.

If the connection drops during an exercise, do not worry: stay where you are, keep breathing calmly and reconnect when you are ready. We pick up where we left off. It happens less often than people fear, and a short break in the middle of a relaxation exercise rarely spoils it. From what I see, people usually just carry on breathing on their own and find the thread again straight away.

If the camera makes you self-conscious

Some people feel awkward seeing themselves on screen, or being watched with their eyes closed. It is common, and it passes quickly. You can hide your own image in the video software so you no longer see it. You can also keep your eyes half-closed, resting on a point on the floor. And if an exercise makes you uncomfortable, tell me: we adapt it or choose another one. Nothing is compulsory.

The advantages of video sessions

You practise in your own setting, the one where you will repeat the exercises on your own afterwards. No travel, no parking, and you are already at home after the session, just when you often feel like staying quiet for a while.

Exercises that work well at home

Almost all sophrology exercises work very well remotely. The ones I suggest most often online:

• belly breathing and the long out-breath, which only require you to sit down;
• heart coherence breathing, which I teach you to do without an app;
• dynamic relaxation movements, standing up, with shoulder shrugs and rotations;
• relaxing the body area by area, sitting or lying down;
• picturing a safe place or a situation ahead, an exam or a presentation.

Between sessions, the WHO points out that a few minutes a day are enough to practise stress management techniques. I usually give you one or two exercises to repeat, and you will find others in my sophrology exercises to do at home.

The limits of video sessions

Video does not suit everyone or every situation, and I would rather tell you beforehand.

• If you have nowhere quiet at home, with young children or flatmates around, the session may be frustrating. Coming to my practice may be easier.
• With young children, I often prefer to see them at my practice, where it is easier to hold their attention.
• I do not offer hypnosis by video: I need to watch closely the breathing and small movements of the face.
• Finally, sophrology, online or at my practice, does not replace medical advice. If you are going through a very difficult time, with badly disrupted sleep for weeks, deep sadness or dark thoughts, talk to your doctor first.

Booking an online sophrology session

If you would like to try it, you will find all the details on my online sophrology page and on the sophrology video session page. The price is the same as at my practice and is shown on the pricing page.

Would you rather come in person? I see people at my practice as a sophrologist in Bordeaux, and you can find out how I support adults with sophrology. My background is on the about page.

In the meantime, do a trial run: settle into the room where you would have the session, set up the camera and do two minutes of long out-breaths. You will know straight away whether the place works for you.