How do virtual sessions work with hypnosis?

Embarking on your journey to overcome Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), whether that means becoming comfortable in your food preferences or expanding your food preferences, can be empowering. While in-person has been the only option for a long time, virtual therapy is becoming increasingly more and more popular and has been found to be just as effective as in-person therapy, even for hypnosis.

What to expect your first virtual session with Kelly?

Trying out something new can be a little nerve-racking; often, knowing what to expect can help reduce anxiety and stress. In your first session with Kelly, she won’t yet use hypnosis. You will focus on:

  • Getting to know each other – This is a very important part of hypnosis! It’s important that you trust and are comfortable with the person who will be helping you. This is also a great time to become more comfortable speaking with someone through a virtual platform.
  • Discussing feeding history, concerns, strengths & interests – We will discuss your feeding history and what may have led to some of your feeding concerns in the first place. For kids, we will discuss their likes/interests and what they’re good at (it’s not all about stressful eating!). We will discuss what your goals may be since every person’s goals are different (and aren’t just related to food expansion).
  • Discussing your why & the changes you want to make: It’s important to be aware of your “why”. Why do you want to change your eating habits? Maybe you want to socialize more by eating out with friends. Maybe a health concern or maybe you are feeling isolated from others. We will discuss what foods YOU are interested in eating, tasting, or trying and the changes that you want to make.

How do other virtual sessions work?

After our first session together, you will be sent an audio where you can practice getting into a very relaxed, hypnotic state (nothing to do with eating). Once you are comfortable with this, we will begin to work on having you relax or go into a deep, hypnotic state in the following sessions. This is when we will work on feeding concerns and then taste some new foods as you progress!

Then, in the following sessions, we will:

  • Break down any barriers that are and have been inhibiting your ability to try and taste new foods
  • Work on reducing the irrational fears that may be getting in your way of exploring new foods
  • Work on stress and anxiety reducing techniques to help you overcome common food tasting fears, such as vomiting, gagging, etc.
  • Incorporate newly discovered foods into your every day food rotations and routines
  • Decrease stress around going out to eat or eating with family members
  • Learn to celebrate the small wins and victories, an important step in your journey to feeling successful
  • Talk about avenues to new foods, such as food chaining and other small changes you can incorporate into your diet

There are several benefits to virtual sessions, such as reduced travel time, increased flexibility with scheduling, increased opportunities for parent and family coaching, and increased comfortability receiving support while in your home environment.

Interested in virtual therapy and hypnosis sessions for yourself or your child? Contact Kelly and Food 4 Thought Therapy at kelly@food4thoughttherapy.com or check out her website at https://food4thoughttherapy.com to book a free consultation.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services and hypnosis.

Food Chaining

Mealtimes with selective eaters can be a daily ordeal. Frustration, anxiety, and concerns about proper nutrition can make dining a challenging experience for both parents and children. However, food chaining is one structured, gradual approach that can be used to expand a child’s food preferences.

Food chaining was created by speech therapists Cheri Fraker, CCC-SLP and Laura Walbert, CCC-SLP and was developed to help children with feeding difficulties and selective eating. It’s rooted in the belief that selective eaters have distinct sensory and motor challenges related to food, and therefore it’s important to introduce new foods while respecting the child’s preferences and sensitivities. The method gently guides children to explore new tastes and textures; it is NOT about forcing children to eat new foods!

When food chaining with clients, it’s often easier to work with clients who are looking to change. This technique works best with children who are older and who are looking for ways to transition to new foods. Food chaining with younger children, or with children who aren’t yet ready, can sometimes have an adverse effect. You run the risk of altering or “losing” a food they love. I HIGHLY suggest food chaining with kids or young adults who are actively involved in the process.

Here are just a few ideas of fall foods I have started and ended within a food chain with clients:

  1. Regular fries to sweet potato fries
  2. Apple juice to apple cider
  3. Smoothie to pumpkin pie
  4. Apple to apple pie
  5. Chicken nugget to sliced turkey

P.S. One tip I have throughout this process is to make the food fun! Try using different tools, like toothpicks and cookie cutters to change how they can “touch” the food or what the food looks like! Check out these Fall Cookie Cutters that I love to use with my kids.

Interested in learning more about food chaining? Send us an email at kelly@food4thoughttherapy.com or send us a message on our Instagram (@food4thoughtslp)!

Kelly is a Speech Language Pathologist who specializes in providing therapy and coaching from children to teens and young adults with feeding challenges. She prides herself on individualizing therapy sessions so that you meet your goals, whether that’s expanding your food repertoire, ordering something off a restaurant’s menu, or just appreciating your food preferences so that you can be present at social events. Contact Kelly at Picky Eaters Online to get your questions answered and to take the first step towards your journey, You can contact Kelly and Picky Eaters Online at kelly@food4thoughttherapy.com or check out her website at https://food4thoughttherapy.com/ to book a free consultation.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services and hypnosis.