Hypnotherapy explained

Hypnotherapy is the therapeutic use of hypnosis to help people achieve specific goals or to facilitate healing. Hypnosis is very powerful and I love the fact that it can be used for many different purposes and especially to help and heal people quite quickly.  I have been using Hypnotherapy since 1994 to help people change habits, behaviours  and attitudes; resolve persistent or recurring problems; let go of fears or phobias; reduce alcohol and quit cigarettes; lose weight and deal with eating disorders; deal with 'physical' issues such as pain and illness; and receive help with anxiety and depression.

A treatment program usually consists of between one and three sessions, depending on the issue. We will discuss your needs and individual circumstances in the first session and agree on a program that will suit you. Sessions are a mix of hypnosis and counselling and are always different for each individual as they are designed specifically to help you, taking into account your personality, your needs and your wishes.

Below I will answer some of the questions I am often asked.

What would a typical treatment program involve ?

It depends on the issue. Here are some examples:

The Quit Smoking programs I conduct for most people involve 2-3 sessions. The sessions are spaced approximately one week apart, and because quit smoking involves behavioral changes, or a change of habits, a third session could be most beneficial for long term success.  Some people quit after just one session, others need more and some quit gradually with several attempts, in any case, the main thing is that they get there and when they choose hypnosis to help them they have a greater chance of succeeding. As pointed out elsewhere - hypnosis has been found to be the most successful method for quit smoking out of more than 10 methods compared in a meta-analysis involving 70.000 people.

For Weight Loss programs I recommend a treatment of 2-3 sessions spaced over one month and because it too involves behavioral changes, or a change of habits, a couple of short 'top-up' sessions in the months following the treatment program can be very beneficial.

I have helped many clients with fears, phobias, anxiety, stress, low confidence etc in just one hypnotherapy session.

Pain relief and physical illnesses need to be dealt with on a case by case basis. For example: work to support and strengthen the body and the immune system during illness or during chemotherapy can be done weekly or fortnightly for a specific period of time. Pain relief can be handled similarly. In those cases you would also be taught how to apply self-hypnosis, which can be learned in just one session.

As people have different life styles I am trying to be flexible when it comes to agreeing on the treatment program. If due to time constraints, personal choice or family commitments you prefer to have shorter but more frequent appointments we may be able to arrange that. Please mention your individual requirements when we discuss your treatment program.

If you are here on vacation for a short time you may find that just one hypnotherapy session can get things sorted out for you and get you back on track. Especially if you then do some follow-up with a practitioner back home (I may be able to recommend someone).

What does a typical session cost ?

The first appointment is usually 1.5 hours long, it includes the assessment interview. The cost of this extended session is $115 (valid January 2011).

Subsequent sessions are usually standard sessions of just over 1 hour duration, the cost of a standard session is $95.

There are 'top-up' sessions available costing $60, if taken within a few months of your last appointment.

I make every reasonable effort to make hypnotherapy affordable for people who are not in full employment or who are pensioners.  Please let me know beforehand if you require a concession.

Can I get a Health Fund rebate and how about Medicare ?

How qualified are you ?

I am an accredited clinical member of the Australian Hypnotherapists Association (AHA), the Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS) and in addition I am on the register of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA). In order to be registered or accredited a practitioner has to be highly qualified and experienced, be insured, has to fulfill very strict assessment criteria and has to maintain this standard in order to receive annual accreditation or registration.

Is there something you do not treat ?

Most hypnotherapists treat the full range of issues and problems, but we also tend to have certain areas we specialise in.  My particular specialities are emotional healing, spiritual healing, acute sensitivity, phobias and fears, anxiety, depression, confidence and performance, relationships and sexual issues, quit smoking, eating disorders and weight loss.

I do not treat children as I have specialised in treating adults - I could recommend other hypnotherapists in the area if you wish to treat a child or young teen. Children respond extremely well to hypnotherapy.

Here is a link to two other hypnotherapist in the area who treat children: http://www.courageouslifechanges.com
http://www.rapidinspiredchange.net

How effective is Hypnotherapy ?

Three Examples

1. Quit smoking

A meta-analysis published in the New Scientist Oct 1992, where 600 studies were compared covering about 71000 people, showed that hypnosis was the best method to quit out of 15 methods that were compared.
look at www.newscientist.com for this study

A study headlined " Hypnotherapy Outperforms Other Treatment Approaches for Smoking Cessation" was released in October 2007 by the American College of Chest Physicians. It showed that of hospitalized smokers who received hypnotherapy 50% were still smoke free after six months.

 2. Physical conditions and chronic illnesses

There is research which demonstrates clear benefits in treating Irritable Bowl Syndrome with Hypnotherapy in addition to the more conventional treatment.  Other physical conditions can also respond well to hypnosis as an adjunct to  more conventional treatment and healing can sometimes be greatly enhanced and accelerated and side effects and pain reduced.  Even if a full recovery is not possible, symptoms can often be greatly relieved. Hypnotherapy can support the body to heal itself (as intended by nature), can improve wellbeing and quality of life, and can complement or accompany orthodox medical treatments (without having to choose between the two). I advocate using the best of both worlds. You can support your body's natural ability to heal, strengthen your immune system and reduce pain with the help of hypnotherapy.

 3. Performance

There is hardly a top athlete these days who does not use Mind over Matter techniques. It doesn't matter whether it is called Visualisation, or Meditation, or Motivation, or Self Hypnosis - the results usually speak for themselves.

The Process

Let me explain what you can expect to happen when you have your hypnosis sessions with me.

We will agree on a Treatment Program:

Most treatment programs involve 2 - 3 sessions spaced approximately one week apart, some issues require only one session.  I will let you know at the beginning how many sessions might be needed to deal with your issue. 

In the first session we discuss your needs and your issue in detail and we agree on a treatment program before we proceed with the hypnosis and/or the counselling part. Sessions are not based on a strict time limit, however, first sessions are usually 1.5 hours long. 

Session two is usually one week later. There we build on what happened in session one, reinforcing and fine tuning the changes that have already occurred and also providing effective support during the initial phase of greater change. Session two lasts approximately one hour.

The third session a week or two later reinforces and cements the successful changes. There is a focus on taking charge of your life, using your new tools effectively, empowering and preparing yourself for your new future and getting used to living your life differently.

Shorter top-up or follow-up sessions are also available, as long as they are taken within a reasonable time frame (ie a few months) after conclusion of the treatment program and are related to the original issue you came to see me about.

How does it work ?

To help you into the hypnotic state I use breathing and relaxation exercises. There are no gimmicks or weird experiences or magic wands, hypnosis will feel quite pleasant and somewhat normal to you. It is a slightly altered state of awareness where your thinking or analytical mind takes a back seat for a while and allows other aspects of your Self to come forward so we can work with those.  These other aspects or layers of the Self are usually referred to as the 'subconscious'.  To illustrate what I mean - think about when you last drove your car and you got to your destination not remembering much of the journey. People slip into altered states of awareness quite easily and often without trying. In the hypnotherapy session I assist you to get into this state deliberately and we control the duration and what we do in that time. It is not like sleep and you will remember everything, you also remain in control because your conscious mind is still watching everything, even if it's not 'in charge' it's still present. You could simply stop the session if you didn't like something that was happening. Hypnosis helps the mind to enter a particularly relaxed or perceptive mode, but you remain in control. People often worry about stage hypnosis, it is entertainment and it is NOT hypnotherapy. People who participate in stage hypnosis have volunteered to go along with all the hocus pocus there, if they really didn't want to do those silly things in front of an audience no one could make them do it.

A small percentage of people cannot be hypnotised and not all hypnotic sessions are successful.  Hypnosis is not a magic wand or cure all, some things need to be dealt with by other professionals or by a doctor (I will refer you in that case).

Hypnosis can support other therapies or orthodox treatments by doctors, psychologists and by other natural health practitioners such as naturopaths. It can help people stick to a certain diet (as for diabetics or IBS sufferers for example), to find the motivation to exercise or to follow a prescribed treatment. It can assist with effective pain control, reduce discomfort and assist other treatments in many ways. Even better - applied properly and by a qualified practitioner it has no unwanted side effects.  Doctors often suggest to patients to quit smoking or to lose weight.  Hypnosis works really well for weight loss; and it was also found to be the most effective method for smoking cessation out of 15 different methods that were compared in a meta analysis and written up in New Scientist.

There is nothing new age or 'new' about hypnosis (psychologists and even dentists have been using it for a long time) and used responsibly and by a qualified therapist it is a highly effective and relatively fast tool for healing and change. 

About Me:

I believe in the person and not in their qualifications.  However, it's OK to check this out.  For your information:  I've completed undergraduate university studies in Psychology in 1988 and my Diploma in Hypnotherapy in 1994.  Since then I've undertaken further study in Reiki, Thought Field Therapy, Prime Tuning and Muscle Testing (a kind of kinesiology), Energy and Chakra cleansing, Meditation, Group Training Methods, Mediation and Conflict Resolution, Childhood Abuse, Grievance Counselling, Ericksonian Communication, Sports Hypnosis, Art Therapy and Soul  Collage, Health, Nutrition and Alternative Therapies,  Mindfulness in Therapy (this is a Buddhist philosophy) and Holographic Kinetics (an Aboriginal Healing Modality). There's been plenty more -  would have to go through my filing cabinet.

My work experience stretches across many boundaries.  Several years as conflict manager and grievance counsellor for the NSW Public Service. Several years as staff trainer, mediator, equal opportunity co-ordinator and change agent. I've been a Hypnotherapist since 1994 and am fully accredited with the AHA (Australian Hypnotherapists' Association) and the ATMS (Australian Traditional Medicine Society). I am on the Register of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).

I personally welcome clients who ask a lot of questions before making a booking. I probably could not help a person who doesn't relate to me at all and could not relax as a result of it. Thankfully this is very rare. I have specialised over time in certain areas and will refer you to another hypnotherapist (at no charge of course) if I do not treat your issue.

Sometimes I can see you at short notice and I do work flexible hours. So if you are here on holidays - give me a call. You'll be amazed what you can achieve and change in just one hypnosis session.  And if you do require follow up treatment when you return home I can probably recommend a hypnotherapist near you.

 
Fees (effective Jan 2011)

First session: A$115 for a 1.5 hr hypnotherapy/counselling session
Subsequent sessions: A$95 for a 1 hr hypnotherapy/counselling session
Top-up/follow-up sessions: A$60 for optional short sessions taken within a few months after the conclusion of the treatment program

Due to the fact that I am a fully trained and very experienced hypnotherapist people sometimes ask me if I can use my knowledge of hypnosis to assist them with past life regression, accessing soul memory and other spiritual work. 
Yes I can - and I love doing this kind of work.  For anyone interested let me explain below what my personal thoughts are about these issues and what doing this work with me involves.

About Past Life Regression and Spiritual Healing (Spirit State Healing)

Hypnosis is the tool I use it to guide my clients through specific processes which allow them to access past life memories or the spirit realm.

During spirit state healing sessions people experience their pure spirit state and remember themselves as the immortal souls they are.  In that state people can access their innate wisdom and can put their human lives and everything in it into a broader perspective. As I gently guide them through this experience, people often report meeting spirit guides, angels or deceased loved ones who provide comfort, assistance or clarification. Some people discover their life’s purpose during these sessions, or they gain clarity and inner peace. Some are shown the lessons they are meant to learn. I keep notes or record these sessions, but people generally remember everything after they come out of hypnosis. A CD of the session can be sent in the mail for an extra small fee.

During past life regressions clients usually experience themselves in a different body, incarnate at a different point in time which their soul or spirit remembers.  Valuable lessons can be learned from observing their previous Selves dealing with a variety of situations, some good, some bad, some mundane, some enthralling. Healing can happen as people understand for the first time why they do what they do in this lifetime.

The journey of discovery and the gaining of awareness are wonderful and valuable things, but in addition I often guide clients through processes which allow healing to happen, so clients can move on in their lives. I keep notes or record these sessions, but people generally remember everything after they come out of hypnosis. A CD of the session can be sent in the mail for a small extra fee.

For more detailed information on Spirit State Healing and Past Life Regression Therapy and the cost go to the relevant page by clicking here