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Hypnotherapy for Anxiety, by Video Anywhere in Australia
When your mind keeps rehearsing the worst version of tomorrow, another pep talk won’t help. A calmer nervous system and a plan will. Hypnotherapy for anxiety works on the automatic alarm underneath the worry, one session at a time.
At a glance: usually 6 to 12 sessions by video, agreed together in your first session. $1,500 to $3,000 in total paid upfront, or $1,800 to $3,600 session by session.
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15-minute phone call, no obligation. I’ll call you within 24 hours. See what it costs
- 14 yearsin clinical practice
- FellowAustralian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists
- AHA approvedCPD courses I teach other hypnotherapists
- 1 to 1with Ernest, by video from home
Ernest McLeod, clinical hypnotherapistAn Adelaide practice, seeing clients across Australia by video. Fourteen years in practice.
Does any of this sound familiar?
- You wake at 3am and your mind is already at work.
- Your chest tightens before a meeting, a phone call, or an ordinary Monday.
- You run through every way something could go wrong. Then you run through it again.
- You’ve started avoiding things you used to enjoy, because the build-up isn’t worth it.
- People tell you to “just relax”. You’d love to, if someone would show you how.
- You’re tired in a way that sleep doesn’t fix.
If two or three of those landed, read on. If all of them did, read on and please book in with your GP as well. If you feel unsafe right now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Why anxiety is so hard to switch off
Anxiety is hard to switch off because much of it runs below conscious thought. It’s your body’s alarm system doing its job too often and too loudly. That’s why you can know the email is fine and still feel your heart go.
Logic, reassurance and willpower all work at the level of thinking. They can calm you for a moment, then wear thin when the alarm sounds again. That isn’t a weakness on your part. The physical symptoms, like a tight chest or a racing heart, come from a faster part of you. Hypnosis aims a level down, at those automatic reactions.
Anxiety takes many forms, from constant worry to panic attacks or a specific phobia. This page is about the everyday, general kind that follows you from one worry to the next.
How hypnosis helps with anxiety
Hypnosis helps by giving you a calm, focused state in which to practise a different response. It’s focused attention combined with deep relaxation. In a state of hypnosis you’re fully aware and in charge the whole time. You’re more open to suggestion, but only to ideas you agree with. It isn’t sleep.
In my practice, I start by finding the exact moment your alarm goes off, and what you notice first. It might be a thought, a picture or a feeling in your chest. That moment is where the rehearsal begins.
In that relaxed state we go through the situations that set you off, one at a time. You practise meeting each one with a steadier body and a quieter mind. We also loosen the thought patterns that keep the worry going. You also learn simple self-hypnosis for home, your desk or 3am. The aim is for the calmer response to start turning up on its own.
How hypnotherapy for anxiety works online
It works by video from your own home, in three stages, starting with a free phone call.
- A free 15-minute call
You tell me what’s going on. I tell you honestly whether I think I can help. No obligation, and no hard sell. Ask me anything you like about hypnosis too, such as how it feels or whether you stay in charge.
- Your first session: the treatment plan
Up to 90 minutes. We map what sets you off, what you’ve tried, and what you want instead. You leave with a plan and a recommended number of sessions. The $300 for this session comes off the plan.
- Follow-up sessions by video and an audio to take home
Each runs up to 60 minutes. Anxiety plans usually run 6 to 12 sessions, and we review progress as we go. You receive an audio recording to use between appointments, plus a simple routine to use on your own. Progress doesn’t have to wait for the next session.
You’ll need a quiet room, a reliable connection and headphones. If the video drops, I ring you back. If you’ve searched for anxiety help near you, video removes the “near”.
Not sure yet whether this is for you?That’s what the free call is for. Fifteen minutes, by phone, at a time that suits you.
What the research actually says
The research on hypnosis for anxiety is encouraging, but it’s a small body of work. In 2019 the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis published a meta-analysis by Valentine and colleagues. It pooled 15 studies.
After treatment, the average person who had hypnosis did better than about 79% of the comparison groups. The effect held at follow-up. They found hypnosis worked better “when combined with other psychological interventions than when used as a stand-alone treatment.”
So I offer this work alongside your GP or psychologist, not instead of them. I’d rather tell you that now than oversell it.
Is hypnosis for anxiety safe?
For most adults, yes. Hypnosis is a therapeutic tool, not a medicine. Side effects are usually mild and short: you might feel a little drowsy or emotional afterwards. If a session ever leaves you more unsettled, tell me and we change the approach.
It isn’t the right place to start if you live with psychosis or a severe, untreated mental health condition. If that’s you, please talk to your GP or treating clinician first. If you take medication, don’t change it without your doctor. Keep seeing your psychologist too. If you’re in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
What hypnotherapy for anxiety costs
A plan usually costs $1,500 to $3,000 in total, paid upfront for 6 to 12 sessions.
Your first session: $300
This is where we build your treatment plan. The $300 is credited towards the plan.
- Anxiety plans usually run 6 to 12 sessions. We agree the number together in your first session.
- Paid upfront: $250 a session. 6 sessions: $1,500 in total. 12 sessions: $3,000 in total.
- Session by session: $300 each. 6 sessions: $1,800. 12 sessions: $3,600.
- Session length: your first session runs up to 90 minutes, and follow-up sessions up to 60 minutes.
- Prepaid sessions are valid for 12 months. Any you don’t need can be used for something else, or passed on to someone you know.
- Pay by card or bank transfer. Prices in AUD. No GST applies.
Or call 0427 218 092
Please see your GP as wellAnxiety symptoms overlap with several physical problems. These include an overactive thyroid, anaemia, low B12, heart rhythm problems, some medication side effects and alcohol withdrawal. A first bout deserves a doctor’s check. Your GP can also refer you to a psychologist with a Medicare rebate through Better Access. This work sits well alongside that. Chest pain or trouble breathing is a 000 call, straight away.
Who you’ll be working with
I’m Ernest McLeod. I’ve practised as a clinical hypnotherapist for fourteen years. I have an Adelaide practice and see clients right across Australia by video. Before that I spent twenty years as a software engineer and designer. So I care more about what works than what sounds impressive.
- Time Line Therapy® Practitioner
- Fellow, ASCH
- Trainer: AHA-approved CPD courses
- Certified NLP Practitioner
What I’m not: hypnotherapy isn’t a registered profession in Australia, so I’m not AHPRA-registered and I’m not a psychologist. My ASCH Fellowship is voluntary. I also train other hypnotherapists. My courses on quitting smoking, vaping and gambling count as professional development (CPD), approved by the Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association. More about me
Questions people ask about hypnotherapy for anxiety
Does hypnotherapy work for anxiety?
It helps some people, and the research is encouraging. In a 2019 meta-analysis of 15 studies, people who had hypnosis ended treatment less anxious, on average. The effect held at follow-up. That’s still a small body of research. Hypnosis also worked better alongside other psychological care, so I offer it alongside your GP or psychologist.
What is the success rate of hypnotherapy for anxiety?
I don’t quote one. Advertised success rates usually come from small studies nobody has checked, or from a practitioner’s own records. The 79% on this page isn’t a success rate either. It describes the average effect compared with other groups. The published research, with its limits, is a fairer guide.
Can hypnotherapy make anxiety worse?
It isn’t common, but you might feel emotional for a short while after a session. If anything feels harder, tell me and we slow down or change the approach. If you live with psychosis or untreated severe mental illness, please start with your GP.
How many hypnotherapy sessions will I need for anxiety?
Anxiety plans usually run 6 to 12 sessions. We set the number together in your first session, based on what’s going on for you. It’s a typical range, not a promise.
Can self-hypnosis calm anxiety at night?
It can help you settle. You learn a short routine in your sessions, and you can use it in bed. If bad nights are regular, mention them to your GP as well.
Is hypnotherapy enough for severe anxiety?
Not on its own. That needs your GP first. They can refer you to a psychologist for talk therapy such as CBT, and hypnosis can sit beside that.
Can hypnotherapy help with anxiety and depression?
The two often travel together, and depression needs its own care. Please see your GP first. Hypnosis can sit alongside that care. See hypnotherapy for depression.
Will I lose control?
No. You hear everything, you remember it, and you can open your eyes at any point. It’s a bit like being absorbed in a good film.
Does hypnotherapy work over video?
Yes. The work depends on your attention and on what we do together. Both travel well over a video call.
What if it isn’t helping?
Tell me. We review progress as we go and change the approach if needed. If this isn’t right for you, I’ll say so and point you towards what might be. Unused prepaid sessions stay yours for 12 months.
Is it covered by Medicare or my health fund?
Hypnotherapy isn’t covered by Medicare, and you don’t need a GP referral. Health fund extras cover varies, so check with your fund before you start.
Ready when you are
Tell me the best time to reach you and I’ll call within 24 hours. Fifteen minutes, no obligation.
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Where these numbers come from
Valentine KE, Milling LS, Clark LJ, Moriarty CL (2019). The efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 67(3): 336-363. doi.org/10.1080/00207144.2019.1613863. Source of the 15 studies, the 79% figure and the finding about combining hypnosis with other psychological care. The 79% describes the average effect. The typical person who had hypnosis finished less anxious than about 79% of the comparison groups. It isn’t a success rate. I’ll always show you where a number came from.
Hypnotherapy is a complementary therapy. It isn’t medical treatment, a diagnosis, or a substitute for care from your doctor or a psychologist. If your symptoms are severe or persistent, please speak to your GP. Last updated 9 October 2026.