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Hypnotherapy for Social Anxiety, by Video Anywhere in Australia
Social anxiety often does its worst work before you arrive and after you leave. There’s the rehearsing, then the replay on the drive home. Hypnotherapy for social anxiety works on both, and on where your attention goes in the room. We do it in four sessions from your own home.
At a glance: a 4-session program by video. $1,000 in total paid upfront, or $1,200 paid session by session.
Or call 0427 218 092
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 script phone calls before you make them, and sometimes don’t make them.
- In a conversation, half your attention is on how you’re coming across.
- You go quiet in meetings even when you know the answer.
- You leave a gathering and replay every word for hours, or days.
- You say no to invitations you’d actually like to accept.
- A drink or two has become the price of walking into a room.
If several of those fit, read on. If the last one fits, please read the GP section further down as well.
Why social anxiety is more than shyness
Social anxiety is a fear of being judged that starts steering your choices. Being shy is a temperament, and plenty of shy people are content. Social anxiety costs you things you want. It’s common, too. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found 7.3% of Australians aged 16 to 85 had social phobia over 12 months.
Much of it runs on attention. When you feel watched, your focus swings inward to your face, your voice and your hands. That leaves less attention for the actual conversation, so you lose your thread. It seems to prove the fear right. Afterwards, the memory you replay is built from how it felt inside, not how it looked to anyone else. Physical symptoms like blushing or a shaky voice add to the fear. Avoidance brings quick relief, so the fear grows. Telling yourself “nobody’s looking” rarely shifts that, because the habit is automatic.
How hypnosis helps with social anxiety
Hypnosis helps by letting you rehearse social situations while your body stays calm. Hypnosis is a state of focused attention and relaxation, sometimes called trance. You stay aware throughout and can stop at any point. It isn’t sleep, and it isn’t stage hypnosis.
In my practice, I ask you to walk me through one ordinary social moment, second by second. Where your attention goes in that moment is where we begin.
In that relaxed state, we rehearse the situations you dread, from small talk to meeting new people. You practise keeping your attention outward, on the person and the room. We also loosen the negative thought patterns behind the replay. Then a normal evening stops being filed as a disaster. You learn self-hypnosis to use before a hard day, not only in sessions.
How hypnotherapy for social anxiety works online
You do all four sessions by video from home, starting with a short free phone call.
- A free 15-minute call
You tell me what’s hard. I tell you honestly whether I think I can help, with no hard sell. Ask me anything you like about hypnosis too, such as how it feels or whether you stay in charge.
- First hypnotherapy session, up to 90 minutes
We map which social settings are hardest and what happens in your head before and after. Then we begin the work in the same session.
- Three more sessions and an audio to take home
Up to 60 minutes each, spaced to suit you. Between them you try small, real steps in your own life. You also get an audio recording to use before social events, plus a short routine of your own. You can use both between sessions.
You’ll need a quiet room, a steady connection and headphones. If the video drops, I ring you back. Video suits social anxiety better than people expect. There’s no waiting room, and nobody watching you arrive.
Prefer not to talk for long?The free call is fifteen minutes, by phone, and I’ll do most of the talking at the start.
What the research actually says
Research in this area is limited, and I’d rather you knew that before you book. The closest trial looked at fear of speaking in public. In 1997, Schoenberger and colleagues compared cognitive behavioural therapy with the same therapy plus hypnosis. Both helped more than a waiting list, and the version with hypnosis came out ahead.
A wider 2019 meta-analysis on anxiety, by Valentine and colleagues, pointed the same way. Hypnosis did more when combined with other psychological care than on its own. For diagnosed social anxiety disorder, CBT with a psychologist has good evidence. I see my work as something that sits beside it.
Is hypnosis for social anxiety safe?
For most adults, yes. There’s no medicine involved. Any after-effects tend to be mild, like feeling a bit sleepy or emotional for a while. Hypnotherapy isn’t the place to start if you live with psychosis or a severe, untreated mental illness. Please talk to your GP or treating clinician first. If you already see a psychologist, keep going. In the free call I’ll tell you if someone else should help first.
What hypnotherapy for social anxiety costs: $1,000
Four sessions cost $1,000 in total, paid upfront.
The 4-session program: $1,000
Four sessions, designed to work on the rehearsing beforehand, the self-focus in the moment, and the replay afterwards.
- 4-session program: $1,000 paid upfront, which is $250 a session. Or pay $300 per session as you go ($1,200 for all four).
- 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 talk to your GP as wellIs social anxiety shaping your work, study or relationships? Have you come to rely on alcohol to get through social situations? Then your GP is a good first stop. They can refer you to a psychologist for talk therapy, with a Medicare rebate through Better Access. Hypnosis can run alongside that. If blushing, trembling or a racing heart are new or getting worse, get a medical check too.
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 social anxiety
Does hypnotherapy work for social anxiety?
The honest answer is that the research is thin. In one 1997 trial on fear of speaking to an audience, CBT with hypnosis came out ahead. A 2019 meta-analysis found hypnosis did more alongside other psychological care. So I offer it with your GP or psychologist, not instead of them.
What is the success rate of hypnotherapy for social anxiety?
I don’t quote one. There’s no reliable published figure for social anxiety. Advertised rates usually come from small studies or a practitioner’s own records, and I’d rather not mislead you.
What should I do if I have social anxiety?
Start with your GP, especially if it’s affecting work, study or relationships. Therapy with a psychologist has good evidence. Small, regular steps into the situations you avoid matter too. Hypnosis can help those steps feel more possible.
What is the 333 rule for social anxiety?
It’s a popular grounding tip. Name three things you can see, three sounds you can hear, and move three parts of your body. I don’t know of research behind it, but it pulls attention outward. That’s the same direction we practise in sessions.
Can self-hypnosis help with social anxiety?
It can be a useful tool. You learn a short routine in your sessions to use before an event. It’s most useful as part of the bigger plan, not as the whole of it.
Will I have to talk a lot, or be on camera the whole time?
You’ll talk a little so I understand what’s going on. During hypnosis itself, you usually just close your eyes and listen. If the camera is hard at first, tell me and we’ll find what’s comfortable.
Will I lose control?
No. You hear everything, remember it, and can open your eyes whenever you choose.
How many sessions will I need?
The program is four sessions. Some people want a few more afterwards, and some don’t need all four. Unused prepaid sessions stay valid for 12 months.
Is it covered by Medicare or my health fund?
It isn’t covered by Medicare, and there’s no need for a GP referral. Health fund extras cover varies, so check with yours.
Ready when you are
Tell me the best time to reach you and I’ll call within 24 hours. Fifteen minutes, no obligation.
Request a free consultationOr call 0427 218 092
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Where these numbers come from
Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020 to 2022. abs.gov.au. 12-month social phobia: 7.3% of Australians aged 16 to 85.
Schoenberger NE, Kirsch I, Gearan P, Montgomery G, Pastyrnak SL (1997). Hypnotic enhancement of a cognitive behavioral treatment for public speaking anxiety. Behavior Therapy 28(1): 127-140. doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(97)80038-X. Source of the comparison of CBT with and without hypnosis.
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 finding that hypnosis did more alongside other psychological care. 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.