Anxiety and Stress · Online across Australia
Hypnotherapy for Stress and Burnout, by Video Anywhere in Australia
Burnout rarely arrives in one go. It builds over months of pushing through. Rest stops working, and a job you cared about feels like a weight. Hypnotherapy for stress starts by giving your nervous system a way to come down. Then we build a plan together.
At a glance: a plan of 6 to 12 video sessions, set in your first session. $1,500 to $3,000 in total prepaid, or $1,800 to $3,600 paid as you go.
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 wake up tired, even after a full night in bed.
- Sunday afternoon already feels like Monday morning.
- Small requests at work make you irritable in a way that isn’t like you.
- You’ve stopped caring about things you used to take pride in.
- Your mind keeps working through the evening, the weekend and the holidays.
- You’re getting more headaches, colds or sore shoulders than you used to.
If a few of those landed, read on. If nearly all of them did, please see your GP as well. I explain why further down.
Why stress keeps you switched on, even at rest
Rest stops working because long stress keeps your body on alert, even on the couch. The World Health Organization describes burnout as the result of chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been managed well. It has three parts. There’s exhaustion, a growing distance or cynicism about your job, and a sense you’re no longer effective. It’s an occupational problem, not a personal failing.
Over time, high stress levels become your normal: a raised heart rate, tight muscles and a busy mind. You stop noticing how switched on you are, and feeling overwhelmed becomes background noise. A weekend off can’t undo that, because your stress response has forgotten how to stand down. Physical symptoms like headaches and sore shoulders can follow. Pushing harder or waiting for a holiday are coping mechanisms that tend to leave the pattern in place.
How hypnosis helps with stress
It helps by giving your body a clear experience of settling, often for the first time in a while. Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention and deep relaxation. You’re aware the whole time, and you can’t be made to do anything you don’t want. You’re open to suggestion only as far as you choose.
In my practice, I ask you to walk me through a normal workday, from waking to switching off. I’m listening for where the pressure builds, and where you never get to come down.
We use that relaxed state to practise switching off at the end of the day. We loosen the habits that keep you pushing, and rehearse saying no without the guilt. We pair it with slow, deep breathing you can use at your desk. You also learn self-hypnosis for the ten minutes after work, to reduce stress before you walk in the door. It’s practical stress management, not just a nice lie-down. This work can’t change your workload or your workplace. It can help you think clearly enough to decide what you want to change.
How hypnotherapy for stress works online
Your sessions happen by video from home or a quiet office, after a free phone call.
- A free 15-minute call
Tell me what’s been wearing you down. I’ll say honestly whether this suits you. Ask me anything you like about hypnosis too, such as how it feels or whether you stay in charge.
- Your first hypnotherapy session: the plan
Up to 90 minutes. We look at what’s been draining you and how you want your days to feel. We agree a plan and a number of sessions, and your $300 is credited to it.
- Regular sessions by video and a recording for the evenings
Each runs up to 60 minutes. Plans usually run 6 to 12 sessions, reviewed as we go. Between appointments, you get an audio recording to help you come down after work.
You’ll need a quiet room, a good connection and headphones. If the video drops, I ring you back. Video also means no commute and no rushing back to your desk.
Too tired to work out whether this is for you?That’s fine. The free call is fifteen minutes, by phone, and I’ll do the sorting.
What the research actually says
On stress, there’s one well-run trial, and its results were modest but encouraging. Fisch and colleagues randomised 95 healthy adults with high stress. One group had five weekly two-hour hypnosis group sessions, with recordings for home. The other group had an information booklet. The hypnosis group reported lower stress at 5 weeks and still at 12 weeks.
The honest caveats: the comparison was a booklet, not another active therapy, and stress was self-rated. An earlier review by the same team found nine randomised trials with 365 people. All were at high risk of bias, and the effect on stress was unclear. Research on hypnosis for burnout itself is at a very early stage. I take that as reason for modest expectations, and for working alongside your GP.
Is hypnosis for stress safe?
For most adults, yes. Hypnosis involves no medicine, and side effects are usually mild, like brief drowsiness. Some people should start elsewhere. That includes anyone with psychosis or severe mental health conditions that aren’t being treated. It also includes exhaustion that hasn’t had a medical check. If that’s you, see your GP or treating clinician first. Keep seeing your psychologist if you have one.
What hypnotherapy for stress costs
Expect $1,500 to $3,000 in total if you prepay a plan of 6 to 12 sessions.
Your first session: $300
This is where we build your treatment plan. The $300 is credited towards the plan.
- Stress and burnout 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 wellStress symptoms and exhaustion have plenty of physical causes. These include anaemia, thyroid problems, sleep apnoea and some medications. Burnout also overlaps with depression, and the two need different help. A GP check is worth it. Your GP can refer you to a psychologist with a Medicare rebate through Better Access. Many workplaces also offer a free, confidential Employee Assistance Program. If you’re feeling hopeless or thinking of harming yourself, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 now.
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 stress
Does hypnotherapy work for stress?
The evidence is early but encouraging. In one randomised trial of 95 stressed adults, group hypnosis lowered self-rated stress more than a booklet. The gap held at 5 and 12 weeks. An earlier review called the overall effect unclear, because the older trials were weak. So I keep expectations modest and work alongside your GP.
What is the success rate of hypnotherapy for stress?
I don’t quote one. There’s no reliable published figure, and advertised rates often come from a practitioner’s own records. The trials above are a fairer guide.
How long does it take to feel a difference?
It varies from person to person, and I can’t give you a timeline. We review progress together at each session and adjust the plan.
Who should avoid hypnotherapy?
People living with psychosis, or a severe mental illness that isn’t being treated, should start with their GP. So should anyone whose exhaustion hasn’t had a medical check.
Is this just relaxation?
Relaxation is part of it, and a worn-out nervous system needs it. But we also work on the patterns that got you here. That means things like not switching off, not saying no, and the ways you cope with stress.
How many sessions will I need?
Plans usually run 6 to 12 sessions. We set the number together in your first session. That range is a guide, not a fixed number.
Should I take time off work?
That’s a decision for you and your GP, who can assess you properly. I’m happy to work with you whether you’re on leave, back at work, or in between.
Can I use self-hypnosis for stress on my own?
Yes, and you’ll learn how in your sessions. It’s a skill that improves with practice.
Will I lose control?
No. You can hear me, you remember everything, and you can stop whenever you like.
What if it isn’t helping?
Say so. We change the approach if something isn’t working. If this isn’t right for you, I’ll suggest what might be. Anything prepaid and unused stays valid for 12 months.
Is it covered by Medicare or my health fund?
There’s no Medicare rebate for hypnotherapy, and you won’t need a GP referral. Check your health fund, because extras cover varies.
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
World Health Organization (2019). Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases. who.int. Source of the ICD-11 definition and its three dimensions.
Fisch S, Trivaković-Thiel S, Roll S, et al. (2020). Group hypnosis for stress reduction and improved stress coping: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 20: 344. doi.org/10.1186/s12906-020-03129-6. 95 participants; five weekly 120-minute sessions; outcomes at 5 and 12 weeks.
Fisch S, Brinkhaus B, Teut M (2017). Hypnosis in patients with perceived stress: a systematic review. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 17: 323. doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1806-0. Nine randomised trials, 365 participants, all at high risk of bias. 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.