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Hypnotherapy for Low Self-Esteem and Confidence, by Video
A compliment slides off you in seconds. A small mistake stays for a week. Low confidence and self-esteem are rarely about one big belief. They’re quick, automatic reactions, and those can change. Hypnotherapy for confidence works on those reactions, from wherever you are.
At a glance: 4 sessions 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?
- Someone praises your work and you’ve explained it away before they finish the sentence.
- You say yes to things you don’t want to do, then quietly resent it.
- You apologise for things that aren’t your fault.
- Just as something starts to go well, you find a way to trip it up.
- You rehearse conversations for hours before, and replay them for days after.
- You keep your ideas to yourself, because someone else probably has a better one.
If a few of those landed, read on. If low mood has come along with them, please read the GP section too.
Why low confidence is so hard to talk yourself out of
Low confidence is hard to talk yourself out of because it reacts before you think. Low self-esteem works the same way. The inner critic arrives first. People pleasing is often an old way of keeping the peace: if others are happy, nobody gets cross with you.
Holding back can be protective too. If you never fully try, a poor result can’t say anything about you. Psychologists call that pattern self-handicapping. It’s also why kind words from friends, or telling yourself to think positive, rarely stick. The reassurance arrives too late. A psychologist can help you work through where the pattern came from. That’s worth doing if it runs deep. Hypnotherapy is aimed at the automatic part.
How hypnosis helps build confidence
Hypnosis helps build confidence by letting you rehearse hard moments while you’re calm. It’s focused, relaxed attention, a bit like being absorbed in a good film. You’re fully aware and in charge the whole time. It isn’t sleep, and you can’t be made to do anything you don’t want to do.
We use that state to practise the moments that knock you: speaking up, saying no, hearing praise without batting it away. We also work on the negative thoughts and limiting beliefs that hold you back, so they carry less weight. The aim isn’t a higher score out of ten. It’s a kinder, steadier way of answering yourself when things go wrong.
In my practice, I ask you to bring two or three real moments from the past month. We work on those, rather than on confidence in general.
You also take home an audio recording. Use it before a hard conversation or after a rough day, so your self-confidence grows between sessions too.
How confidence hypnotherapy works online
It’s four one-to-one video sessions, with your audio to practise with in between.
- 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, up to 90 minutes
We look at where the self-doubt shows up most and pick the situations to work on. Then we start the trance work.
- Three more sessions, up to 60 minutes each, and an audio to take home
We check how the real moments went, then rehearse the next ones. Listen between appointments, especially before the moments that matter. Progress doesn’t have to wait for the next session.
Hypnosis needs your attention, not my physical presence. So video works: you’re in your own space, with no drive home afterwards. You’ll need a quiet room, a reliable connection and headphones. If the video drops out, I’ll ring you back.
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 suggests hypnosis suits confidence in particular situations more than how you rate yourself overall. A 2010 study followed 59 footballers. Three sessions of confidence-building hypnosis lifted confidence and performance at one specific skill. The change was still there four weeks later.
A 2023 trial with 82 participants looked at a weight-management program. Adding hypnosis made no significant difference to general self-esteem. It did improve how people coped.
The wider research matters too. In 2003, Baumeister and colleagues found that doing well tends to lift how you see yourself. It works less the other way round. A 2009 study tested a positive affirmation. People who already felt bad about themselves repeated “I’m a lovable person”, and felt worse afterwards. So we skip the slogans and work on real moments that matter to you.
Is hypnosis for confidence safe?
For most adults, yes. Hypnosis doesn’t involve medicine, and side effects are mild and short: you might feel a little drowsy or emotional afterwards. It isn’t the right place to start if you live with psychosis. The same goes for a severe mental health condition that isn’t being treated. If that’s you, talk to your GP or treating clinician first.
A low opinion of yourself can also be part of depression, so please read the GP note below. This work sits alongside your GP or psychologist, not instead of them.
What confidence hypnotherapy costs: $1,000
The 4-session program costs $1,000 paid upfront, or $1,200 if you pay as you go. Four sessions gives time to improve confidence in a few real situations and test the change in your week.
The 4-session program: $1,000 upfront
4-session program: $1,000 paid upfront (that’s $250 a session), or $300 per session as you go ($1,200 for all four).
- Four sessions by video, plus an audio to take home and simple self-hypnosis.
- 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 wellA low opinion of yourself can be part of depression. Has low mood, hopelessness or loss of interest been with you most days for two weeks or more? Then please book in with your GP. They can refer you to a psychologist with a Medicare rebate through Better Access. Hypnotherapy sits well alongside that. And if someone at home or at work puts you down every day, that isn’t a confidence problem. It’s worth talking to someone about what they’re doing.
Who you’ll be working with
I’m Ernest McLeod, and I’ve been in clinical practice for fourteen years. I work from Adelaide and see clients right across Australia by video. Before that I spent twenty years as a software engineer and designer. 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 confidence hypnotherapy
Does hypnotherapy for confidence work?
The research is limited. In a 2010 study of 59 footballers, confidence at one skill improved and lasted four weeks. A 2023 trial with 82 people found no significant change in how people rated themselves overall. So it looks better suited to confidence in particular situations. If low mood is part of the picture, use it alongside your GP and a psychologist.
What is the success rate of hypnosis for confidence?
I don’t quote one. Advertised success rates usually come from small or unchecked studies, or from a practitioner’s own records. I’d rather you look at the published research on this page and choose knowing the real picture.
Will hypnosis change my personality?
No. You stay yourself, and you stay in control. You hear everything, you remember it, and you can open your eyes at any point. What changes is how you react in a few chosen moments.
How do I hypnotise myself to be confident?
I teach you a short routine in the sessions. You settle your breathing, focus your attention, then picture one real moment going the way you want. The audio guides you through it until it feels natural.
What are the risks of hypnotherapy?
For most adults they’re small: you might feel drowsy or emotional for a while afterwards. It isn’t the right starting point with psychosis or untreated severe mental illness. The safety section above has the details.
Does hypnosis work for social anxiety?
That’s a different problem with its own research. If other people’s attention is what you dread, read about hypnotherapy for social anxiety instead.
Is this the same as imposter syndrome?
Not quite. A lack of confidence is a general sense of not being good enough. Imposter syndrome is feeling like a fraud despite a good track record. If that sounds more like you, see hypnotherapy for imposter syndrome.
Can hypnotherapy help with people pleasing?
It can help with the automatic part: the yes that’s out of your mouth before you’ve thought about it. We rehearse saying no in small, low-stakes ways until it feels less alarming. Doing it for real is still yours to do.
Is this just positive affirmations?
No. If you already think poorly of yourself, the research above suggests they can backfire. We work on how you respond to real situations, not on repeating things you don’t believe.
How many sessions will I need to feel confident?
The program is four sessions, and we review progress as we go. If it isn’t helping, I’ll say so and point you towards what might. Unused prepaid sessions stay yours for 12 months.
Does it work over video?
Yes. The work depends on your attention, and that travels well over video. Many people find it easier to relax at home.
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.
Request a free consultationOr call 0427 218 092
Related
- Mind and emotionsEvery mind and emotions program, with prices.
- Imposter syndromeWhen your record is good and you still feel like a fraud.
- ProcrastinationWhen you know what to do and can’t make yourself start.
- Social anxietyWhen other people’s attention is the hard part.
- Public speakingWhen all eyes on you is the moment you dread.
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Where these numbers come from
Baumeister RF, Campbell JD, Krueger JI, Vohs KD (2003). Does high self-esteem cause better performance, interpersonal success, happiness, or healthier lifestyles? Psychological Science in the Public Interest 4(1): 1-44. doi.org/10.1111/1529-1006.01431.
Wood JV, Perunovic WQ, Lee JW (2009). Positive self-statements: power for some, peril for others. Psychological Science 20(7): 860-866. doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02370.x.
Untas A, Lamore K, Delestre F, et al. (2023). Psychosocial effects of hypnosis in patients with obesity: a pilot randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis 65(4): 281-298. doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2022.2152308. Self-esteem was a secondary outcome in this trial.
Barker J, Jones M, Greenlees I (2010). Assessing the immediate and maintained effects of hypnosis on self-efficacy and soccer wall-volley performance. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology 32(2): 243-252. doi.org/10.1123/jsep.32.2.243. Confidence here means confidence at one soccer skill, not self-esteem in general. I’ll always show you where a number came from.
Hypnotherapy is a complementary therapy, not 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.