How Hypnotherapy Can Help You.

A Potted History of Hypnotherapy

In 1971 the Australian Society of Hypnosis (ASH) was formed, with entry restricted to medical practitioners, psychologists and dentists. In collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne University and the Austin Hospital, the ASH provided a two year part-time Diploma of Hypnosis, the course which I completed in 1989. The legal restrictions on hypnotherapy were repealed in 1998, and now hypnotherapy can be performed by anyone.

Inappropriate use of hypnotherapy can trigger a lot of problems, and my practice became flooded with the victims of ham practitioners.

Applications of Hypnosis
Hypnosis is, of itself, not a stand alone therapy. It tends to enhance the efficacy of other therapeutic methods. I use it in combination with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Systematic Desensitisation and age regression for the treatment of fears, phobias and trauma, and a range of other evidence-based methodologies for the treatment of a huge and diverse group of issues. I offer to record hypnotherapy sessions as they proceed, so that my clients have a process which they can use to work on their issues at home. I regularly use hypnotherapy for the following problems:

. Smoking cessation
. Weight management
. Treatment of anxiety, fear and phobia (including performance anxiety related to matters such as public speaking, social anxieties, sports and academic performance)
. Trauma (desensitisation and rehearsal of coping strategies)
. Low self esteem
. Mild to moderate depression
. Compulsive habits (nail biting, hair pulling etc.)
. Gambling
. Alcoholism. (Here, where appropriate, I liaise with AA)
. Pain management.

Commonly asked Questions

Why Should I Choose Hypnotherapy?
In the right hands, it could fairly be described as a tried and tested method to speed up your progress in addressing a wide range of problems.

Can Hypnosis Cause Me to Act Against My Best Interests?
Hypnosis cannot be used to make you do things you do not wish to. The members of the audience used in stage displays have to know that they could be encouraged to perform embarrassing acts – which must be something they do not strongly object to – otherwise they would not volunteer. Improbable though it may seem, they are not being made to do things they do not want to.

The ASH, composed of psychologists and medical practitioners, deplores this use of hypnosis.

Will I be Conscious when I am Hypnotised?
Absolutely. Hypnosis-like states occur naturally for many people, particularly if there is eye strain and concentration. Examples of such situations include working on the computer for a while and driving home after a long shift. Having said this, hypnosis is a state characterized by specific brainwave types and the activation of particular parts of the nervous system. It is physiological, rather than psychic, TV shows notwithstanding.

Should I Choose EMDR or Hypnotherapy?
EMDR has only been around since the late 1980s, and although there is wide agreement that it is helpful in reprocessing trauma and that it shows promise in some other applications, it is in its infancy compared with hypnotherapy, as is the connected research.

Why Should I Choose a Psychologist to Be My Hypnotherapist?
As I mentioned, hypnotherapy wrongly performed can produce a range of issues. For example, people with psychosis or depression can find their condition worsened by hypnosis – rather like letting cats out of bags. Proper assessment of the client’s psychological condition is essential in the decision as to whether or not to use hypnotherapy. The psychologist is trained in making assessments of the client’s mental health.

As a health professional, a psychologist is bound by a code of ethics enforced by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency, a government body capable of administering severe penalties for malpractice. Lay practitioners are not legally bound in the same way.

Given that there is no Medicare or private health insurance hypnotherapy item, attending a psychologist who uses hypnotherapy as a technique will attract relevant rebates. Attending a lay practitioner will not.

Which Psychologist Should I Choose as My Hypnotherapist?
As with any other field, the answer must be, the most highly trained and experienced practitioner. Psychologists who graduated from the old Diploma of Hypnosis course conducted at the Austin Hospital under the auspices of Professor Graham Burrows have to be described as amongst the most thoroughly trained AHPRA registered health professionals in the field, and I am one of the few remaining who qualified under this system. I have been using hypnotherapy for over 40 years.

So, why not reach out and chat about whether I can help you?

My number is 0428 397 219 and I offer an initial free of obligation quarter hour consultation.