Your questions, answered honestly.
Including the ones people feel awkward asking. If yours isn’t here, you’re welcome to ask it on a free call.
Fifteen minutes, free, no obligation to book anything afterwards.
Book a free 15-minute call
What you might be worrying about
What actually causes anxiety?
Overwhelm. At some point, life asked more of you than you felt able to handle, either all at once or one stress on top of another. Your subconscious learned to switch anxiety on whenever something similar comes along, to get you back to safety. It isn’t a flaw. It’s protection, and it can be updated.
Can I do this while on medication?
Yes. This work sits alongside medical care, not instead of it. Any change to your medication is a conversation for you and your doctor.
Why hasn’t talking about it fixed it?
Talking can help you understand anxiety, and being understood matters. But up to 95% of our thoughts, emotions and behaviours are driven by subconscious processes, and that’s where anxiety lives. Understanding happens in the conscious mind, so it often isn’t enough on its own to change the response.
I think something is wrong with my brain.
I hear this often, especially after a first panic attack. Your brain isn’t broken. It’s doing what it was designed to do, just a little too well. Brains are remarkably adaptable, which is exactly why this work is possible: what was learned can be unlearned.
Some of my thoughts frighten me.
Intrusive thoughts are far more common than people realise, and they can feel completely at odds with who you are. They’re what an overwhelmed brain produces, not a reflection of your character. You are not your thoughts, and we can gently settle the system producing them. OCD & intrusive thoughts
I’m hard on myself for having anxiety at all.
That is the single biggest thing that slows people down. You notice something is not working, look for an answer, cannot find one, and give yourself a hard time about it, which just adds more stress to a stressed system. The way out is not affirmations in a mirror, it is accepting yourself at a deeper level, and there are techniques for exactly that.
I have been told I am a perfectionist. Is that why I am anxious?
Often, yes. Perfectionism means nothing you do is ever quite good enough, and that constant self-criticism is stressful, so anxiety tends to follow. The useful reframe is that perfectionism is not good enough for you: it promises satisfaction and does not deliver it. If it genuinely produced happiness I would tell you to keep it.
Part of me feels like it is still holding on.
It takes real honesty to say that, and it is worth naming. We can become so familiar with the uncomfortable that it starts to feel normal. The distinction that matters is between a preference and a decision. Most people would prefer not to be anxious. Freedom tends to arrive for the ones who decide, and then treat the rest as a matter of time.
Why do I have this when other people do not?
People want a meaning for it, and looking for one keeps you in the problem. If you have a stone in your shoe you do not analyse how it got there, whether you chose the wrong shoes, or whether anyone else has one. You take it out. The cause of anxiety is stress and overwhelm, which is all the meaning there is, and the useful question is how to release it.
I’ve had this for decades. Is it too late?
Not at all. How long you’ve had it matters far less than people expect. A pattern held for twenty years is still a pattern, and it can be updated in the same way as a recent one.
Does diet matter?
For some people, yes, and it doesn’t need to be complicated. Your gut and brain are in constant conversation, so ongoing gut trouble can make anxiety harder to shift. Rather than chasing a perfect diet, find a fresh, anti-inflammatory way of eating that leaves you feeling clear and steady. And notice whether caffeine and sugar are pushing you towards the anxious end of your range: easing off a little gives your nervous system a fighting chance.
About hypnosis
Will I be unconscious, or out of control?
No. You’re awake and aware the whole time, you’ll remember the session, and you can speak or stop at any point. Hypnosis is a calm, focused state, much like being absorbed in a good film. Nobody can make you do or say anything you don’t want to. More about hypnotherapy
What if I can’t be hypnotised?
Almost everyone can. If you’ve ever been lost in a book, driven a familiar route without remembering the drive, or cried at a film, you’ve already experienced the state hypnosis relies on. All that’s needed is a willingness to try. There’s nothing to get right.
Will I have to talk through everything that happened to me?
You don’t need to retell your whole story. We’ll focus only on what’s relevant to you, so the work can centre on resolving, releasing and letting go. And we’ll always move at a pace that feels safe and comfortable.
Can I be made to do or say something I don’t want to?
No. Hypnosis isn’t a stage show, and nothing happens without your agreement. Your subconscious’s primary job is to protect you, so it simply won’t accept a suggestion that goes against your values or wellbeing. You can speak, move or open your eyes at any time.
What does hypnosis actually feel like?
For most people it feels like being deeply relaxed while still aware of everything around you, a bit like being absorbed in a good film or drifting just before sleep. Some people feel heavy, some feel light, and plenty feel nothing unusual at all. There is no wrong way to experience it.
Do I have to be gullible for it to work?
Not at all. Hypnosis has nothing to do with being gullible or easily led. It works best for people who can focus and use their imagination, which includes sceptics and analytical minds. Plenty of my clients arrived doubtful. You don’t need to believe in it beforehand, just be willing to give it a go.
Before you book
What happens on the free call?
It’s a relaxed, fifteen-minute conversation by phone or Zoom. You can share as much or as little as you like about what’s going on, and I’ll tell you honestly whether I think I can help, and roughly how many sessions it might take. There’s no cost and no obligation to book anything afterwards.
What does it cost?
The free call costs nothing. An initial session is 90 minutes and $240, and follow-up sessions are 60 minutes and $180. Because most clients experience meaningful change within 3–6 sessions, you’ll have a clear sense of the total from the start.
How many sessions will I need?
Most clients experience meaningful change within 3–6 sessions. Everyone is different, so we’ll talk about what’s realistic for you on the free call, and you’ll know what you’re committing to before you begin.
In person or online?
Either. I see clients in Thornbury and online, world wide. Online sessions work just as well as in person, and many people find it easier to settle in somewhere familiar.
How the work works
What happens in a session?
The Resolve Anxiety Method has four steps. We discover how your anxiety works, connect with your subconscious using simple tools, resolve the overwhelm at its source in hypnosis, and rehearse the calm, confident you until it becomes your new normal. Read about the method
Is this like meditation or breathwork?
Those can be helpful, and they bring calm in the moment. The difference is that they help you manage anxiety, while this work aims to resolve what’s switching it on, so calm becomes your natural state rather than something you have to keep producing.
Will I have anything to use between sessions?
Yes. You’ll leave with simple, practical tools for settling anxiety as it starts and for working with your subconscious yourself. They’re yours to keep, and they don’t depend on me being in the room.
What I help with
What do you work with?
Anxiety in all its forms. Each has its own page if you’d like to read more: anxiety, overthinking & worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, public speaking, OCD & intrusive thoughts, phobias, sleep.
Can you help with difficult past experiences?
Often, yes. Much of this work gently releases the emotional charge held around difficult experiences. Let me know on the free call, and if you’d benefit from more specialised support alongside our sessions, I’ll tell you honestly.
Safety and practicalities
Is it confidential?
Yes. What you share in a session stays there, within the standard legal and ethical obligations of a registered practitioner.
What can’t hypnotherapy do?
It can’t diagnose a medical condition or replace psychiatric care. If what you’re describing needs a different kind of help, I’ll tell you on the free call rather than book you in for sessions.
Can I claim a private health fund rebate?
Hypnotherapy is not currently covered under Medicare or Mental Health Care Plans.
However, many private health funds provide rebates for hypnotherapy. This depends on your level of cover, the length of your membership, and the fund’s individual policies. It’s best to check directly with your provider to confirm whether you’re eligible.
We are a registered member of the Australian Hypnotherapists Association (AHA), which is recognised by many major health funds.
Is hypnotherapy suitable for everyone?
Not quite. I can’t work with anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, BPD, psychosis or uncontrolled epilepsy, or taking antipsychotic medication. Please speak with your GP or psychiatrist, or for immediate support call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication are generally fine. Pain management needs a GP referral first. Unsure? Get in touch and we’ll talk it through.
Still got a question? Ask me directly.
Book a free fifteen-minute call and ask it there. We’ll simply talk about what’s been happening and whether this work feels right for you — no pressure, no commitment.
Prefer to message first? Email.