Anxiety and stress · Adelaide and online
Hypnotherapy for Health Anxiety in Adelaide
The test comes back clear and you feel lighter. A few days later, a new twinge, and the worry starts up again. My health anxiety hypnotherapy in Adelaide is a plan we shape together to work on that loop.
At a glance: a plan of usually 6 to 12 sessions, agreed before you start. $1,500 to $3,000 in total paid at the start ($250 a session), or $300 a session as you go. By video anywhere in Australia, or in person in Adelaide by arrangement.
Or call 0427 218 092
A short phone chat, no strings. I ring back within 24 hours. See what it costs
- 14 years in practice
- 4.6 ★ from 30 Google reviews
- ThreeBest Rated listing, Adelaide 2018 to 2026
- Fellow, ASCH
Ernest McLeod, The Hypno CoachAdelaide’s Hypno Coach since 2012. Fourteen years in practice, working with adults by video or in person.
Signs your body worry has turned into a habit
- A sore head quickly turns into the worst possible reason in your mind.
- You prod, feel or look at the same spot many times a day.
- Late at night you search a symptom and end up reading about rare diseases.
- Good news from the doctor helps for a day or two, then the doubt creeps back.
- Your family is tired of reassuring you, and you’re tired of asking.
If some of these sound like you, you’re in good hands here. Please keep seeing your GP as usual. I explain how the two work together below.
Why one more test rarely settles the worry
A 2013 review by Rolfe and Burton pooled 14 trials and 3,828 patients at low risk. Tests did little to calm their illness worry. That’s why a clear result feels good, then fades.
It’s a loop, not a weakness. You notice a feeling and read it as a sign of something serious. Fear makes you notice it more. Checking or asking gives quick relief, and that relief trains your brain to check again.
You’re far from alone. A 2013 study by Sunderland, Newby and Andrews found about 5.7% of Australians meet the criteria at some point in life. It often sits alongside depression or other worries.
How a clinical hypnotherapist eases the checking loop
My work targets the automatic parts of the loop: the jolt when you notice a feeling, and the pull to check. In hypnosis you’re relaxed and focused, yet awake and in control. It’s a little like mindfulness, with a guide.
We practise noticing a sensation and letting it drift past, without the scary story. Suggestion and imagery speak to the subconscious mind, the part that reacts before you think. NLP helps quieten the inner voice asking “what if it’s serious?” Time Line Therapy can loosen feelings tied to old worries.
If the loop began with a real scare, like a hard hospital stay, I may use Rewind. You picture the memory at a distance, like a film, then run it backwards, with no need to share details. If there’s a deeper trauma or PTSD, we work alongside your GP or psychologist, and counselling may need to come first.
I tailor these hypnotherapy techniques to your own triggers. You’ll also learn self-hypnosis and simple breathwork for when the urge to search shows up. One thing I’ve noticed over fourteen years: people often feel relief just naming the loop out loud. The aim is to help you take control of the worry, alongside your medical care.
Health anxiety hypnotherapy in Adelaide: by video or in person
Most of my sessions happen by video, on Google Meet. If you live in Adelaide, SA, and would rather meet in person, we can arrange that.
- Book your free call
A free consultation, fifteen minutes on the phone. You tell me what’s been happening, and I tell you straight if I think I can help. You can also ask me anything about hypnosis, like what it feels like or whether you stay in control.
- Your first session: your plan
We map the loop: which worries come up most, what you do when they hit, and what life would feel like with less checking. You leave with a plan, usually 6 to 12 sessions, and we start the hypnotic work that same day.
- Follow-up sessions, spaced to suit you
Each one is a short chat, then hypnosis in a chair, eyes closed. For online sessions you need a quiet room, a steady connection and headphones. If the video drops, I ring you back. You take a recording home, plus a simple self-hypnosis routine.
Still weighing it up?Ring-back within 24 hours, at a time you pick. Fifteen minutes, and you can ask me anything.
What the research says about hypnosis for health anxiety
I know of no good controlled trials of hypnosis for health anxiety itself, so I won’t claim any. The nearest evidence is a 2019 review by Valentine and colleagues. It pooled 15 studies on anxiety in general and found a clear average benefit.
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is the evidence-based option for health anxiety. A clinical psychologist or counsellor can offer it, and your GP can refer you. My sessions can integrate with that care as a calm, practical partner, not a swap for it.
Is hypnotherapy for health anxiety safe?
For most adults, yes. No medicine is involved, and you stay aware the whole time. The downsides are mild: you might feel sleepy or a little emotional for a short while afterwards.
The bigger risk would be using hypnotherapy in place of a check-up. So here is my rule. A new or changing physical symptom always goes to your GP first. Hypnotherapy never replaces medical tests. If you live with chronic pain or an ongoing condition, your doctor stays in charge of it.
Please keep seeing your GP or psychologist while we work. A collaborative approach with your therapist works well. If you live with psychosis, or a serious mental illness without support yet, start with your GP. If you’re in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 in an emergency.
What health anxiety hypnotherapy costs in Adelaide: $1,500 to $3,000
We start with a 90-minute session for $300. In it we put your plan together, usually 6 to 12 sessions, and you hear the full cost before you commit to anything.
Agreed before you start: your plan, $1,500 to $3,000 in total
Paid at the start, a plan is $250 a session: $1,500 for six sessions, $3,000 for twelve. Paid as you go it is $300 a session, $1,800 to $3,600. Your $300 first session counts towards the plan either way, and two instalments can be arranged.
- Every session comes with a recording to keep, and the plan comes with follow-up from me and 12 months of support. Prepaid sessions last 12 months; anything unused can go to another issue or to someone you know.
- Card or bank transfer, no surcharge. Prices in Australian dollars, no GST. Not covered by Medicare; some health fund extras pay a small benefit, so check with your fund.
You work with me, Ernest McLeod, start to finish: 14 years in practice and a Fellow of the Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists.
Book my free 15-minute callOr call 0427 218 092
Your GP stays on the teamA new or changing symptom, a lump, weight loss you can’t explain, bleeding, or anything getting worse still needs a doctor. Many people do well with one regular GP and a shared plan for what to bring in. Your GP can also refer you to a psychologist with a Medicare rebate under Better Access. New or severe chest pain? Call 000 now.
Who you’ll be working with
Hi, I’m Ernest McLeod, Adelaide’s Hypno Coach since 2012 and a clinical hypnotherapist for fourteen years, based in South Australia. Before this I spent twenty years writing software, so I like plain answers and practical steps.
- Fellow, ASCH
- Certified NLP Practitioner
- Time Line Therapy® Practitioner
- Trainer: AHA-approved CPD courses
What I’m not: hypnotherapy is not a registered health profession here. So I’m not AHPRA-registered, and I’m not a psychologist. My memberships are voluntary. I also teach other hypnotherapists. The Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association has approved my smoking, vaping and gambling cessation courses for professional development (CPD). Read my story
What clients have said
“I feel calm & relaxed.”
SM, anxiety
“I was petrified of being hypnotised but I found Ernest to be easygoing and friendly … he really helped me to relax.”
Client, first session
Written by clients after sessions with Ernest in Adelaide, shared with their written permission. Individual experiences vary. Read the Google reviews.
Health anxiety hypnotherapy in Adelaide: your questions
Does hypnotherapy work for health anxiety?
It can help, but nobody can promise it will. There are no good trials on this exact problem yet. A calmer body and new habits around checking can make the worry easier to live with. Feeling calmer is welcome, but it is not a success rate.
What’s the success rate for health anxiety hypnotherapy?
I don’t quote one. Each loop is different, and a number from my own practice wouldn’t be fair research. The closest published evidence is in the research section above.
How effective is hypnosis for anxiety?
For anxiety in general, the 2019 Valentine review found people who had hypnosis ended up less anxious, on average, than comparison groups. Fifteen studies is a modest base, and none looked at health anxiety alone.
What are the potential downsides of hypnotherapy?
They’re usually small: tiredness, or feeling emotional for a while. The real risk is putting off a doctor visit because you feel calmer. That’s why any new symptom still goes to your GP first.
Can hypnotherapy help with physical anxiety symptoms?
Worry makes the body react: a fast heart, tight chest, tingling or an upset stomach. Those feelings then look like proof of illness. Deep relaxation can help settle them. Get anything new checked first.
Will I stop taking real symptoms seriously?
No. The aim is a response that fits: see the doctor when something new shows up, without constant checking in between.
What happens during a hypnotherapy session for anxiety?
We talk first about what set the worry off this week. Then you close your eyes and I guide you into a relaxed, focused state. You can open your eyes at any time.
How many hypnotherapy sessions are needed for anxiety?
Health anxiety usually takes a plan of 6 to 12 sessions. We agree the number after your first session, and we review as we go. Unused prepaid sessions stay valid for 12 months.
Is hypnotherapy covered by Medicare Australia?
No. You don’t need a GP referral to see me. Some fund extras may help, so check with your fund.
Is a video session as good as meeting in Adelaide?
For many people, yes. What matters is your focus, and that doesn’t need us in the same room. If you’d rather meet face to face, we can arrange it.
Is health anxiety the same as hypochondria?
It’s the same pattern. The old word often gets used as an insult, which isn’t fair. You don’t need a diagnosis to book a free call.
Let’s have a chat
Pick a time that suits you and I’ll ring within 24 hours. Fifteen minutes, free and confidential.
Book a free 15-minute callOr call 0427 218 092
Or email info@thehypnocoach.org
Related
- All anxiety and stress helpEvery anxiety and stress page, with prices.
- AnxietyWhen the worry spreads wider than your body.
- Panic attacksWhen fear hits hard and fast, in your chest.
- Sleep and insomniaWhen worry keeps you up at night.
- Adelaide hypnotherapy homeStart here to see everything I help with.
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Where these numbers come from
Rolfe A, Burton C (2013). Reassurance after diagnostic testing with a low pretest probability of serious disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine 173(6): 407-416. doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.2762. 14 randomised trials, 3,828 patients.
Sunderland M, Newby JM, Andrews G (2013). Health anxiety in Australia: prevalence, comorbidity, disability and service use. British Journal of Psychiatry 202(1): 56-61. doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.111.103960. Lifetime 5.7% and current 3.4%, from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
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. 15 studies of anxiety in general, not health anxiety alone.
Hypnotherapy is a complementary therapy. It is not medical care, a diagnosis, or a stand-in for your doctor or a psychologist. If your symptoms are strong or don’t ease, please see your GP. Adults 18 and over. Last updated 7 October 2026.