Anxiety and stress · Adelaide and online
Hypnotherapy for Panic Attacks in Adelaide
A panic attack ends. What lingers is the fear of the next one, and how it starts to shape your days. Panic attack hypnotherapy in Adelaide works on that fear, gently, at a pace that feels safe.
At a glance: plans usually run 6 to 12 sessions, agreed with you. $1,500 to $3,000 in total paid upfront, or $1,800 to $3,600 if you pay 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 the prices
- 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. Video sessions Australia-wide, or in person in Adelaide by arrangement.
Signs that panic is steering your days
You’re far from alone: 3.7% of Australians aged 16 to 85 had panic disorder in a single year, the ABS found.
- Out of nowhere, your heart races and you’re sure something terrible is happening.
- You clock the exits whenever you walk into a room.
- You’ve abandoned a shopping trolley, a queue or a movie halfway through.
- Every flutter or dizzy spell gets checked, then checked again.
- An outing that felt fine on Monday feels risky by Friday.
- Sometimes an attack comes when you’re calm, or wakes you up, and that feels so unfair.
If no doctor has checked you yet, please do that first. The safety section explains why.
Why the fear of the next attack keeps panic going
healthdirect says panic symptoms build fast and usually peak within 10 minutes. It’s your survival alarm going off at full volume with no danger around. Adrenaline, quick breaths, a pounding pulse. Scary, yes. It also means the wave has a top, and then it falls.
For many people, the space between attacks is the bigger problem. You watch your body for warning signs. A normal flutter after coffee or a flight of stairs gets read as “here it comes”. That thought alone can trip the alarm. This anxiety about the next attack is what keeps panic disorder going. Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder where the fear of fear does most of the damage. It can sit alongside a phobia, or follow post-traumatic stress disorder, so we look at what tends to trigger anxiety for you.
How hypnosis helps with panic attacks
Hypnosis lets you rehearse the moments that scare you while your body stays settled. You’re calm, focused and awake the whole time, and you can stop whenever you like. We practise the places and feelings that set you off. You learn to notice an ordinary heartbeat without the alarm bolted on. In the hypnotic state your nervous system gets to practise calm, and your subconscious mind rehearses a new response to old thought patterns. Simple relaxation becomes something you can reach for, not something you hope for.
For panic I often draw on Rewind, a gentle way to take the charge out of a frightening memory. Time Line Therapy looks at where the fear first took hold. NLP helps with the “what if” talk in your head. These are some of the tools I’ve found useful. I’ll also teach you a slow breath and a short self-hypnosis routine for the days between sessions.
How panic attack hypnotherapy works: video or Adelaide
It starts with a free 15-minute phone call, and I ring you back within 24 hours.
- Book your free call
Fifteen minutes on the phone. You tell me what’s been happening, and I tell you straight if I can help. You can also ask me anything about hypnosis, like what it feels like or whether you stay in control.
- Session one: your plan
A full session. We look at what sets off your panic, what you’ve already tried, and what you’d love to do again. You leave with a plan and my suggested number of sessions. The $300 for this session is taken off the plan.
- Follow-up sessions
We work through your plan and check progress each time. Many people with panic find home the easiest place to begin. You take a recording home to play between visits, and you keep the self-hypnosis routine.
For video, all you need is a quiet room, a steady internet connection and headphones. We use Google Meet. If the call drops, I ring you straight back. If you’re in Adelaide and would rather meet in person, we can arrange that.
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 panic attacks
A 2019 review of hypnosis for anxiety found it does most when paired with other psychological help. That’s encouraging. But trials on panic disorder itself are few and small. So I won’t give you a number for panic, because a good one doesn’t exist.
Cognitive behavioural therapy has the strongest trial support for panic disorder, sometimes with medicine your doctor may suggest. Hypnotherapy can sit next to either one. It works alongside your care, not instead of it. What I can offer is a calmer baseline. You also learn a new way to relate to feelings that once meant danger.
Is hypnotherapy for panic attacks safe?
For most adults, yes. No medicine is involved. Afterwards you might feel a little sleepy or teary for a short while, and that soon passes.
Panic can mimic a heart problem, so a doctor should check you before we begin. If you live with psychosis, or a serious mental illness without support yet, see your GP first. I’ll also tell you on the free call if someone else is a better fit. Keep seeing your GP or psychologist while we work, and don’t change any medicine without your doctor. If you’re in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 in an emergency.
What panic attack 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
Please see your GP firstPanic can look a lot like a heart problem. Thyroid issues, asthma and some medicines can mimic it too. If you haven’t had a check-up, please book one before we start. Your GP can also refer you to a psychologist with a Medicare rebate under Better Access. Hypnotherapy can run beside that. New chest pain, pain moving into your arm or jaw, or fainting? Call 000 now.
Who you’ll be working with
I’m Ernest McLeod, Adelaide’s Hypno Coach since 2012, with fourteen years in practice.
Before hypnotherapy I wrote software for twenty years. So I like to understand how a problem works before I try to shift it. I see clients by video anywhere in Australia, or in person in Adelaide by arrangement.
- Fellow, ASCH
- Certified NLP Practitioner
- Time Line Therapy® Practitioner
- Trainer: AHA-approved CPD courses
Something you should know: hypnotherapy isn’t a registered health profession here. 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
Clients write a short note after their sessions, and these two agreed to share theirs.
“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.
Questions about panic attack hypnotherapy in Adelaide
These are the things people ask me on the free 15-minute call.
Does hypnotherapy work for panic attacks?
It can help, especially beside your GP’s care or a course of CBT. Research on hypnosis for anxiety is encouraging, but panic trials are small, as the research section explains. Some clients tell me they feel calmer straight after a session. That feeling is real, but it is not a success rate.
What’s the success rate for panic attack hypnotherapy?
I don’t quote one. No good study gives a figure for hypnosis and panic. Any number would be a guess dressed up as a fact. Instead, we track your own progress at every session. The research section above sets out what is known.
What is the 3-3-3 rule for panic attacks?
It’s a quick grounding trick: name three things you can see, three you can hear, then move three parts of your body. It pulls attention out of the alarm and into the room. It won’t stop every attack, but it gives you something to do while the wave passes. We often pair it with the slow breath you learn in sessions.
What happens in a hypnotherapy session for panic attacks?
Your initial consultation is a full first session. We talk through when panic hits and what you avoid, then you have your first hypnosis. Later sessions start with a short chat, then hypnosis in a chair, eyes closed. You hear everything and can stop at any time.
Could I panic during a session?
You stay in charge the whole time. You can hear me, you’ll recall it, and you can open your eyes and stop whenever you like. Some people with panic find a slower heartbeat feels odd at first. That’s normal, and we allow for it. You can sit up, leave a light on, and we go at your speed.
Is online hypnotherapy as good as seeing a hypnotherapist in Adelaide?
For most of this work, yes. What matters is your focus, and that doesn’t need us in the same room. Many people settle more easily at home. If you’re in Adelaide and prefer to meet face to face, we can arrange it.
How long will it take?
Panic plans usually run 6 to 12 sessions. We agree a number in your first session and check it as we go. It’s a usual range, not a promise.
Is it covered by Medicare?
No. Hypnotherapy isn’t covered by Medicare, and you don’t need a GP referral to see me. Some health funds pay a little back under extras, so check with yours.
What if we hit a wall?
Say so. I check progress with you as we go, and I’ll change tack if something isn’t landing. If hypnotherapy isn’t the right fit, I’ll tell you, and suggest where to go instead. Prepaid sessions you haven’t used stay yours for 12 months, for another issue or for someone else.
Let’s have a chat
Pick a time that suits you and I’ll ring within 24 hours. You can also email info@thehypnocoach.org.
Book a free 15-minute callOr call 0427 218 092
Related
- Anxiety and stress in AdelaideEvery anxiety and stress issue I work with, in one place.
- Anxiety hypnotherapyWhen the worry hums along most days.
- Health anxiety hypnotherapyWhen every body feeling seems like a warning.
- Agoraphobia hypnotherapyWhen panic shrinks the places you’ll go.
- The Hypno Coach homeHypnotherapy in Adelaide and by video with Ernest McLeod.
Free and confidential, open now. Tap to call.
Where these numbers come from
healthdirect Australia. Panic attacks and panic disorder. healthdirect.gov.au/panic-attacks-and-panic-disorder. Source for symptoms usually peaking within 10 minutes.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020 to 2022. abs.gov.au. Panic disorder in the past 12 months: 3.7% of Australians aged 16 to 85.
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. Basis for saying hypnosis does most alongside other psychological help.
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.