Anxiety and stress · Adelaide and online
Social Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Adelaide
Your face goes hot when people look your way, and you count the minutes until you can leave. Social anxiety hypnotherapy in Adelaide gives you four sessions to practise feeling calmer around people.
At a glance: four one-to-one sessions for $1,000 in total if you prepay. Paying as you go costs $1,200. By video anywhere in Australia, or in person in Adelaide by arrangement.
Or call 0427 218 092
A short phone chat within 24 hours. No obligation. 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, with fourteen years in practice. Most sessions are by video; in person by arrangement.
Where the fear of being judged shows up
- The lift doors open on someone you half know, and you stare at your phone.
- At a barbecue you stay near the food table, so your hands have a job.
- Someone says your name across the office and your cheeks start to burn.
- Before a friend’s birthday drinks, you plan your excuse to go home early.
- You skip the question you need to ask, because asking means being noticed.
Recognise a few? Read on. If you can barely leave the house, or you feel hopeless, please see your GP first. Free support numbers are at the bottom of this page.
Why this kind of anxiety hangs on
Fear of judgement is far from rare. In its 2020 to 2022 national study, the Australian Bureau of Statistics found 7.3% of Australians aged 16 to 85 had social anxiety over 12 months. That’s roughly one person in fourteen.
It sticks because of the small ways we protect ourselves. Checking a phone, leaving early or staying silent all bring quick relief. But each escape stops you learning that the moment would have been fine. So your nervous system keeps sounding the alarm.
How hypnotherapy can ease the fear of judgement
Being hypnotised is a calm, focused state, a bit like daydreaming on a long drive. You stay awake and you can stop at any moment. In that hypnotic state, it is often easier to picture hard situations while your body stays settled.
For anxiety, I mostly draw on three hypnotherapy techniques:
- Rewind. Some people can name the moment it started, like being laughed at in class. You picture that memory at a distance, like a film. Then you run it backwards, with no need to share details.
- Time Line Therapy. You imagine your life as a line from past to future. We let old feelings drain from earlier events, then picture a coming one, like a work dinner, going calmly.
- NLP. Simple ways to change the inner pictures and voices that feed the fear. A harsh inner critic can be turned down, like a radio.
I use these methods alongside small, real steps out in the world.
Between sessions you have a therapeutic audio recording to play at home, so the calm you practise with me gets daily repetition. You also learn a quick routine for the minutes before you walk in somewhere, like a meeting room or a party.
How the sessions work: video or in person
Four private sessions, starting with a free phone call.
- A short, free call
If phoning is part of the problem, use the online form and I’ll ring you. Tell me one situation you find hard. I’ll say honestly whether this suits you. You can also ask me anything about hypnosis, like what it feels like or whether you stay in control.
- Session one
We choose two or three hard situations, like the team lunch or the chat at school pick-up. Then the work starts, in that same session.
- The next three sessions
Each one is a short chat, then hypnosis in a chair, eyes closed. Between sessions you pick one small real step to try, when you feel ready. You take a recording home, plus a quick routine for the minutes before you walk in somewhere.
I see most clients over Google Meet video, which also suits people in regional SA. For online sessions, set up somewhere private with good internet and headphones. If the link drops out, I phone you back at once. Prefer to sit in the same room? That can be arranged.
Not sure yet?The free call is just a chat. I’m happy to do most of the talking.
Or call 0427 218 092
What the research says about hypnosis for social anxiety
Does hypnosis work for social anxiety? Studies on this exact problem are scarce, so the honest answer is “possibly”. The broader picture comes from a 2019 review by Valentine and colleagues. It pooled 15 studies on anxiety in general. On average, people who were hypnotised ended up less anxious than comparison groups. The gap was wider when it was added to other therapy.
The nearest single trial is about fear of public speaking. In 1997, Schoenberger and colleagues added hypnosis to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Results were slightly better than with CBT alone. These are small studies, so see them as encouraging, not certain. Hypnotherapy belongs alongside your care, not instead of it.
Is hypnotherapy for social anxiety safe?
For most adults, yes. It uses no medicine, and you remain aware throughout. Some people feel drowsy or a little teary for a short while after.
CBT with a psychologist is the first-line, evidence-based approach for social anxiety disorder. If you’ve been diagnosed, or the fear stops you working or studying, start with your GP. Hypnotherapy can run beside that care. Please see your GP first if you live with psychosis or an unsupported serious mental illness. The same applies if you rely on alcohol or drugs to face people. Please stay with your GP or psychologist during our sessions. If you ever feel unsafe, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 in an emergency.
What social anxiety hypnotherapy costs in Adelaide: $1,000
One session at a time is $300. Most people take the four-session program: $1,000 paid at the start, which is $250 a session and $200 less than paying as you go ($1,200).
Most people choose: the 4-session program, $1,000 in total
- That covers a 90-minute first session and three 60-minute sessions, by video or in person in Adelaide, with a recording to keep after each one, a follow-up from me and 12 months of support.
- Prepaid sessions last 12 months. If you do not need them all, use them for another issue or give them 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 is a good partner hereA GP can write a mental health plan, which gives you Medicare rebates for psychologist sessions under Better Access. Questions about medication belong with your GP too. If blushing, sweating or a racing heart are new or getting worse, ask for a medical check. In an emergency, call 000.
Who you’ll be working with
My name is Ernest McLeod. I’ve been Adelaide’s Hypno Coach since 2012, based in South Australia, with fourteen years in practice. My training is in clinical hypnotherapy, including hypnotherapy and psychotherapy classes at the Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy, plus NLP and Time Line Therapy. Before that I spent twenty years writing software, and I worked as a fashion photographer. Through the viewfinder, I often saw self-assured people go stiff the moment they knew they were being looked at.
- Fellow, ASCH
- Certified NLP Practitioner
- Time Line Therapy® Practitioner
- Trainer: AHA-approved CPD courses
What I’m not: in Australia, hypnotherapy isn’t a registered health profession. So I’m not registered with AHPRA, 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). More about me
What clients have said
Here’s what two clients wrote, in their own words.
“I was petrified of being hypnotised but I found Ernest to be easygoing and friendly … he really helped me to relax.”
Client, first session
“I feel calm & relaxed.”
SM, anxiety
Written by clients after sessions with Ernest in Adelaide, shared with their written permission. Individual experiences vary. Read the Google reviews.
Questions about social anxiety hypnotherapy in Adelaide
Ten things people ask me on the free call.
Does hypnotherapy work for social anxiety?
It may help you feel calmer around people, though direct studies are few. The 2019 Valentine review found it eased anxiety in general, on average. It seems to help most next to CBT and real practice. How calm you feel after one session matters, though it is not a success rate.
What’s the success rate for social anxiety hypnotherapy?
I don’t quote one. No good study gives a figure, and a made-up number would mislead you. Instead we track your own goals, like staying to the end of a party. The research section above covers what is known.
How effective is hypnosis for anxiety?
Across 15 studies, the Valentine review found a clear average benefit over comparison groups. Results vary a lot between people.
Is hypnotherapy covered by Medicare Australia?
No, Medicare doesn’t cover it, and you don’t need a GP referral. A few health funds refund part of it under extras cover, so check with yours.
What are the potential downsides of hypnotherapy?
Mostly mild ones, like feeling tired or emotional for a short time. It costs money and time, and it may not help everyone. It isn’t suitable for people with psychosis. See the safety section above.
How many hypnotherapy sessions will I need?
The program is four. Some feel ready sooner, and unused prepaid sessions stay valid for 12 months. Others book a single top-up ahead of something big.
Can it help with blushing, shaking or a racing heart?
These physical signs are part of the alarm, so we work on them directly. You practise staying settled while picturing the moments that set them off. If they are new or worsening, see your GP first.
Will I have to talk about embarrassing memories?
No. With Rewind, you can work on a memory without telling me what happened. You only share what you are comfortable sharing.
Is video as good as meeting in person?
The work relies on your focus, and a screen doesn’t get in its way. Being in your own space often helps people relax. In-person sessions are possible by arrangement.
What if I’m not making progress?
Tell me. We can change the approach, or I may suggest CBT with a psychologist instead. I’d rather you got the right help than kept paying me.
Let’s have a chat
Leave your details and I’ll ring within 24 hours. It’s free, and there’s no pressure to go ahead.
Book a free 15-minute callOr call 0427 218 092
Or email info@thehypnocoach.org
Related
- Anxiety and stress hubAll the anxiety and stress programs I run, with prices.
- Public speakingWhen the fear only shows up at the front of a room.
- Panic attacksWhen panic attacks hit, with or without people around.
- Confidence and self-esteemWhen self-doubt follows you well beyond a crowd.
- The Hypno Coach homeHypnotherapy with Ernest McLeod, by video or in person.
Free and confidential, open now. Tap to call.
Where these numbers come from
Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020 to 2022. abs.gov.au. Social phobia in the past 12 months: 7.3% 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.
Schoenberger NE, Kirsch I, Gearan P, Montgomery G, Pastyrnak SL (1997). Hypnotic enhancement of a cognitive behavioral treatment for public speaking anxiety. Behavior Therapy 28(1): 127-140. doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(97)80038-X.
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.