Hypnotherapy for Cannabis in Adelaide

Signs cannabis is taking more than it gives

• You roll one most evenings, and a night off feels strange.
• You promised yourself a break, then found a reason to start again.
• You feel flat or foggy the morning after, and it’s getting harder to shake.
• Money, sleep or a relationship has started to take the hit.
• You use to switch off, but your mind races when you don’t.
• Your mood or mental health feels flatter than it used to.

If one or two of these sound familiar, read on. If you also use other drugs or drink heavily, please read the safety section first.

Why giving up weed is harder than it sounds

Most of the pull is habit. Some people call it weed addiction or marijuana addiction, and doctors call it cannabis use disorder. Cannabis gets linked to cues: the couch after dinner, a certain friend, a stressful day. After enough repeats, the cue starts the urge before you’ve thought about it.

Withdrawal plays a part too. The Alcohol and Drug Foundation says symptoms are usually mild. They often start within one to two days of stopping and are mostly gone within three weeks. Poor sleep, vivid dreams, feeling anxious and restlessness are common. Knowing that helps. A rough first fortnight is normal, and it passes.

How to quit smoking weed, and where hypnotherapy fits

Start with a plan you can see. Pick a date to stop, or a cut-back plan with your GP. Write down your top three triggers. Then plan what fills those hours instead, because an empty evening is when old habits creep back. Your mind needs something positive to do.

That’s where hypnotherapy can help. People often ask me about addiction and hypnosis. Hypnosis is focused relaxation, a bit like being absorbed in a film. Clinical hypnotherapy uses that state so your mind can learn to respond to old cues in a new way. You stay awake, you hear everything, and you can stop whenever you want.

In that calm state we rehearse your trigger moments, one by one. You picture the couch, the friend or the bad day, and practise getting through it without lighting up. We also work on sleep and stress, because they drive a lot of evening use. A positive plan for your evenings makes the process easier to stick with.

Time Line Therapy, NLP and self-hypnosis are some of the tools I’ve found useful. You learn a short self-hypnosis routine for the moments an urge hits. Drinking or another drug in the mix too? Hypnotherapy for drugs and alcohol can cover both, with your GP in the loop.

How the four sessions work: video or in person

The program has four sessions, and it begins with a free 15-minute phone call.

1. 1A free phone call

   You tell me what’s going on and who’s already helping. I ask a few safety questions, then tell you honestly if this is a fit. No judgement. You can also ask me anything about hypnosis, like what it feels like or whether you stay in control.

2. 2Your first session

   We map your triggers, what has helped before, and what you want the next few months to look like.

3. 3Sessions two to four

   Each starts with a short chat about your week. Then hypnosis in a chair, eyes closed. We space them around your other care. You take a recording home and learn quick self-hypnosis for the hard moments.

Still deciding? The call is free. We talk for fifteen minutes, and you decide later, in your own time.

Or call 0427 218 092

What the research says about hypnosis for cannabis

That study was about pain, so it’s a hint, not proof. The Victorian Government’s Better Health Channel also says to avoid hypnosis where there is “a drug or alcohol problem”. I take that seriously. So I only offer this beside your GP or a drug and alcohol service, never instead of them. Your GP or a drug and alcohol service can refer you for talking therapies too.

Is hypnotherapy for cannabis safe?

For most adults, yes. No medicine is involved, and you stay aware the whole time. You might feel sleepy or a bit emotional for a short while after a session.

Some people should check with their GP first. That includes anyone who has had hallucinations or strong paranoia when using, or who lives with psychosis. It also includes anyone who drinks heavily, uses other drugs, or takes a prescribed medicine. Never change a medicine without your doctor.

I work with adults only. Keep seeing your GP or counsellor while we work. If things feel too heavy, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 in an emergency.

What cannabis hypnotherapy costs in Adelaide: $1,000

One session at a time is $300. Most people take the 4-session program: $1,000 paid at the start, which is $250 a session and $200 less than paying as you go ($1,200).

Who you’ll be working with

Ernest McLeod

Clinical hypnotherapist, Adelaide and online

I’m Ernest McLeod, a clinical hypnotherapist and The Hypno Coach since 2012, with fourteen years in practice.

I grew up near Vienna and moved to South Australia in 1991. Before this work I spent twenty years writing software, so I care about what works, not what sounds clever.

Fellow, Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists (ASCH) · Certified NLP Practitioner · Time Line Therapy® Practitioner · Trainer: AHA-approved CPD courses

A plain word on what I’m not. Hypnotherapy is not a registered health profession here, so I’m not AHPRA-registered, and I’m not a psychologist. Every membership above is 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 →