Phobias · Adelaide and online
Hypnotherapy for a Fear of Heights in Adelaide
Feeling a bit wobbly at a railing is normal. The question is what the fear has stopped you doing. I’m Ernest, and my fear of heights hypnotherapy in Adelaide pairs hypnosis with small, planned steps, so you can start getting some of that back.
At a glance: a 4-session program with me, by video from anywhere in Australia, or in person in Adelaide by arrangement. $1,000 for the program when you pay at the start. Paying session by session comes to $1,200.
Or call 0427 218 092
A short phone chat, no pressure to book. 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, Adelaide’s Hypno Coach since 2012Clinical hypnotherapist, fourteen years in practice. Sessions by video anywhere in Australia, or in person in Adelaide by arrangement.
What a fear of heights can stop you doing
A fear of heights usually shows up as things you quietly avoid, from ladders to lookouts.
- The gutters need cleaning, but the ladder stays in the shed.
- At a barbecue, everyone else is out on the balcony and you’re inside.
- You ask hotels for a low floor and never say why.
- You stayed in the car at the Mount Lofty lookout while the others took photos.
- Up high, your legs feel unreliable, even behind a solid barrier.
- Near a drop, a strange “what if I jumped?” thought pops up, and it scares you.
Sound like you? Keep reading. That odd thought in the last line is common, and I explain it in the questions near the end.
Why a fear of heights is so hard to shift
Your balance system plays a big part, so the fear can feel like a fact. Being careful up high makes sense. It turns into a phobia when it starts making your choices. You turn down a job on roofs. You plan a drive around a bridge. You skip the view at Windy Point.
Down low, your eyes lock onto the floor and walls to keep you upright. Up high, everything is far away, so you sway a touch more and your body corrects too hard. That’s normal. The trouble starts when the sway feels like a warning. You go stiff, the sway gets bigger, and the fear feels confirmed.
How hypnosis helps with a fear of heights
Hypnosis lets us reach the quick, automatic jolt that comes before any thinking. You’re relaxed and alert, and in your mind we move towards the drop bit by bit. First a kitchen step stool. Then a first-floor balcony. Then a lookout with a sturdy rail. At each stage you notice your feet, your breath, and a sense of being solid.
Hypnosis is the base. Alongside it I use Rewind, a gentle technique for taking the sting out of a frightening memory or fear, and sometimes Symbology, which works with the pictures and metaphors your mind already uses. NLP and Time Line Therapy come in where they fit. These are some of the tools I’ve found useful.
Between sessions you practise for real, one step at a time, always somewhere a fall can’t happen, like an enclosed stairwell or a fenced lookout.
How fear of heights hypnotherapy works: video or Adelaide
The program is four sessions on Google Meet, or in person in Adelaide by arrangement, after a free 15-minute call.
- Free phone call, 15 minutes
Describe the places up high that you dodge. I’ll be honest about whether I can help. No pressure to book. You can also ask me anything about hypnosis, like what it feels like or whether you stay in control.
- First session
We write a list of heights, from mild to scary, and pick one you’d like back first. Then we start, with hypnosis and the easiest item.
- Sessions two to four, video or in person
Join from home with a quiet room, headphones and steady internet. If the video drops, I ring you back. Or meet me in Adelaide by arrangement. There’s no need to visit a rooftop together. The rehearsal happens in your imagination. You take a recording home to use before each practice step.
Still weighing it up?Ask me anything on a free 15-minute phone call. If I don’t think I’m the right fit for you, I’ll say so.
Or call 0427 218 092
What the research says about hypnosis for a fear of heights
There’s no solid trial of hypnosis for this fear that I can show you. But there’s good news about practice. Daniel Freeman’s team in the UK ran a randomised trial with 100 adults scared of heights. Half got about two weeks of automated virtual reality sessions. Fear scores fell by an average of 24.5 points with the VR, against 1.2 points without it, and the drop held at follow-up. It appeared in The Lancet Psychiatry in 2018.
No hypnosis was involved. The lesson I draw is simple: repeated, graded practice moves this fear. So practice sits at the centre of our work, and hypnosis helps each new step feel within reach.
Is hypnotherapy for a fear of heights safe?
For most adults, yes. You might feel a little tired or emotional after a session, and that passes within a few hours.
Start with your GP if you feel dizzy or see the room spin on flat ground. If the fear began with a fall and the scene keeps replaying, start with a psychologist. Keep seeing your GP or psychologist while we work. And keep every practice step safe: no real ladders, scaffolding or cliff tops.
What fear of heights 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 part of this tooIf you feel dizzy, see the room spin, or notice changes in your hearing while on flat ground, that needs a doctor before anything else. If your fear started with a fall, or with watching someone fall, and that scene keeps replaying, start with a psychologist. Through Better Access, your GP can arrange one with a Medicare rebate. Hypnotherapy can sit alongside that. In an emergency, call 000.
Who you’ll be working with
I’m Ernest McLeod. I’ve been Adelaide’s Hypno Coach since 2012, so fourteen years now. I grew up near Vienna and have called Adelaide home since 1991. Before hypnotherapy I wrote software for twenty years.
Many people now see me by video on Google Meet, wherever they live in Australia. If you’re in Adelaide and you’d rather sit in the same room, we can arrange that.
- Fellow, ASCH
- Certified NLP Practitioner
- Time Line Therapy® Practitioner
- Trainer: AHA-approved CPD courses
A plain word on what I’m not. Hypnotherapy isn’t a registered health profession in Australia. I’m not registered with AHPRA, and I’m not a psychologist either. 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 more about me
What clients have said
Clients often write a few words after a session, and The Hypno Coach holds 4.6 ★ from 30 Google reviews.
“I’m feeling relaxed and very calm. I’m ready to embrace my inner energy”
MF, phobia
“Great relaxation process. Wonderful voice to listen to with emphasis that suits my requirements. Feel wonderful at the end.”
CS
Written by clients after sessions with Ernest in Adelaide, shared with their written permission. Individual experiences vary. Read the Google reviews.
Questions about fear of heights hypnotherapy in Adelaide
These are the questions I hear most on the free 15-minute call.
Does hypnotherapy work for a fear of heights?
It can help, as part of a program built on graded practice. Hypnosis helps you stay calm while you rehearse each step in your mind. Then you try that step for real, somewhere safe. We check how it’s going every session.
What’s the success rate?
There’s not a success rate I’d stand behind, so I don’t quote one. There’s no solid trial of hypnosis for this fear, and people differ. The research section above shows what practice can do. I’ll be honest with you about your progress as we go.
What’s that “what if I jumped?” thought near an edge?
Lots of people get it, so many that researchers call it the high place phenomenon. It shows up in people with no wish at all to hurt themselves. A likely reason: your body jerks you back from the drop faster than thought, and a moment later your brain tries to explain the jerk and labels it an urge. Real thoughts of ending your life are a different thing, and they deserve help today. Ring Lifeline on 13 11 14, or see your GP.
Will I be out of control in hypnosis?
No. You stay aware the whole time. You can hear me, you can talk, and you can end the session whenever you like. You come back to the room the moment you choose.
Can this really be done over video?
Yes. What matters is your attention and the work we do together, and a screen doesn’t get in the way of either. If you’d rather meet in person in Adelaide, we can arrange that.
Is four sessions enough?
The program is four sessions, and we check progress each time. Much of the change comes from practising between sessions, so how often you practise matters as much as how many sessions you have.
Isn’t this just vertigo?
People often use the word that way, but they’re not the same. Vertigo means the world seems to spin, and it usually comes from the body, often the inner ear. A fear of heights is anxiety that builds on the normal wobble you feel up high. Spinning on level ground is one for your doctor.
Can hypnotherapy help with other phobias and fears?
Often, yes. The same steps work for many fears, like fear of flying, claustrophobia or panic attacks. We tailor the plan to the fear you bring. If the fear came from a frightening event or trauma, tell me on the free call so we can pace things gently.
Is it covered by Medicare?
No, Medicare doesn’t cover hypnotherapy. You don’t need a GP referral to book. Some health funds pay a little under extras, so check with yours.
What happens if it isn’t helping?
Say so. We check in at the start of every session and change tack when something isn’t working. If I think hypnotherapy isn’t right for you, I’ll tell you, and suggest where to go instead. Any unused prepaid sessions are still yours for a year.
Let’s have a chat
Leave your number and a good time to ring. I’ll call you within 24 hours. Fifteen minutes, free, and no pressure to book.
Book a free 15-minute callOr call 0427 218 092
Or email info@thehypnocoach.org
Related
- Phobia hypnotherapy in AdelaideThe full list of fears, and how my program works.
- Fear of flyingWhen the plane bothers you more than the height.
- ClaustrophobiaWhen a glass lift is as much about the box as the drop.
- AgoraphobiaWhen the fear is of anywhere hard to leave.
- The Hypno Coach homeHypnotherapy in Adelaide and by video with Ernest McLeod.
Free and confidential, open now. Tap to call.
Sources
Freeman D, Haselton P, Freeman J, Spanlang B, Kishore S, Albery E, Denne M, Brown P, Slater M, Nickless A (2018). Automated psychological therapy using immersive virtual reality for treatment of fear of heights: a single-blind, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Psychiatry 5(8): 625-632. doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30226-8. The 24.5 and 1.2 are average drops on the Heights Interpretation Questionnaire (scored 16 to 80) at the end of treatment. A virtual reality therapy trial, not a hypnosis trial.
Hypnotherapy is a complementary therapy. It is not medical care, a diagnosis, or a replacement for your doctor or a psychologist. If your symptoms are strong or don’t ease, please see your GP. Sessions are for adults 18 and over. Last updated 7 October 2026.