Clinical hypnotherapy is a state of focused attention, similar in some ways to becoming absorbed in a book, a film or your own thoughts.

In a clinical hypnotherapy session, your therapist will be interested in the thought processes you use to construct the problem, and once those are identified, they will deliver skills and tools for a new approach.

Each session is tailored to you, because we know that you are unique and complex.

We believe insight alone does not trigger change, so we focus on how you are doing it, not why.

We use a modern permissive hypnosis style, or a ‘Neo-Eriksonian’ approach which is proven to be most effective for the broadest range of people.

You don’t lose control, and you don’t have to make anything happen.

No. You remain aware and in control throughout the process.

Clinical hypnosis isn't like stage hypnosis. You don't surrender control to the therapist, and you cannot be made to do something against your will.

You can speak, move, open your eyes or stop the process at any time.

No.

Although people often feel deeply relaxed during hypnosis, you are not asleep or unconscious. Most people remain aware of what is happening and can hear what is being said.

There is also no particular way hypnosis is supposed to feel. Some people experience a strong sense of relaxation or absorption, while for others the experience feels quite ordinary.

You don't need to be particularly suggestible or able to reach a special state for us to work together.

Hypnosis involves attention, imagination and engagement with the therapeutic process. There is no right way or wrong way to access a hypnotic state.

People may seek support when they are experiencing patterns such as:

• Anxiety and overthinking

• Stress and overwhelm

• Confidence and self-doubt

• Difficulty switching off or settling at night

• Unhelpful habits and recurring patterns

• Procrastination or feeling stuck

• Navigating life, relationship or career changes

You don't need to arrive with a diagnosis or a perfectly defined problem. We can start by looking at what is happening for you now and what you would like to be different.

There isn't a set number that is right for everyone.

Strategic psychotherapy is generally designed to be focused and purposeful, but the number of sessions will depend on what you would like to work on, how long the pattern has been present and how you respond to therapy.

We can discuss this during your first session and review your progress as we go.

The first session gives us time to understand what has brought you to therapy, what you would like to change and the patterns that may be contributing to what you're experiencing.

Rather than simply gathering your history, we'll begin exploring how the problem works for you and what might help create change.

Where appropriate, the session may also include clinical hypnosis.

Most importantly, the first session is collaborative. You can ask questions at any point and we'll work at a pace that feels appropriate for you.

No.

Your history can be relevant, and there may be times when discussing past experiences is useful. However, strategic psychotherapy does not assume that you need to repeatedly revisit or describe every past experience in detail in order to create change.

Our focus is primarily on understanding what is happening now and helping you develop different ways of responding.

You are always in control of what you choose to discuss.

The discovery call is an opportunity for us to briefly talk before you decide whether you'd like to book a session.

You can tell me a little about what you'd like help with, ask questions about how I work and get a sense of whether Saltbush feels like the right fit for you.

It isn't a therapy session and there's no obligation to book afterwards.

Yes. Saltbush sessions are available online via secure video consultation, allowing you to attend from a private and comfortable space.

Clinical hypnotherapy can also be conducted effectively via telehealth.

We'll discuss how to prepare your space so that you can participate comfortably and without interruption.

Choose somewhere private and comfortable where you're unlikely to be interrupted.

You'll need a reliable internet connection and a device positioned so that we can see and hear each other clearly. Headphones can be helpful but aren't essential.

For sessions involving hypnosis, it's helpful to have somewhere you can sit or recline comfortably while remaining visible on screen.

Please don't participate while driving or in another situation requiring your attention.

Yes. Your privacy and confidentiality are taken seriously.

Information shared during therapy is treated confidentially and handled in accordance with applicable privacy and professional requirements.

There are limited circumstances where confidentiality may need to be broken, such as where there is a serious and imminent risk of harm or where disclosure is required by law. These circumstances are explained as part of the consent process before therapy begins.

Private health insurance benefits for hypnotherapy vary between funds, policies and levels of cover.

If you intend to make a claim, it is best to check directly with your health fund before booking to confirm whether clinical hypnotherapy is included under your particular policy and whether any practitioner eligibility requirements apply.

Tasking provides opportunities for experiential learning, as there is no better way to learn and progress than to learn by experience. Evidence shows that the best way to benefit from therapy is to fully participate in any activities suggested by your hypnotherapist, whether it is listening to audio tracks at home, or carrying out any homework set.

Action is important here, rather than passively reflecting on the task without carrying it out. Knowledge always helps, but direct experience is more likely to get you the results you want. When you expand your range of experiences, you will also expand your personal resources that can be applied to develop new perspectives or life skills.

These tasks should also help you realise that the problem isn’t you – it’s the way you have been going about it. Perhaps keep a folder for your notes so that you can refer back to them as you progress in your sessions. You may notice later that your thinking was either incorrect or incomplete which was creating the problem.

Many clients come to Hypnotherapy looking for a magic bullet. They often do not recognize the importance of their own participation in the process, and hope that the therapist will somehow “zap” them better. If only we could! We often hear of people wanting a switch inside their head turned off, or on as the case may be.

Of course, in the real world, the issues are a little more involved than that. The issues you have been experiencing usually come down to habituated patterns that you run, whether they are behavioural or perceptual, and alternatives have to be installed and generalized. This requires your participation.

Therapy is about learning how to do things differently, and whilst a lot can be done at the cognitive and emotional level, this is greatly reinforced by real world experience. Long-lasting change will only be yours when you have developed new skills and knowledge that renders less desirable patterns of behaviour and thinking obsolete.

This is why we want to emphasise the importance of completing your tasks. Please trust us. We will never give you tasking simply to fill in time. We will always have a purpose.

Repetition is the mother of skill. It is important that you listen to your recording as required by your practitioner. It is best when you listen at the same time each day and set up a routine around it. It is less effective if you are trying to squeeze it in between other commitments. It should only be done when you are somewhere you can expect to be left alone for the allocated time, and a place where you can safely and comfortably ignore the outside world. Ideally you would be sitting in a chair that has head support and is slightly reclined. You can listen in bed, but if you fall asleep you are not guaranteed to absorb the information and might miss salient points in the session.