Mind and Emotions · Online across Australia
Anger Management with Hypnotherapy, by Video Across Australia
Zero to shouting in a few seconds, over something small. Then the long evening of wishing you hadn’t. Anger management starts with slowing that jump down, and that’s what we practise together, from wherever you are.
At a glance: 4 sessions by video. $1,000 in total paid upfront, or $1,200 paid session by session.
Or call 0427 218 092
15-minute phone call, no obligation. I’ll call you within 24 hours. See what it costs
- 14 yearsin clinical practice
- FellowAustralian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists
- AHA approvedCPD courses I teach other hypnotherapists
- 1 to 1with Ernest, by video from home
Ernest McLeod, clinical hypnotherapistAn Adelaide practice, seeing clients across Australia by video. Fourteen years in practice.
One question first: is anyone at home frightened of you?Not annoyed with you. Scared. If they change what they say or do to keep you calm, or you’ve hit, thrown or broken things to make a point, this is not the right place to start, and I’d rather tell you now. Please call the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491. They work with men who want to change how they treat the people close to them. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 000.
Does any of this sound familiar?
- You go from calm to shouting in seconds, and the trigger is usually something small.
- You’re fine all day at work, then snap at the people you love most.
- You lie awake going back over the argument, or rehearsing the next one.
- You draft the apology in your head three times and never quite say it.
- Someone close has told you they’re tired of walking on eggshells.
If a few of those landed, read on. If the anger is new, or much worse than it used to be, please read the GP section too.
Why anger is so hard to slow down
Anger isn’t the problem in itself. It’s a normal emotion, and sometimes a useful one. The trouble is the speed. By the time you notice you’re angry, your body is already running hot, and you’re reacting rather than choosing.
That’s why counting to ten, or promising yourself you’ll stay calm next time, so often gives out in the moment. The promise lives in your thinking, and the reaction gets there first. Talking it through with a psychologist helps many people, and so does learning to settle your body. That few seconds between the trigger and the reaction is the part hypnotherapy is aimed at.
How hypnosis helps with anger management
Hypnosis is focused, relaxed attention. You stay fully aware and in charge the whole time. It isn’t sleep, and nobody can make you do something you don’t want to do. Hypnotherapy works on that speed. We rehearse the situations that set you off, notice the early signs in your body, and practise bringing your arousal down before it peaks. The aim is a gap between the trigger and the reaction, long enough for you to choose.
You’ll also learn a short self-hypnosis routine for the car park or the front door, so you can settle before you walk in. Between appointments you have an audio recording to listen to, which keeps the practice going when we’re not talking.
How anger management hypnotherapy works online
- A free 15-minute call
You tell me what’s going on. I tell you honestly whether I think I can help. No obligation, and no hard sell. Ask me anything you like about hypnosis too, such as how it feels or whether you stay in charge.
- Your first session
The program starts here. We map what sets you off, where and with whom, and what the first signs feel like in your body. Then we do the first piece of calming work.
- Sessions by video and an audio to take home
The program is four sessions. You join from home. All you need is a quiet room, a reliable connection and a pair of headphones. After your sessions you receive an audio recording to listen to between appointments, and you’ll learn simple self-hypnosis too. Progress doesn’t have to wait for the next session.
Hypnosis needs your attention, not my physical presence. That’s why video works: you’re in your own space, with no drive home afterwards.
Not sure yet whether this is for you?That’s what the free call is for. Fifteen minutes, by phone, at a time that suits you.
What the research actually says
I’ll start with the honest part. I can’t find a proper trial of hypnosis for anger. A 2024 overview in Frontiers in Psychology brought together 49 meta-analyses of hypnosis, and anger and aggression don’t appear anywhere in it. If you see an anger success rate on a hypnotherapy website, ask where it came from.
What does have evidence is calming down, not letting it out. A 2024 review by Kjærvik and Bushman in Clinical Psychology Review pooled 154 studies and 10,189 people. Activities that lower arousal, like slow breathing, relaxation and mindfulness, reduced anger and aggression. Activities that raise it, like hitting a punching bag or going for a run, didn’t help. Psychological treatment delivered by a person has good support too: a 2009 meta-analysis by Saini pooled 96 studies and found it generally effective.
So my sessions are built around lowering arousal, and the calm, focused state of hypnosis suits that. I’d rather tell you it hasn’t been trialled for anger than borrow a number that doesn’t exist.
Is hypnosis for anger management safe?
For most adults, yes. Hypnosis doesn’t involve medicine, and side effects are mild and short: you might feel a little drowsy or emotional afterwards. It isn’t the right place to start if you live with psychosis or a severe mental health condition that isn’t being treated. Talk to your GP or treating clinician first, and I’ll tell you honestly in the free call if someone else should help. If anyone at home is frightened of you, please call the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 first. If your temper is new or much worse than it was, see your GP too.
What anger management hypnotherapy costs: $1,000
The 4-session program: $1,000 upfront
4-session program: $1,000 paid upfront (that’s $250 a session), or $300 per session as you go ($1,200 for all four).
- Four sessions by video, plus an audio to take home and simple self-hypnosis.
- Session length: your first session runs up to 90 minutes, and follow-up sessions up to 60 minutes.
- Prepaid sessions are valid for 12 months. Any you don’t need can be used for something else, or passed on to someone you know.
- Pay by card or bank transfer. Prices in AUD. No GST applies.
Or call 0427 218 092
Please see your GP as wellIrritability can come from somewhere else: poor sleep, pain, a head injury, alcohol or other drugs, or depression, which in men can show up as anger rather than sadness. If your temper is new or much worse than it was, see your GP, and take a list of what you drink and anything you’ve started or stopped taking. Your GP can refer you to a psychologist with a Medicare rebate through Better Access, and hypnotherapy sits well alongside that.
Who you’ll be working with
I’m Ernest McLeod. I’ve practised as a clinical hypnotherapist for fourteen years, with an Adelaide practice and clients right across Australia by video. Before that I spent twenty years as a software engineer and designer, which probably explains why I care more about what works than what sounds impressive.
- Time Line Therapy® Practitioner
- Fellow, ASCH
- Trainer: AHA-approved CPD courses
- Certified NLP Practitioner
What I’m not: hypnotherapy isn’t a registered profession in Australia, so I’m not AHPRA-registered and I’m not a psychologist. My ASCH Fellowship is voluntary. I also train other hypnotherapists. My courses on quitting smoking, vaping and gambling count as professional development (CPD), approved by the Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association. More about me
Questions people ask about anger management hypnotherapy
Does hypnotherapy work for anger management?
Nobody has tested it properly yet. I can’t find a trial of anger management hypnotherapy, and a large 2024 overview of hypnosis research doesn’t mention anger at all. What does have support is calming your body down: a 2024 review of 154 studies found that slow breathing, relaxation and mindfulness reduced anger and aggression. My sessions are built around that calm, focused state, and they sit well alongside a psychologist your GP can refer you to.
What is the success rate of hypnotherapy for anger management?
I don’t quote one. Advertised success rates usually come from small or unchecked studies, or from a practitioner’s own records, so they rarely tell you much. For anger there isn’t even a trial to take one from. If you see a figure on a website, ask where it came from, and look at the research on this page instead.
Will I lose control?
No. You hear everything, you remember it, and you can open your eyes and stop at any point. Hypnosis is focused, relaxed attention, a bit like being absorbed in a good film. Nothing can be made to happen that you don’t want.
Does hypnotherapy work over video?
Yes. The work depends on your attention and on what we do together, and both travel perfectly well over a video call. Plenty of people find it easier to relax in their own home.
How many hypnotherapy sessions will I need for anger management?
The program is four sessions. That’s a typical plan, not a promise, and we review progress as we go.
Is this an anger management course I can show a court or my partner?
No. This is private one-to-one work, not a certified course or a men’s behaviour change program. If someone at home is frightened of you, the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 is the place to start.
What if it isn’t helping?
Tell me. We review progress as we go and change the approach if something isn’t working. If hypnotherapy isn’t right for you, I’ll say so and point you towards what might be. Any prepaid sessions you haven’t used stay yours for 12 months. You can use them for something else, or pass them on to someone you know.
Is it covered by Medicare or my health fund?
Hypnotherapy isn’t covered by Medicare, and you don’t need a GP referral. Health fund extras cover varies, so check with your fund before you start.
Ready when you are
Tell me the best time to reach you and I’ll call within 24 hours. Fifteen minutes, no obligation.
Request a free consultationOr call 0427 218 092
Related
- Mind and emotionsEvery mind and emotions issue I work with, in one place.
- Stress and burnoutWhen a short fuse comes from running on empty.
- AnxietyWhen the tension underneath never quite switches off.
- Trauma and PTSDWhen you’re always on guard after something that happened.
- Sleep and insomniaWhen too little sleep shortens your fuse.
- DepressionHypnotherapy as one part of your care, next to your GP and psychologist.
Free and confidential, open now. Tap to call.
Where these numbers come from
Rosendahl J, Alldredge CT, Haddenhorst A (2024). Meta-analytic evidence on the efficacy of hypnosis for mental and somatic health issues: a 20-year perspective. Frontiers in Psychology 14: 1330238. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1330238. I searched the full text: the words “anger” and “aggression” do not appear.
Kjærvik SL, Bushman BJ (2024). A meta-analytic review of anger management activities that increase or decrease arousal: what fuels or douses rage? Clinical Psychology Review 109: 102414. doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102414.
Saini M (2009). A meta-analysis of the psychological treatment of anger: developing guidelines for evidence-based practice. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 37(4): 473-488. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20018996. I’ll always show you where a number came from.
Hypnotherapy is a complementary therapy, not medical treatment, a diagnosis, or a substitute for care from your doctor or a psychologist. It is not a family violence program. If your symptoms are severe or persistent, please speak to your GP. Last updated 9 October 2026.