Mind and Emotions · Online across Australia
Hypnotherapy for Procrastination, by Video Anywhere in Australia
The task would take forty minutes. You’ve spent three days avoiding it, and feeling worse each day. Procrastination isn’t laziness. It’s a way of dodging a bad feeling now, and that’s something we can work on 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.
Does any of this sound familiar?
- You open the document, look at it, and suddenly the kitchen needs cleaning.
- The job you’re avoiding sits in the back of your mind all weekend.
- You do your best work at 11pm the night before, and you’re tired of living that way.
- You’ve bought the planner, the app and the book on habits. Some are still in the packaging.
- People have called you lazy, and part of you believes them.
- You know exactly what to do. You just can’t make yourself start.
If a few of those landed, read on. If you’ve always struggled with focus, or your energy has dropped lately, please read the GP section too.
Why procrastination is so hard to beat with willpower
Here’s the part most advice misses. When a task feels unpleasant, boring or risky, putting it off brings instant relief. The relief is real, and it’s short. Tomorrow’s version of you pays for it, with interest. Researchers describe procrastination as a way of repairing your mood in the short term, which is why more willpower and a stricter timetable so rarely fix it.
It also builds on itself. The longer a task waits, the worse it feels, so starting gets harder each day. Planners and apps help some people, and so does working with a psychologist. Hypnotherapy is aimed at the moment of avoidance itself: the second where you reach for your phone instead of the task.
How hypnosis helps with procrastination
Hypnosis is focused, relaxed attention. You stay fully aware and in charge the whole time. It isn’t sleep, and you can’t be made to do anything you don’t want to do. In a session we take the dread out of starting, rehearse the first five minutes of the task until it feels ordinary, and build clear “if this, then that” cues for when and where you’ll begin. You don’t need to feel like doing it. You only need starting to feel less unpleasant.
We also work on the harsh inner voice after a slip, because being kind to yourself then tends to make the next start easier than a telling-off does. You take home an audio recording and simple self-hypnosis to use just before you begin, so the practice happens at your desk, not only on our calls.
How hypnotherapy for procrastination 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 pick the tasks you avoid most and look at what they have in common, then do the first hypnosis work. You leave with one small start to make that week.
- 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
Procrastination is well studied. A major review by Piers Steel in Psychological Bulletin in 2007, drawing on 691 correlations, linked it most strongly to disliking the task, low confidence, impulsiveness and distractibility. It also found that procrastinators usually intend to work as hard as anyone else. The gap is between intending and starting, not wanting less.
What helps? A 2018 analysis of 12 randomised trials found psychological treatments have a small benefit overall, and CBT a moderate one. As for hypnosis, nobody has run a controlled trial of it for procrastination. I’d rather say that plainly. What I offer is a practical approach built on what the research does support, like “if-then” plans and self-forgiveness, with hypnosis as the calm, focused state we practise them in.
And be patient with yourself. In a well-known 2010 habit study, a new daily routine took anywhere from 18 to 254 days to become automatic. Missing one day made no real difference.
Is hypnosis for procrastination 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. If that’s you, talk to your GP or treating clinician first, and I’ll tell you honestly in the free call if someone else should help. If you’ve struggled with focus since childhood, or low mood or tiredness has lasted two weeks or more, please see your GP as well.
What hypnotherapy for procrastination 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 wellGetting stuck can have other causes. If you’ve struggled with focus and getting started since childhood, it’s worth asking your GP about ADHD; they can refer you for a proper assessment. If low motivation, low mood or loss of interest has lasted two weeks or more, that can be depression. Ongoing tiredness for more than two weeks deserves a check too. Your GP can refer you to a psychologist with a Medicare rebate through Better Access if a mental health condition is part of it, 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 hypnotherapy for procrastination
Does hypnotherapy work for procrastination?
Nobody has run a controlled trial of hypnotherapy for procrastination, so I can’t tell you it works. What has been studied is psychological treatment in general: a 2018 analysis of 12 randomised trials found a small benefit overall, and CBT a moderate one. My sessions use ideas the research does support, like “if-then” plans and self-forgiveness, with hypnosis as the calm state we practise them in.
What is the success rate of hypnotherapy for procrastination?
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 procrastination there’s no hypnosis trial to take one from. I’d rather show you the research on this page and review with you, as we go, whether it’s helping.
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. There’s no travel to put off, either.
How many hypnotherapy sessions will I need for procrastination?
The program is four sessions. That’s a typical plan, not a promise, and we review progress as we go.
Am I just lazy?
Very unlikely. Research on procrastinators suggests they usually want to do the work. Tiredness, low mood, ADHD, burnout, or a task that feels unpleasant or overwhelming are common reasons for getting stuck.
What if I procrastinate on booking?
Then you’re in the right place. The free call takes fifteen minutes and you don’t have to prepare anything. Request it now, while you’re thinking about it.
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
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Free and confidential, open now. Tap to call.
Where these numbers come from
Steel P (2007). The nature of procrastination: a meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin 133(1): 65-94. doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65. The findings are correlations, so they show links, not causes.
Rozental A, Bennett S, Forsström D, et al. (2018). Targeting procrastination using psychological treatments: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology 9: 1588. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01588. The CBT result came from just three studies.
Lally P, van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J (2010). How are habits formed: modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology 40(6): 998-1009. doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674. The 18 to 254 days is the range across individual participants. 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. If your symptoms are severe or persistent, please speak to your GP. Last updated 9 October 2026.