Phobias ยท Online across Australia
Hypnotherapy for Phobias, by Video Anywhere in Australia
Part of you knows the thing isn’t dangerous. The rest of you reacts anyway, fast and hard, and then the avoiding starts. Hypnotherapy for phobias works on that reaction in a 4-session program, from the safety of your own home.
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.
What a phobia is, and where hypnotherapy fits
A phobia is an intense fear of a particular object or situation, far bigger than the real risk. Doctors call this a specific phobia. Your nervous system has linked a place, an animal or a situation with danger. Now the fear response fires before you’ve had time to think.
That’s why being told there’s nothing to worry about rarely helps. You already know. Your body hasn’t caught up. The avoiding then keeps the alarm set, because you never get to learn that the feared thing passes. That automatic, phobic reaction is the part hypnotherapy is aimed at.
The phobias I work with most
Five fears have their own page, each with what’s different about that fear and how we work on it.
- AgoraphobiaWhen the safe zone keeps shrinking. By video, we can start without you leaving home.
- Emetophobia (fear of vomiting)The fear of being sick somewhere you can’t leave, with no warning.
- ClaustrophobiaLifts, planes, crowded rooms and MRI scans: help with the fear of enclosed spaces.
- Fear of heightsBalconies, ladders and lookouts, and what the fear has quietly cost you.
- Fear of flyingWorking on the weeks before the flight, where much of the fear lives.
Spiders, needles, snakes, dogs and the dentist
Not every fear has its own page here, but the same work applies. A fear of spiders or snakes is one. So is a fear of dogs that changes which way you walk home. A fear of needles can have you putting off blood tests and vaccinations. A dread of the dentist can stretch one check-up into several years. These run on the same kind of alarm, and I approach them in the same 4-session program.
If needles or the dentist are getting between you and medical care, tell your doctor or dentist too. Many can adjust how they do things. It helps to have them on side while we work on the fear. If you’ve ever fainted at the sight of a needle or blood, mention it on the free call. It changes how we work.
How hypnosis helps you overcome a phobia
Hypnosis is focused, relaxed attention, and you stay fully aware and in charge the whole time. It isn’t sleep. In that relaxed state we rehearse the thing you fear at a pace you choose. You practise a calmer response until it starts to feel familiar.
In my practice, I first ask when the fear began and what it stops you doing now. That tells us where to begin, and what you’d like to be able to do instead.
Small, planned steps in the real world follow when you’re ready, never before. You also learn self-hypnosis, so you have something to use on your own when the alarm starts to rise.
How a hypnotherapy session for a phobia 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 start of your 4-session program, up to 90 minutes long. We map when the fear began, what sets it off and what you want instead.
- Sessions by video and an audio to take home
You join from home with a quiet room, a reliable connection and a pair of headphones. Real-world steps come later, at a pace you agree to. After your sessions you receive an audio recording to listen to between appointments. Progress doesn’t have to wait for the next session.
The work needs your attention, not my physical presence. That’s why video works: you’re in your own space, with no drive home afterwards. If the video drops, I ring you and we carry on.
Not sure which page fits your fear?That’s what the free call is for. Fifteen minutes, by phone, at a time that suits you.
Hypnotherapy, CBT or exposure: what the research says
Exposure therapy has the strongest research support for phobias. It’s often delivered as part of cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT. A 2008 meta-analysis by Wolitzky-Taylor and colleagues pooled 33 randomised studies. Exposure-based treatment did better than no treatment, placebo and other psychological approaches, whatever the phobia.
Research on hypnotic approaches is much thinner. A 2016 review by Pelissolo found only three controlled studies across all anxiety disorders from 1980 to 2015. So I won’t quote you a success rate. What I do is pair hypnosis with graded steps towards the real thing. That’s the part the research backs.
Is hypnosis for phobias safe?
For most adults, yes. It uses no medicine, and after-effects are usually mild, like feeling a bit drowsy for a while. Start with your GP instead if you live with psychosis or a severe mental illness that isn’t being treated. You never have to face the feared thing before you’ve agreed to, and you can stop at any point.
What hypnotherapy for phobias costs
Every fear on this page uses the same 4-session program: $1,000 in total, paid upfront.
4-session program: $1,000 upfront
4-session program: $1,000 paid upfront, which is $250 a session. Or pay $300 per session as you go: $1,200 for all four.
- The same program for every phobia on this page, including the ones without their own page.
- 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 wellIf your fear comes with panic attacks, dizziness or a pounding heart, see your GP. It’s worth ruling out a physical cause. Your GP can also refer you to a psychologist with a Medicare rebate through Better Access. Hypnotherapy sits well alongside that. Chest pain or trouble breathing is a 000 call, straight away.
Questions people ask about phobia hypnotherapy
Does hypnotherapy work for phobias?
It may help, but the research on it alone is thin. One review found only three controlled studies in 35 years. Exposure has the strongest support. So I pair our sessions with graded steps towards the real thing, not instead of them.
What is the success rate of phobia hypnotherapy?
I don’t quote one. There aren’t enough good studies to give an honest figure. Advertised rates often come from a practitioner’s own records. I’d rather you choose this knowing the real picture.
Can you be hypnotised to get over a fear?
Hypnosis isn’t something done to you. It’s a state you take part in, and it helps you practise feeling calmer around the thing you fear. The change comes from that practice and the real-world steps that follow.
What is the hardest phobia to overcome?
There’s no agreed ranking. A fear can take longer when it comes with panic. It can also take longer when avoiding it has shrunk your life, as a fear of leaving home can. We talk about what’s realistic for yours on the free call.
How many sessions does a phobia take?
The program is four sessions, and we review progress at each one. Your first session runs up to 90 minutes, and follow-ups up to 60 minutes.
Do I have to face my phobia or describe it in detail?
Only as much as you’re comfortable with. We start in imagination, at a distance you choose. Real-world steps come later, and only when you agree to them.
Will I lose control?
No. You hear everything, you remember it, and you can open your eyes and stop at any point. You can’t be made to do something you don’t want to do.
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.
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Where these numbers come from
Wolitzky-Taylor KB, Horowitz JD, Powers MB, Telch MJ (2008). Psychological approaches in the treatment of specific phobias: a meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review 28(6): 1021-1037. doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2008.02.007. 33 randomised treatment studies; exposure-based treatment outperformed no treatment, placebo and other psychological approaches, and the result didn’t depend on the type of phobia.
Pelissolo A (2016). Hypnosis for anxiety and phobic disorders: a review of clinical studies. La Presse Médicale 45(3): 284-290. doi.org/10.1016/j.lpm.2015.12.002. In French, with an English abstract. A systematic review of papers from 1980 to 2015; it found only three controlled studies across anxiety disorders. 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.