So, what exactly is Hypnotherapy?

“I sought out hypnotherapy with Anneliis because I was not in control of my eating habits. I was using food to self-soothe. I felt out of control and stuck in a cycle I couldn’t stop.

I've worked in mental health treatment, so it’s not like I didn’t have the cognitive knowledge around behaviour change, but I just kept getting caught by the intensity of the drive to reach for food. I felt ashamed, frustrated, and stuck…like I was drifting further and further away from me.

I had previously tried diets and restricting myself, but these things didn’t resolve the underlying issues around why I was reaching for food in the first place. I had heard of hypnotherapy and decided to try it.

During the sessions I felt relaxed and in a place of deep resting. I felt fully myself and fully present, and it made it easier to connect in with what was happening subconsciously and what was driving my eating habits. I was able to connect with my own wishes and resources and they were integrated and strengthened. After the hypnosis I felt calm and empowered, like I had more clarity about myself, and what direction I wanted to move in. I was also amazed at how quickly things shift- that’s also not the norm with a lot of other therapeutic approaches.

The most important thing I experienced in session was insight into how food became like a substitute attachment figure to regulate me and comfort me during my childhood. Whilst I had knowledge of this before, in hypnotherapy it was just like the penny dropped and I had an “aha” moment at a much deeper level. I was able to work that through, integrate the resources that my adult self has, and get control back over my emotional regulation. 

 In the moments where I just used to reach for comfort food, I now have much more self-control and awareness of what I actually want. I am able to access my own inner resources and connect to activities and relationships that nourish me. That’s been the biggest gift, this sense of having more awareness of and access to my own resources. .”

— Sarah, Social Worker, N.S.W.

“I had been noticing some anxiety, particularly when in social settings, even with close friends or family, and I was finding it harder to leave the house.

Since working with Anneliis, life has definitely improved in this area! I'm finding I'm more excited to get out and spend time with people and also acknowledge when I just need some time to myself. As always, there were links to some other things, like perfectionism…it was a great bonus to work through that and I'm now a lot more forgiving of my mistakes”.

— Paige, Queenstown, N.Z

“I approached Anneliis with can best be summarised as a lack of self-worth; a firm belief that something within my being was ill-configured and I could not justify my very existence. I decided to try hypnotherapy in combination with transactional analysis, which I had been attending for almost two years.

The change that I wanted to achieve through hypnotherapy was to build a renewed relationship with my Self, one based on acknowledging my own worth, and that my inner child deserved love, respect and acceptance. Having spent my childhood and young adulthood believing that I was neither loved nor worthy of love, and that my existence was inferior and secondary to those around me, I put myself in a position of servility to my family, work and partner. I was unhappy and convinced that I could never be happy. It was as if life was a situation which required me to erode my being to make those around me accept my existence.

Even after the very first session, I felt that something was different. Session after session, my experience of hypnosis became more engaging, and I was able to sink into it deeper and faster. Importantly, it felt wonderfully comfortable and I felt safe every step of the way. I admire Anneliis’ ability to quickly understand the issue and structure sessions accordingly. It’s a dynamic interaction, and I understood that my role in the process was equally important, particularly in terms of being willing to try new things, and to spend time between sessions engaging with any blockages or, contrarily, to develop new narratives and approaches to Self.

Three months after the first session, I feel like my life is on another frequency. While hypnotherapy isn’t at all mystical, it seems alchemical. There is now a sense of autonomy within me that allows me to feel comfortable with who I am and communicate it confidently. I am more aware of my boundaries, and don’t allow any “erosion” of my being on account of the needs of others. Funnily, certain life circumstances are now, objectively speaking, more complicated that they were years ago, but my response to them is healthier, founded upon an understanding that I deserve to live and be happy.

There are few things I would recommend more than hypnotherapy – perhaps because I came into it with big expectations and even bigger asks. I feel nothing but respect and deep gratitude for Anneliis, because it was with her sense of caring, understanding and working hard to guide me through this process that I now have a perspective on life that feels like I can finally breathe.”

— Marija, Montenegro, Europe.

“In a short time Anneliis’ hypnotherapy sessions helped me greatly reduce the thoughts that contributed to my anxiety. These sessions took me to the root cause of the anxiety and offered me all the tools I need to move forward! So grateful.”

— Melissa, Minnesota, U.S.A.

• Challenges with Family Dynamics

  “I dearly love my family, but they are a challenge to deal with. As as an adult I have found it difficult to not get pulled into unhealthy dynamics and behaviours, even after mostly moving past them in other relationships. I was wanting ways that I could visit and interact with my family without being as affected or triggered by the dynamics.

  Soon after working with Anneliis I spent some time with my family and noticed a big difference in how I felt and interacted with them. I now feel as though I have the best and most healthy relationships with my family I’ve had in a long time”.

  -Joanna, Melbourne, VIC

“For a long time I had little self-belief in my ability to learn and retain other languages. I thought that I was not able to discern or pronounce different sounds or remember what I had learnt. As a usually confident and outgoing person I would feel myself shut down when needing, or wanting, to communicate in a language other than English.

After just one session with Anneliis I noticed that I was less fearful about making mistakes, I was able to differentiate words more than I could before and was even complimented on my ability to hear and pronounce more difficult sounds".

Annie - Vic.

”When I met with Anneliis, discussing the issues felt really natural. She gently probed to uncover the state that I was reaching for. Anneliis’ approach cultivated an environment in which I felt a deep sense of relaxation and safety, which I’m profoundly grateful for”

- Vic, Aus