About us

Welcome to Hypnotic Impact!

We’re a Perth and Fremantle based mental health provider that specialises in hypnotherapy & psychology. Jorg Thonnissen  Perth Psychologist and Hypnotherapist (Hypnotherapy North Perth) and Barbara Saba Counselor and Hypnotherapist (Hypnotherapy Fremantle) have combined forces to implement the most modern and progressive hypnotherapy-based behavioural interventions available today. Our clients have found effective and dramatic change in their lives to be a real possibility using hypnotherapy as a treatment option.

How can Hypnotherapy Help?

Modern hypnotherapy provides solutions for a wide range of common life-adjustment issues. Whether you want to overcome general anxiety, depression, weight issues, low self-esteem, performance problems or a lack of motivation there’s a good chance hypnotherapy can help. Hypnotherapy is also effective in addressing some more serious issues, including phobias and psychosomatic problems such as psychogenic pain. We have a shared vision of facilitating substantive, sustainable and life-affirming changes for our clients with a range of both common and uncommon complaints.

What makes us different ? 

Our approach to hypnotherapy aims to align subconscious thinking with conscious thinking, eliminating internal mental conflicts that may lie at the heart of undesired behaviours. Whilst we practice a sound implementation of hypnosis as taught by the “old masters” of the art, we also integrate a modern, effective and unique methodology known as 5-PATH ®. Developed by the highly esteemed psychotherapist Cal Banyan, 5-PATH ® combines a variety of modern techniques chosen for their lasting effect on individuals that have undergone treatment.

Please feel free to contact us for more information on what we offer. Our Services section also contains a more complete listing of the range of services we provide and conditions we cater for.

What Issues Can Be Treated With Hypnotherapy ?

Weight loss, Relationship Counselling, Stop Smoking, Weight Maintenance, Depression, Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Grief, Personal/Relationships, Insomnia, Sleep problems, Confidence & Self-esteem, Pain Relief, Motivation, Phobias, Pregnancy/Hypno-birthing, Paruresis, Trauma, Addictions, OCD, Nail Biting, Anger Management, Stress, Procrastination, Social Anxiety.

FAQS : Depression, Phobias, Anxiety

 TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVENTS

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 15th to 20th September 2014 (STILL AVAILABLE)- Jorg Thonnissen (registered psychologist) and Dee Tozer (registered psychologist)  will facilitate MINDFULNESS RETREATS in BALI INDONESIA open to MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS  (maximum 14 attendees). This professional development retreat will give you 30 points – 10 hour Peer Supervision – 20 hour Generalist points

Please visit http://www.deep-impact-retreats.com for more information

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is hypnosis/hypnotherapy?

Hypnosis is a procedure in which a trained hypnotherapist applies suggestions in order to help a client change his or her experiences and behaviors (Cardeña, 2014). It provides a positive context for change to occur as part of a treatment. Specifically, many clients are often afraid to engage in experiential learning, and rational or irrational thoughts and fears can come in the way of fully engaging in new experiences. In these cases, hypnosis provides a platform that can help clients focus their thoughts and their attention on new, positive and constructive images and suggestions, while at the same time allowing them to detach from the often anxiety-provoking everyday experience and concerns. Importantly, at its most fundamental level, hypnosis has been described as “self-hypnosis,” because clients’ participation is necessary for the success of the approach. While the therapist can help guide the client with suggestions, it is the client’s responsibility to actively participate in the suggestion. Hypnotherapy is a very cost-effective and portable aid to treatment (Green, Laurence, & Lynn, 2014).

What is the history of hypnosis?

Explorations into the mysterious reals of altered consciousness have dominated Eastern traditions for a long time. However, the more recent history of hypnosis as a clinical and scientific field can be traced back to the theories of F. A. Mesmer who discussed ‘animal magnetism’ in the 18th century. ‘Mesmerism’, a term associated with hypnosis, derives from his name. Based on his theories, some practitioners began investigating the changes in consciousness that accompanied the hypnotic experience, which led to the development of the scientific field of hypnosis as it is known today. Scholars attempting to shed light on these processes that lie at the border between the conscious and unconscious mind have also sought to draw upon knowledge from consciousness-altering substances such as drugs, and from consciousness-altering experiences such as meditation and prayer. Hypnosis is still a fascinating area of research, and it has recently become the focus of several neuroscientific studies exploring the nature of consciousness (Cardeña, 2014).

What is a clinical hypnotherapist?

A clinical hypnotherapist employs hypnosis as a tool to enhance the medical or psychological treatment of a client. The clinical hypnotherapist does not use hypnotic trance in itself as a treatment. It is therefore important that the hypnotherapist be a trained and skilled practitioner, and that hypnosis is applied according to a well-thought-out and case-based treatment plan. The hypnotherapist may be the primary clinician delivering the psychological/medical treatment, or may be an expert as part of the treatment team. The clinical hypnotherapist will help with the case conceptualization and provide input on when hypnosis is an appropriate and useful approach to enhance treatment. The clinical hypnotherapist has an appropriate level of education and training in hypnosis and should be able to assess when hypnosis would be useful as an assessment, therapy, or medical tool.

What happens in hypnosis/hypnotherapy?

There appears to be little disagreements among scholars and practitioners that hypnotic states lead, in some people, to changes in consciousness (Eimer, 2012). During hypnosis, a trained clinical hypnotherapist will apply different suggestion strategies based on case conceptualization and the goals of the therapy in order to help the client overcome negative thinking patterns or automatic physiological processes. In hypnosis, the therapist helps the client detach from typical fears and distractions, and helps the client explore new imaginary experiences which can then be translated into everyday experiences through careful implementation and monitoring.

What does hypnosis feel like?

Hypnosis can be experienced very differently depending on the individual who is being hypnotized, the type and the purpose of the procedure, but in general terms it can be thought of as a deep state of active relaxation. Historically, systematic efforts have been developed to characterize the changes in consciousness that were reported to occur during the hypnotic state. Initial descriptions of what hypnosis felt like included comparisons with sleep walking (Cardeña, 2014). More recent and rigorous scientific examinations of the hypnotic state found that patients often report increased positive affect, enhanced feelings of energy, greater relaxation, and better stress management in their lives after listening to self-hypnosis tapes (Jensen & Patterson, 2014).

How does hypnotherapy help?

Hypnotherapy helps on many levels, from helping clients feel more relaxed and more positive to helping them develop a stronger therapeutic relationship with their clinician, to safely exploring areas of behavior and personality that may be desirable, fear provoking or important to process. However, one of the fundamental assumptions of hypnosis is that consciousness is changeable and malleable. During hypnosis, attention becomes more narrow and focused, and this can be directed at strengthening positive self-talk and more optimistic ways of viewing the world (Yapko, 2010). In depression and anxiety, spontaneous and negative self-thoughts can take over, and it is these thoughts that can become fruitful targets for suggestion during hypnosis. Furthermore, it has been proposed that hypnosis can be viewed as a ‘controlled’ form of dissociation, which can be used to help the client overcome traumatic memories, help with processing physical and emotional pain, trauma and grief, and other psychological problems (Green et al., 2014).

Can anyone be hypnotised?

Generally speaking, everyone can be hypnotized to varying degrees and approximately 15 percent of people fall within in the highly hypnotizable range (Barnier, Cox, & McConkey, 2014), and research suggests that clinical groups do not differ substantially in their hypnotic suggestibility. An exception to this are individuals with PTSD, who are more hypnotizable, obsessive–compulsive disorder (less), and psychotic conditions (less) (Green, Laurence, & Lynn, 2014). This disposition to be more or less hypnotizable also depends on a range of individual factors, including sociocultural, and experiential dimensions, and imaginative involvement (e.g., one’s ability to immerse oneself in the experience of sensory, creative, or religious experiences), among other factors. Overall, it appears that individuals who are more hypnotizable may have a propensity to have unusual experiences, and that this propensity has significant genetic contribution (Cardeña, 2014; Lichtenberg, Bachner-Melman, Ebstein, & Crawford, 2004).

Will l lose control or be asked to do something against my will?

In popular culture, hypnosis is often depicted as subjects who lose control over their actions. While it is the case that hypnosis can reduce voluntary motor activities, reduce or even temporarily eliminate the experience of pain, and narrow the focus of attention, the psychological processes that occur during hypnosis are more complex. For example, psychologists have drawn a distinction between automatic and controlled processes (Moors & De Houwer, 2006), with automatic processes being viewed as unconscious, reflexive behaviors. While some of these automatic processes appear to be innate, others can become highly reflexive as a result of practice and overlearning. For a long time it was believed that, once established, this automatization is permanent. Recent evidence, however, shows that hypnosis can help de-automatize these processes and bring them back into the conscious realm (Lifshitz, Aubert Bonn, Fischer, Kashem, & Raz, 2013).

When I’m hypnotised, am I unconscious?

Hypnosis is a technique that helps temporarily change a client’s individual’s state of consciousness, but it is not the same as being unconscious. As a matter of fact, for hypnosis to be most effective, the client’s cooperation is absolutely necessary. That is, the client must receptive to learning and trying suggestion, must be able and willing to comprehend and follow instructions, and should be capable of focusing and sustaining attention. Furthermore, the client must be willing and able to communicate with the hypnotherapist, as otherwise the practice has little effectiveness (Eimer, 2012). Furthermore, in order for automatic mental processes to become more de-automatized through hypnosis, the client must be able to sustain and shift his or her attention to a deeper and more focused modality. Recent findings suggest that hypnosis can actually help an individual re-gain conscious control of automatic (unconscious) processes (Kihlstrom, 2014).

Will my personality be changed?

This is a common concern, but scientific theories explain that any ‘alternate selves’ that are observed during hypnosis are temporary instances of dissociation. They should not be dismissed as non-significant, however, and caution should be used when suggesting hypnosis to individuals whose sense of self is particularly unstable. Once it has been determined that hypnosis is safe and will not endanger a client’s sense of self, it may be of interest to further explore the phenomenon of the “hidden observer.” Here, a coherent set of mental events develop and manifest alternative and in parallel to those of conscious experience, for example a self that does not experience physical pain. This parallel experience of self does not have the breath and depth of a personality, but it shares some resemblance with how the personality is constructed, and can help inform the client about aspirations, goals and self-perceptions (Cardeña, 2014).

In what areas can hypnotherapy be used?

The application of hypnotherapy to medical and clinical ailments can be extensive, but many hypnotic suggestions can be categorized as either focusing on calmess and relaxation, or on enhancing self-esteem and positive attitudes. Hypnotherapy can be applied to strengthen other evidence-based interventions (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, acceptance), to switch and focus attention, to experiencing ‘the moment’, as well as observe negative or distracting thoughts and letting them go nonjudgmentally. Hypnotherapy can also be incorporated into established treatments for symptoms of a particular disorder, e.g. PTSD and depression (Ponniah & Hollon, 2009), obesity, smoking addiction, and anxiety (Green et al., 2014).

How safe is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is generally a safe procedure when applied by a trained hypnotherapist. However it is not completely without risk, as a trance induction could activate distressing associations, thoughts, feelings, and memories. For this reason, when negative consequences do occur, they are likely a result of hypnosis being used inappropriately or by inadequately trained health care providers (Eimer, 2012).

Safe hypnosis is conducted in settings where trained and responsible hypnotherapists can ensure that they can provide appropriate follow-up if necessary. It is conducted after a context appropriate intake evaluation has been performed, and after informed consent has been obtained from the client. Safe hypnosis is not applied to particularly vulnerable individuals, such as people who are actively psychotic, schizophrenic, severely borderline, markedly dissociative, and persons with certain unstable medical conditions that could be acutely aggravated by negative emotional states. Furthermore, safe hypnosis is not practiced on clients who are acutely intoxicated, inebriated, high, or under the influence of drugs because the hypnotic context could increase the likelihood that they will engage in inappropriate, dangerous, high risk or destructive behavior (Hunter, 2010).

Locations North Perth & Fremantle:

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Locations:

North Perth Location

Registered Psychologist Jorg Thonnissen
(B.Psych., M.A. Psych., Cert. Hyp. MAPS)
79 Eton St, North Perth, 6006
jorg@hypnoticimpact.com.au

Phone – 08 6460 3531
Mobile – 0411 696 693

Fremantle Location

Counsellor Barbara Saba
(M.H.C., Grad. Dip. H C., Dip. Ed., Cert. Hyp., Training Officer for PHWA)

barbara@hypnoticimpact.com.au

Mobile – 0415 536 580

For EMERGENCY phone numbers and web links see further below:

Thank you kindly for your visit.

Warmest regards

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