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Frequently Asked Questions
Before we work together
If you're considering working together, these answers will help you understand how I work, who I help, and what you can expect before getting started.
1. What issues do you help people with?
I specialize in helping adults overcome anxiety, overthinking, stress, burnout, low confidence, self-worth challenges, and the subconscious patterns that keep them stuck.
Some clients come to me because anxiety has started to control their lives. Others feel held back by self-doubt, people-pleasing, perfectionism, or fear of failure. Many simply know they don't want to keep living the way they are.
I also help clients with challenges such as panic attacks, health anxiety, social anxiety, phobias, sleep difficulties, emotional trauma, public speaking, habits, and other issues where subconscious patterns are playing a significant role.
If you're unsure whether your situation is something I can help with, you're welcome to send me an email before you schedule a call with me.
2. Why doesn't understanding a problem automatically solve it?
Understanding is an important first step, but insight alone rarely creates lasting change.
Most unwanted thoughts, emotions and behaviours are driven by subconscious patterns that developed over many years. You may consciously know there's nothing to fear, yet your subconscious mind continues responding as though the threat is real.
That's why you can know exactly why you overthink, worry or doubt yourself and still find yourself repeating the same patterns.
My approach combines understanding with subconscious change, practical coaching and real-life integration. This helps you not only understand what's been keeping you stuck, but also create new patterns that feel natural and lasting.
3. Should I choose online or in-person sessions?
Both options are highly effective.
Whether we work together online via Zoom or in person in Cambridge, New Zealand, the process and the results remain the same. Many clients actually prefer online sessions because they can relax in the comfort of their own home.
If you're local and enjoy meeting face-to-face, in-person sessions may be the right choice. If you're elsewhere in New Zealand or overseas, online sessions allow us to work together just as effectively.
The best option is simply the one that feels most comfortable and convenient for you.
4. How do I get started?
Everything begins with booking a Clarity Call.
During this conversation, we'll explore what's been going on for you, what's keeping you stuck, and what you'd like to change. You'll gain a deeper understanding of your situation and what may be driving the patterns you've been experiencing, and have the opportunity to ask all the questions you may have.
Whether we decide to work together or not, you'll leave with greater clarity, practical insight, and a better understanding of why you've been feeling the way you do, and what it takes to create lasting change.
If we decide to work together, we'll book your first session and I create a personalized program tailored to your unique circumstances and goals.
5. Can I work with you if I don't live in New Zealand?
Absolutely.
I work with clients throughout New Zealand and internationally using secure Zoom sessions.
As long as you have a stable internet connection and a quiet, comfortable place where you won't be interrupted, we can work together regardless of where you live.
Many of my clients have achieved life-changing results without ever visiting my practice in person.
6. What age groups do you work with?
I currently work with adults aged 18 years and over.
My approach is designed specifically for adults who want to understand the subconscious patterns behind their challenges and create meaningful, lasting change.
Whether you're in your twenties, approaching retirement, or well into later life, it's never too late to change patterns that no longer serve you. Because what has been learned can also be unlearned.
About Hypnosis
If you've never experienced hypnosis before, it's completely normal to have questions. Here are answers to some of the most common misconceptions about hypnosis and how it works.
1. What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention and deep relaxation. Rather than being asleep or unconscious, you're simply more focused on what's happening internally while becoming less distracted by the outside world.
Most people naturally experience this state every day, for example, when you're completely absorbed in a book, a film, or daydreaming during a long drive.
In hypnotherapy, we use this relaxed state to work with the subconscious mind, where many of our automatic thoughts, emotional responses, habits and beliefs are stored. This allows us to change patterns that are often difficult to shift through conscious effort alone.
2. Will I lose control during hypnosis?
No. You remain aware, in control, and able to stop the session at any time.
One of the biggest misconceptions about hypnosis comes from stage shows, where people appear to lose control or behave in unusual ways for entertainment. Clinical hypnotherapy is completely different.
During hypnosis, you cannot be made to do or say anything that goes against your values or wishes. Most clients describe the experience as deeply relaxing, while feeling fully aware of everything that is happening.
In fact, the goal of hypnotherapy isn't to take control away from you—it's to help you regain it. By changing the subconscious patterns that have been influencing your thoughts, emotions and behaviours, you become less driven by fear, old habits or automatic reactions, and more able to respond in the way you consciously choose.
3. Can everyone be hypnotised?
Most people can be hypnotized, provided they are willing to participate and able to follow simple instructions.
Hypnosis isn't something that's done to you. It's something you actively engage in. The more open you are to the process, the easier it usually becomes.
If you can become absorbed in a good book, a film, or your own thoughts, you already experience the kind of focused attention that hypnosis builds upon.
4. Will I remember what happened during the session?
Almost certainly, yes.
Most people remember the entire session, just as they would remember a guided meditation or a meaningful conversation.
Some people notice that parts of the experience feel dreamlike or that time seems to pass more quickly than expected, but it's very unusual to have no memory of what happened.
5. Is hypnotherapy backed by research?
Yes. Hypnotherapy has been researched for a wide range of psychological and physical conditions, including anxiety, stress, pain management, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and certain habit-related behaviours.
While no therapy can guarantee results, growing evidence shows that hypnotherapy can help many people create meaningful and lasting change.
As a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Trauma-Informed Coach, RTT® Practitioner, NLP Practitioner and EFT Practitioner, I combine evidence-informed techniques with practical coaching to tailor every program to the individual.
My Approach
Lasting change is about more than simply talking about a problem. My approach combines understanding, subconscious change and practical integration to help you create meaningful change that lasts.
1. Why do you combine coaching and hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy helps create change at the subconscious level, while coaching helps you apply those changes in everyday life.
During hypnosis, we work to identify and change the subconscious patterns that have been influencing how you think, feel and respond.
Between sessions, coaching helps you strengthen those new patterns through practical strategies, reflection and real-life experience. Together, they create a bridge between insight and action.
Understanding a problem is one thing. Creating lasting change is another.
2. Why work with the subconscious mind?
Many of the thoughts, emotions and behaviours we experience every day happen automatically. That's because they're driven by subconscious patterns that were learned over many years.
You don't consciously choose to overthink, doubt yourself or feel anxious. These responses often happen before you've had time to think about them.
Working with the subconscious mind allows us to change the beliefs, emotional associations and automatic responses that have been keeping those patterns in place.
When the subconscious changes, your conscious experience naturally begins to change too.
3. Will my program be personalized?
Absolutely.
No two people experience anxiety, low confidence or stress in exactly the same way. Even when the symptoms look similar, the subconscious patterns driving them can be completely different.
That's why every program is tailored to your individual experiences, goals and circumstances.
From the questions we explore during your sessions to your personalized hypnosis recordings and practical tools, everything is designed specifically for you.
4. Is lasting change really possible?
Yes, but lasting change isn't about finding the perfect technique. It's about changing the patterns that created the problem in the first place.
Your brain is capable of learning throughout your entire life. This ability, known as neuroplasticity, means new thoughts, emotional responses and behaviours can become stronger through repetition and experience.
Many of the patterns causing difficulties today were learned over time.
And what has been learned can also be unlearned.
As your self-image begins to change, the choices you make, the way you respond to challenges and the way you experience life naturally begin to change as well.
5. How is this approach different from traditional counselling?
Traditional counselling often focuses on helping you understand your thoughts, emotions and experiences. That understanding can be incredibly valuable and is often an important part of the healing process.
But understanding alone doesn't automatically create change. If understanding alone solved our problems, none of us would have any.
My approach also values understanding, but it doesn't stop there.
Alongside gaining insight, we work directly with the subconscious patterns that continue to drive automatic reactions. We then reinforce those changes through practical coaching, personalized tools and real-life application.
The goal isn't simply to understand why you've felt stuck.
It's to help you experience life differently.
Practical Questions
Starting something new naturally comes with questions. Here's what you can expect before, during and after your sessions.
1. How many sessions will I need?
Every person is different, but lasting change rarely happens in a single session.
Many of the challenges we experience, such as anxiety, low confidence or people-pleasing, develop in layers over many years. While some clients experience significant shifts after just one session, it's often the combination of understanding, subconscious change and real-life integration that creates lasting results.
That's why a Personalized Transformation Program includes up to three hypnotherapy sessions over approximately three months, giving us the opportunity to work with the patterns that are most relevant to you while allowing time for those changes to become part of everyday life.
2. What happens during my first session?
Once you've booked your program, your first session is a Discovery Call focused on gaining clarity and creating a personalized plan for your transformation.
We'll then schedule your first personalized hypnotherapy session, designed around everything you want to achieve or let go of.
We'll explore the challenges you've been experiencing, how they've developed over time, and the subconscious patterns that may be contributing to them. Understanding these patterns helps us identify what's really been keeping you stuck and allows us to tailor the program to your unique experiences and goals.
Many clients leave that first hypnotherapy session not only feeling deeply relaxed, but with a completely new understanding of themselves, why they've been experiencing the challenges they have, and how meaningful change becomes possible.
3. What if I'm taking medication?
That's absolutely fine.
Many clients work with me while taking medication for anxiety, depression or other health conditions.
Hypnotherapy and coaching are not a replacement for medical or psychological treatment. Instead, they can complement the care you're already receiving. You should always continue taking medication as prescribed and speak with your doctor before making any changes.
4. What if I become emotional during a session?
It's completely normal.
Many of the patterns we work with are connected to meaningful life experiences, so emotions can naturally arise during the process. If they do, you'll be supported in a safe, compassionate and non-judgemental environment. You are always in control of the session, and we'll move at a pace that feels right for you.
Everything you share is treated with the utmost respect and remains confidential, except where disclosure is required by law or there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others.
5. Can I have hypnotherapy while seeing a psychologist?
Yes, absolutely.
Many clients choose to combine hypnotherapy with psychological support, counselling or other healthcare services. These approaches can beautifully complement one another.
If appropriate, and with your permission, I'm happy to work alongside your existing healthcare professionals to ensure your care is coordinated.
6. What age groups do you work with?
I currently work with adults aged 18 years and over.
My approach is designed specifically for adults who want to understand the subconscious patterns behind their challenges and create meaningful, lasting change.
Whether you're in your twenties, approaching retirement, or well into later life, it's never too late to change patterns that no longer serve you. Because what has been learned can also be unlearned.
Creating Lasting Change
Every person's journey is different, but meaningful change is possible. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about what you can expect as you move forward.
1. How quickly will I notice changes?
Every person is different, so there's no exact timeline. Some clients notice meaningful shifts after their very first hypnotherapy session, while for others, change happens more gradually as new patterns become established.
Lasting change isn't about changing everything overnight. It's about creating small, consistent shifts that build over time until your new way of thinking, feeling and responding becomes your natural way of being.
2. Will the results last?
The goal isn't simply to help you feel better for a short time. It's to help you create lasting change.
By working with the subconscious patterns driving your thoughts, emotions and behaviours, we're aiming to change the foundation rather than simply manage the symptoms.
Like learning any new skill, lasting change becomes stronger through repetition, real-life application and continued practice. That's why your program includes coaching, personalized tools and ongoing support to help reinforce your progress.
3. What if I've struggled with this for years?
The length of time you've experienced a problem doesn't necessarily determine how long it takes to change it.
Many clients come to me after living with anxiety, low confidence or other challenges for years, or even decades. While those patterns may have been reinforced over time, they were still learned. And what has been learned can also be unlearned.
Your past doesn't have to define your future.
4. What if I don't know why I feel this way?
You don't need to have all the answers before we begin.
Many people know how they feel but have no idea why. Others have experienced so many different life events that it's difficult to know where the problem really started.
Part of my role is helping you become aware and make sense of those patterns. Together, we'll explore what may be contributing to your current challenges and identify the subconscious beliefs and emotional responses that have been influencing the way you think, feel and behave.
You don't need to figure it all out on your own. That's exactly what this work is about.
5. What if I've already tried everything?
Many of my clients tell me this before we begin.
They've read the books, listened to the podcasts, tried different therapies or techniques, and often understand exactly what they should be doing. Yet they still find themselves falling back into the same patterns.
That doesn't mean you're broken or incapable of change.
Often, it simply means you've been trying to create conscious change while the subconscious patterns driving the problem have remained the same.
When those underlying patterns begin to change, new ways of thinking, feeling and responding become possible.
Still have a question?
Every person is different, and sometimes the best way to find out whether this approach is right for you is simply to have a conversation.
If you can't find the answer you're looking for here, or you'd like to discuss your situation, I'd love to hear from you.
Book a Clarity Call and let's explore what's possible together.
