I am a qualified psychotherapist with a long-standing interest in depth-oriented and experiential therapeutic work. I have been in private psychotherapy practice since completing my most recent Diploma of clinical Hypnotherapy and strategic Psychotherapy in 2023, and I bring together contemporary psychotherapy with earlier training in Gestalt-informed and experiential approaches.
My work is grounded, relational, and collaborative, supporting clients to develop insight, emotional awareness, and meaningful change.
My Professional Journey
Early Therapeutic Foundations
I first trained and worked therapeutically in the mid-1980s, practising a form of trance-based experiential psychotherapy informed by Gestalt therapy. This early work focused on emotional processing, embodied awareness, and the therapeutic relationship, and it continues to inform my sensitivity to depth, presence, and the unconscious processes that arise in therapy.
Broader Professional and Life Experience
After this early period of therapeutic work, I spent many years working in other professional fields outside formal psychotherapy. This time provided rich life experience and a deep understanding of stress, identity, relationships, and change — experience I now bring into the therapy room with maturity and perspective.
Formal Psychotherapy Training and Current Practice
I returned to formal psychotherapy training in recent years and completed a Diploma of clinical Hypnotherapy and strategic Psychotherapy in 2023. Since then, I have been working in private practice as a psychotherapist, and a cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist supporting adults and children with a range of emotional and psychological concerns.
My current work integrates gold standard Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with Clinical Hypnotherapy with experiential and Gestalt-informed methods, always tailored to the individual needs and pace of each client.
My Therapeutic Approach
My approach is integrative and relational. I work collaboratively with clients, drawing on modern psychotherapy alongside experiential techniques to support insight, emotional regulation, and self-understanding.
I offer a safe, thoughtful space in which clients can explore patterns, experiences, and challenges, and develop new ways of relating to themselves and others.
“I work as a psychotherapist in Caulfield North,
I am a member of Australian Hypnotherapy association
Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists
and Australian Association of Cognitive Behavioural Therapists
And the International Association of Strategic Psychotherapists
Michael Greaves is a qualified psychotherapist and clinical hypnotherapist with over 40 years of therapeutic experience. He practices integrative psychotherapy in Caulfield North, combining evidence-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with Clinical Hypnotherapy and depth-oriented experiential approaches.
• Diploma of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Strategic Psychotherapy (2023)
• Psychotherapist - Integrative practice
• Clinical Hypnotherapist - Evidence-based protocols
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapist - Gold-standard CBT approaches
• 40+ years therapeutic experience since mid-1980s
• Australian Hypnotherapists Association (AHA)
• Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists (ASCH)
• Australian Association of Cognitive Behavioural Therapists (AACBT)
• International Association of Strategic Psychotherapists (IASP)
With over 40 years of therapeutic experience spanning different approaches and life contexts, Michael works with a wide range of concerns:
Anxiety & Stress: Generalized anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, health anxiety, performance anxiety, chronic stress and burnout
Habit Change & Addiction: Smoking cessation, alcohol reduction, emotional eating, behavioral addictions, habit disorders
Emotional & Psychological Difficulties: Depression, trauma and PTSD, grief and loss, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, life transitions
Specific Concerns: Phobias, sleep issues and insomnia, chronic pain management, sports performance enhancement
Work with Children: Anxiety, behavioral issues, sleep difficulties, emotional regulation challenges using gentle, age-appropriate techniques
Michael has called Brighton home since 1984. He raised his family here, coached nippers at Brighton Life Saving Club, and has been actively involved in Bayside sporting clubs for decades. This isn't just where he practices - it's his community. He understands the unique pressures and challenges Bayside residents face because he's lived them alongside his neighbors for over four decades.
• 40+ Years real world Experience - Depth of understanding developed over four decades
• Integrative Approach - Not limited to one method, drawing on what works for your situation
• Evidence-Based Practice - Grounded in research-backed approaches (CBT, clinical hypnotherapy)
• Life Experience - Mature perspective informed by decades of professional and personal experience
• Relational & Collaborative - Warm, non-judgmental therapeutic relationship
• Local Understanding - Brighton resident for 40+ years, deeply connected to Bayside community
• Work with Adults & Children - Experience across the lifespan
Free 15-Minute Consultation
We start with a complimentary phone conversation where you can discuss your situation, ask questions about the approach, and determine if we're a good fit. No pressure, no obligation.
First Session (60-75 minutes, $200)
Comprehensive assessment of your concerns, history, and goals. Discussion of which therapeutic approaches will be most helpful. Often includes initial therapeutic work.
Ongoing Sessions (60 minutes, $200)
Each session combines collaborative exploration, practical CBT tools, and hypnotherapy or experiential work as appropriate. Tailored to your needs and pace.
Treatment Length
Varies by individual and issue: Specific phobias 2-4 sessions, smoking cessation 1-3 sessions, anxiety 4-8 sessions, deeper emotional work 8-15+ sessions.
At Melbourne Strategic Hypnotherapy, we don't rely on hypnotherapy alone or outdated methods. Our strategic approach combines clinical hypnotherapy with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques, creating comprehensive treatment that addresses both conscious and subconscious aspects of your challenge.
This integrated methodology is backed by extensive research demonstrating superior outcomes compared to single-modality treatments.
The Power of Integration: CBT Meets Hypnotherapy
Traditional therapy often works at only one level of your mind:
Pure talk therapy addresses conscious thoughts and behaviours but may not reach the subconscious patterns driving them. You understand your problem logically but still struggle to change.
Pure hypnotherapy can create subconscious change but may not provide practical tools for managing daily challenges. You feel different but lack strategies for handling difficult situations.
Our strategic approach works at both levels simultaneously.
What Happens in Each Session
Every session at Melbourne Strategic Hypnotherapy follows a structured yet personalised approach incorporating both CBT and hypnotherapy:
Discussion and Assessment (15-20 minutes): We begin with CBT-based exploration of your progress, current challenges, and thought patterns. We identify specific situations or thoughts to address and develop practical strategies you can implement immediately.
Hypnotherapy Work (30-40 minutes): You'll relax comfortably while entering a focused, calm state through guided relaxation. In this receptive state, we use hypnotherapy techniques to:
• Reinforce the CBT insights from our discussion
• Install new patterns and beliefs at the subconscious level
• Work directly with your subconscious mind to support your goals
• Create powerful positive associations and anchors
Integration and Action Planning (10-15 minutes): We conclude by discussing your experience, creating specific action steps for the coming week, providing CBT tools and worksheets when appropriate, and ensuring you feel confident about implementing changes.
Sessions typically last 60 minutes, though your first appointment may be longer to allow time for thorough assessment.
Most clients report feeling deeply relaxed yet energised, with immediate insights and noticeable positive changes beginning right away.
The CBT Component: Practical Tools for Change
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy provides the conscious strategies and skills you need:
• Identifying unhelpful thought patterns and beliefs that maintain your challenge
• Challenging and reframing negative thinking with more realistic, helpful perspectives
• Developing practical coping strategies and skills for managing difficult situations
• Creating action plans for challenging situations you'll face
• Building problem-solving abilities so you handle obstacles effectively
• Preventing relapse through ongoing strategies you can use independently
CBT gives you the conscious understanding and practical tools necessary for managing your challenge day-to-day.
The Hypnotherapy Component: Deep Subconscious Change
Clinical hypnotherapy works with the automatic patterns living in your subconscious:
• Accessing the subconscious mind through deep relaxation and focused attention
• Installing positive suggestions and new patterns that support your goals
• Using visualisation and mental rehearsal to prepare for success
• Processing and resolving emotional blocks that maintain your challenge
• Creating powerful anchors for desired states you can trigger when needed
• Strengthening motivation and confidence at a deep level
Hypnotherapy ensures your subconscious mind fully embraces and supports the changes your conscious mind wants to make.
Why Integration Creates Superior Results
When both levels of your mind work together—conscious behaviour change and subconscious pattern shift—transformation feels natural rather than forced.
Consider smoking cessation: CBT helps you identify triggers and develop alternative coping strategies. Your conscious mind understands these strategies logically. But if your subconscious still associates cigarettes with pleasure and relaxation, implementing these strategies requires constant willpower.
Add hypnotherapy to address the subconscious associations, and suddenly the alternative strategies feel natural and appealing. Your conscious and subconscious minds work together rather than against each other.
This principle applies across all challenges we treat—anxiety, weight loss, sleep problems, pain management, phobias, and more. Integration produces results more quickly and completely than either approach alone.
Research Supporting Our Integrated Approach
A landmark study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that adding hypnosis to cognitive behavioural therapy substantially enhanced treatment effectiveness across multiple conditions. The integrated approach produced significantly better outcomes than CBT alone.
Clinical studies demonstrate that integrated CBT-hypnotherapy approaches produce exceptional results:
• For anxiety disorders: Research shows that adding hypnotherapy to CBT significantly enhances treatment effectiveness and produces lasting symptom reduction.
• Weight loss: Studies demonstrate that hypnotherapy combined with behavioural interventions leads to greater weight loss that's maintained long-term compared to behavioural interventions alone.
• Smoking cessation: Research indicates that hypnotherapy more than doubles the success rate of standard behavioural programs.
• Chronic pain: Studies show that cognitive-behavioural hypnotherapy produces substantial pain reduction and improved functioning across various pain conditions.
• Sleep problems: Research demonstrates that hypnotherapy integrated with CBT-I strategies dramatically improves insomnia outcomes and enhances sleep quality.
Between Sessions: Your Active Role
Your progress doesn't depend solely on time spent in our office. We provide comprehensive support between sessions:
• Personalised hypnotherapy audio recordings to reinforce session work
• CBT worksheets and practical exercises for implementing strategies
• Specific action plans for managing challenging situations
• Email support for questions between sessions
• Clear homework assignments to maintain momentum
This between-session work ensures you develop lasting skills for managing challenges independently. The tools and strategies you learn become part of how you approach life, providing benefits long after treatment ends.
How Many Sessions Will You Need?
The number of sessions required varies depending on:
• The issue being addressed
• Its severity and duration
• Your individual response to treatment
Some clients achieve their goals in just 1-3 sessions—common for smoking cessation or specific phobias where the challenge is focused and well-defined.
Others benefit from 4-8 sessions—typical for more complex issues like anxiety, weight loss, chronic pain, or long-standing sleep problems.
Our integrated approach often produces results more quickly than traditional therapy because we're working at both conscious and subconscious levels simultaneously.
During your complimentary consultation, we'll discuss realistic expectations for your specific situation based on current research and our clinical experience.
What to Expect: Your Journey Begins
Step 1: Free 15-Minute Phone Consultation
We understand that choosing to try integrated CBT-hypnotherapy is a significant decision. That's why we offer a complimentary phone consultation with no obligation.
This conversation allows you to:
• Learn about how we combine CBT and hypnotherapy
• Ask questions about the integrated approach
• Discuss your specific situation and goals
• Understand whether our strategic method is appropriate for your needs
• Determine if we're a good fit to work together
There's no pressure, no sales pitch, and no judgment—just honest, helpful information to support your decision-making.
Step 2: Comprehensive First Session
If you decide to proceed, your first session (typically 90-120 minutes) includes:
• Detailed assessment of your challenge, history, and goals
• Exploration of what you've tried previously and its effectiveness
• Education about how our integrated approach will address your specific situation
• Your first hypnotherapy experience
• Development of your initial action plan
Most clients leave their first session feeling hopeful, relaxed, and often noticing immediate positive shifts.
Step 3: Follow-Up Sessions
Subsequent sessions (60-90 minutes each) build on your progress through the structured integration of CBT and hypnotherapy described above. The exact number and spacing of sessions depend on your individual needs and progress.
Step 4: Long-Term Success
Our goal isn't just to help you temporarily—we want to equip you with skills and changes that last permanently. By the end of treatment, you'll have:
• Resolved or significantly improved your presenting challenge
• Practical strategies for maintaining progress independently
• Confidence in your ability to handle future difficulties
• Understanding of the principles underlying the change you've made
Many clients return months or years later to report they've maintained their progress using the skills learned through strategic hypnotherapy.
Your Practitioner: Training and Experience
Your path to change deserves expertise you can trust.
As your Practitioner I have:
• Extensive training in both clinical hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, with qualifications from recognised professional bodies
• Ongoing professional development to provide you with the highest quality integrated care incorporating the latest research
• Experience helping hundreds of Melbourne residents overcome challenges ranging from debilitating anxiety to decades-long smoking habits
• Specialised training in specific applications including pain management, smoking cessation, anxiety disorders, and weight management
More importantly, I understand that seeking help requires courage. Every client receives compassionate, non-judgmental support in a safe, confidential environment where your wellbeing is our top priority.
Convenient Melbourne Location
Our modern practice is located at:
Level 1, 187 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield North VIC 3161
We're easily accessible via public transport and offer convenient parking. Our central location serves clients throughout Melbourne's bayside suburbs including Brighton, St Kilda, Malvern, Glen Iris, Albert Park, Elwood, Middle Park, and Prahran.
We offer flexible appointment times including:
• Early mornings (from 7am)
• Daytime appointments
• Evenings (until 7pm)
• Saturday mornings
Because we know your time is valuable, sessions start promptly and are designed to maximise your progress efficiently.
Investment in Your Wellbeing
Per Session: $200 (60 minutes)
First Session: Often 70 minutes (same rate)
Most clients need: 4-8 sessions for complex issues, 1-3 for focused challenges
When you consider the cost of continuing to struggle with anxiety, excess weight, smoking, chronic pain, or other challenges—in terms of health, relationships, work performance, and quality of life—professional integrated therapy is a modest investment that pays dividends for years to come.
We also offer the complimentary 15-minute consultation so you can learn about our approach and determine if it's right for you before making any financial commitment.
Ethical Practice
We adhere to the highest ethical standards in all aspects of our work:
- Your confidentiality is absolute (within legal requirements)
- We practice within our scope of competence
- We provide honest information about what we can and cannot help with
- We refer to other professionals when appropriate
- We maintain clear professional boundaries
- We never make unrealistic promises about outcomes
- We charge transparently with no hidden fees
- We keep your information private
Coordination of Care
We recognise that some clients benefit from coordinated care involving multiple providers. When appropriate, we work collaboratively with:
- General practitioners and medical specialists
- Psychologists and psychiatrists
- Physiotherapists and pain specialists
- Other allied health professionals
- Sports Coaching professionals
With your consent, we communicate with your healthcare team to ensure you receive comprehensive, coordinated treatment.
We specialise in helping clients overcome:
- Anxiety disorders (generalised anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety)
- Smoking and tobacco addiction
- Weight management and emotional eating
- Chronic pain conditions
- Sleep problems and insomnia
- Phobias and intense fears
- Post-traumatic stress and trauma recovery
- Depression and low mood
- Chronic stress and burnout
- Sports performance anxiety
- Habits and compulsive behaviours
If you're tired of struggling and ready for lasting change, we're here to help.
Call 0412 694 720 to book your free 15-minute consultation.
During this no-obligation conversation, we'll discuss your specific situation and how our integrated approach can help you achieve the breakthrough you've been seeking.
Your path to lasting change through strategic hypnotherapy begins now.
Our clients consistently report that:
• Our integrated CBT-hypnotherapy approach exceeded their expectations
• They achieved breakthroughs they couldn't achieve through other methods
• The combination of practical CBT tools with deep hypnotherapy work creates powerful, lasting change
• They maintained their progress long-term using the skills learned in treatment
Individual testimonials appear on specific service pages.