Master of Ceremonies - Tania Davies, AHA Symposium Chair

Danielle, Aitken, President, AHA

A registered Nurse and Midwife, Danielle spent 20 years working in IVF. Studying  genetics at Newcastle University she coordinated genetic infertility clients, managed international research trials whilst managing a busy patient load dealing with all aspects of the IVF journey.

Danielle became a Counsellor to assist her IVF patients to navigate the often-stressful infertility experience. She became intrigued with the power and potential of the human mind which led her to study Clinical Hypnotherapy. Later becoming a tutor of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Counselling. She now sits as President of the AHA whilst running her own busy private practice. 

An Author and International Speaker on mind-body therapy and healing modalities. Danielle has written three Amazon #1 bestselling books. She writes to educate and inspire her readers about human potential. 

A life-long learner, Danielle is currently completing a post graduate study in Neuroscience at the University of New England.

Professor Amanda Barnier

Pro Vice-Chancellor Research Performance & Development and Professor in Dept of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, N.S.W.

Abstract
In hypnosis, mere words can have remarkable effects on some but not all people. Research suggests that, once developed in childhood or adolescence, hypnotisability is a lifelong talent that helps to predict therapeutic benefits for both hypnotic and nonhypnotic treatments. But despite over two centuries of scientific and clinical investigation and practice, we still do not fully understand the nature and source of hypnotic capacity.

Why do some people experience more, more complete or more compelling effects of hypnosis than others, despite their best efforts and ours?

Drawing on over three decades of work in the field, I describe a “componential approach” that has helped researchers to better understand another important cognitive ability – the ability to read – as well as helped practitioners to successfully treat reading disorders.

I discuss how and why this componential approach to reading might be usefully applied to hypnosis and hypnotherapy. And I finish with a call to action for a modern day, citizen science version of the 19th century pioneering work in our field. Together we might at last solve the mystery of hypnotic ability.

Amanda is a Professor of Cognitive Science and the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Performance and

Development) at Macquarie University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology from Macquarie University and a PhD in Psychology from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). She also completed postdoctoral work at the University of California, Berkeley, before returning to an academic career in Australia.

Amanda’s research focuses on hypnosis, memory, and hypnosis and memory. She has won over $4 million in competitive funding for her research and teams including four consecutive Australian Research Council (ARC) Fellowships: an ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship, a Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship, an Australian Research Fellowship, and a Future Fellowship. She also was a Chief Investigator of Macquarie’s $21 million ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, which included research programs on hypnosis and memory.

In recent years, Amanda has moved into University-level research leadership and strategy roles (including Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Human Sciences and her current role as Pro Vice-Chancellor in the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research portfolio) but maintains a strong interest and experimental research program in hypnosis: how it works and how it can be used to understand every day and clinical distortions of perception, memory, action, and belief. She has supervised over 70 Honours, Masters, and PhD students in psychology, cognitive science, and related disciplines, including students in experimental, clinical, forensic, and neuropsychology programs.

Amanda has received many university, national, and international awards for her work on hypnosis (and memory) including distinguished career awards from the American Psychological Association (Division 30, Psychological Hypnosis) and the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH). Her 2009 edited book with Michael Nash, “The Oxford Handbook of Hypnosis” received the SCEH’s Arthur Shapiro Award for the Best Book in Hypnosis (2009) and was cited as “a landmark contribution, a tremendous resource for scholars and clinicians alike”. In 2016 she was made a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.

Finally, Amanda has put special effort into communicating the results of her research and of psychology, hypnosis and memory in general to the broader community. She has taught professional development courses on hypnosis (and memory) in Australia, New Zealand, the US, and UK. She has participated in educational programs for primary and secondary students, and contributed frequently across many years to science communication programs on television, radio, in print, online, and via guest lectures. She also has acted as an expert witness on hypnosis and/or memory in NSW court cases and redress matters.

https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/amanda-barnier

Dr Amanda Hordern, Keynote Speaker, Author, Trainer, Supervisor, Clinical Therapist

Amanda Hordern is a leading health expert who strives to lift the lid off the great taboo of sexual health and wellbeing. She draws on many years of experience as Executive Director Cancer Information & Support Service, Cancer Council Victoria and decades of nursing, counselling, teaching and behavioural research. Amanda Hordern is an international keynote speaker and has lectured in cancer and palliative care at Postgraduate, Masters and PhD levels. Over the past 11 years she has assisted thousands of clients to ‘reprogram’ their mind through her private practice; Bayside Healthy Living.

Christoffel Sneijders

Executive Coach and Clinical Supervisor AoCS, 3 Brains Coach Certification Trainer, Visiting professor behavioural organisational leadership at the IE Business School Madrid 

Christoffel Sneijders MCC is a passionate professional with 33 years of experience in Clinical Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy, Executive Coaching, and Training. He is dedicated to unlocking human potential and driving transformative change.

His expertise lies in Motivation & Wellness, Relationships, Burnout, PTSD, Anxiety, Trauma, and Grief. With a proven track record of positively impacting over 10,000 lives, he is the proud author of two insightful books, "How Men & Women Fit: Finally, Understand Your Partner with The 3 Brains Theory" and “Relationships? Which Brain Is Talking?” on personal and professional relationships.

As an Executive Coach & Therapist, He is delivering invaluable coaching and therapy services to individuals seeking personal growth. He is the founder of the ICF and AHA development points approved 3 Brains Coach Certification Training. Last but not least, he is a visiting professor at IE Business School, shaping future leaders.

Bonnie Killip, Optimal Mind & Health Consultant, Fuelling Success

Hi, my name is Bonnie, and I am a health and nutrition expert and professional mind trainer at Fuelling Success. 

I started my education and career in biomedical science and switched path to become a dietitian and clinical hypnotherapist after my own personal introduction to and lifechanging experience with clinical hypnotherapy. 

Hypnotherapy allowed me to gain freedom from anorexia nervosa. An illness I’d lived with for 15 years and didn’t believe was possible to overcome. 

I have since worked with thousands of people around the globe in facilitating them to gain freedom from and live a life beyond various manifestations of eating disorders. 

Outside of empowering others to change their minds and their lives you’ll find me mostly outdoors and especially in the ocean surfing, diving, snorkelling, swimming or laughing with my friends or snuggling up for a movie with my partner, our dog Luna and lots of popcorn.  

Danielle Aitken, President, AHA

A registered Nurse and Midwife, Danielle spent 20 years working in IVF. Studying  genetics at Newcastle University she coordinated genetic infertility clients, managed international research trials whilst managing a busy patient load dealing with all aspects of the IVF journey.

Danielle became a Counsellor to assist her IVF patients to navigate the often-stressful infertility experience. She became intrigued with the power and potential of the human mind which led her to study Clinical Hypnotherapy. Later becoming a tutor of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Counselling. She now sits as President of the AHA whilst running her own busy private practice. 

An Author and International Speaker on mind-body therapy and healing modalities. Danielle has written three Amazon #1 bestselling books. She writes to educate and inspire her readers about human potential. 

A life-long learner, Danielle is currently completing a post graduate study in Neuroscience at the University of New England.

Silke Herwald, Australian Hypnotherapy Centre

Silke Herwald is a clinical Hypnotherapist and Master Practitioner of NLP,  specialising in grief and anxiety, with over 14 years experience. She also is a Supervisor for the AHA and ASCH and has been a guest on many podcasts.

Her busy private practice The Australian Hypnotherapy Centre is located on the Sunshine Coast and Silke is the owner of two successful memberships The Grief To Love Circle and the Grief Anxiety Sanctuary, with about 50 members.

Silke has lost three of her dearest loved ones in as many years and skillfully combines her profound professional expertise with her deeply personal experience.

The groundbreaking “Grief To Love Blueprint” is Silke’s signature framework. She skillfully  teaches experienced Hypnotherapists how to work with grief resourcefully so they naturally lose their fear of the huge emotions when working with grief and gives them the certainty they need to confidently know what to do next.

Silke talks about grief in a lighthearted and deeply insightful way which will help anyone with their grieving clients.

Marilyn Colvin-Boon, Director, The Alternative Centre

Principle of the Alternative Centre since 2001. I came to Australia from the UK in 2004.  In 2005, I brought the HypnoBirthing (HBI) programme to Australia. I had been an Advisory Board Member and Faculty Member since 2002. I implemented training on behalf of HBI throughout Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea.  I am now a Life Member and have been retired from HBI since 2014.

I have been clinical member of the Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association since 2009. 

General Manager for SleepTalk for Children, now Goulding Method from 2015-2017. I am  a licensed trainer and assessor, working with Joan Goulding over many years.

In 2018, I began a dual degree in Psychology and Counselling at the University of the Sunshine Coast and will complete the Bachelor of Social Sciences in November 2023.

Dr Stephen Woodbury, Founder, and Director of the MindZen Method™

Steve Woodbury is owner and founder of Hobart Modern Hypnosis where he incorporates his eclectic history into treatments, trainings and coaching to help people perform better, recover quicker and bring more pain-relief. He provides personally tailored one-on-one sessions and group-based, mind, and high-performance well-being services globally.

As a past “chronic pain survivor” Steve experienced that many of the current pain management systems are not designed to treat pain and heal, but more so to cope. After an extended period of injury and extreme ongoing pain, he reached the limits of the biomedical model’s pain-relief treatments and consequently has decades of research into what he did to heal, after the years of biomedical failure. This led to extensive conflation of research, experience and training in Western and Eastern approaches of many kinds; achieving a PhD exploring the pain-altered mind-body connection and creating a tailored system of healing which is offered locally and globally.

Panel Members Include:

Prof Amanda Barnier

Dr Amanda Hordern

Dr Stephen Woodbury

Christoffel Sneijders

Silke Herwald

Bonnie Killip

Master of Ceremonies - Tania Davies, AHA Symposium Chair