Latest news letter from the President
President's Report for September 2026
Dear Members,
I hope this email finds you well.
Please find the ‘September in review’ report below.
Regards Danielle
NEW PROSPECTUS
As mentioned in the last president report, we now have a new updated prospectus which can be found at the following link : https://www.ahahypnotherapy.org.au/aha-prospectus
Described in this document you will find the new 10-level classification system that we have introduced. Notably, Graduates now enter at Level 5 and have the option to use the title "Level 5 AHA Member" instead of "Graduate." If they so choose.
Please see a summary of the levels below.
Practising & Professional Levels
- Level 10 – Life Member (LMAHA): Awarded for outstanding and original contributions; includes free lifetime membership.
- Level 9 – Fellow Member (FMAHA): Clinical members with 5+ years of service recognised for advancing hypnotherapy knowledge.
- Level 8 – Advanced Clinical Member (ACMAHA): Requires 2,500 training hours and 1,000 post-graduate client hours, and associated supervision hours.
- Level 7 – Clinical Member (CMAHA): Requires 1,500 training hours and 500 post-graduate client hours, and associated supervision hours.
- Level 6 – Professional Member (PMAHA): Requires 1,000 training hours and 250 post-graduate client hours, and associated supervision hours.
- Level 5 – Graduate Member (GMAHA): Requires 1,000 training hours.
Provisional & Community Levels
- Levels 4, 3, & 2 – Provisional (Clinical/Professional/Graduate): Matches the training hours of the full levels (5–7) but carries restrictions: no health fund eligibility and mandatory insurance if practising.
- Level 1 – Affiliate Community Member: For students, international practitioners, or those in related fields interested in hypnotherapy.
Special Categories
- Honorary Member: Bestowed upon distinguished visitors or speakers at the Board's discretion.
- Academic Member: Reserved for schools and training organisations with AHA-recognised courses.
A MESSAGE REGARDING MEETING CONDUCT
The AHA Board wishes to address conduct at recent meetings, including the AGM.
Strong views and differing perspectives are an important part of Association discussions. However, meetings must remain respectful, constructive and accessible to all participants. Recently some member’s conduct has disrupted meetings and negatively affected both Board members and other attendees.
Some discussions have also moved away from the published meeting agenda. Members are encouraged to raise these individual concerns and grievances through the appropriate channels so that meetings can progress effectively and everyone has a fair opportunity to contribute to the intended discussion.
We acknowledge the impact these circumstances have had on some members and apologise to anyone who has felt uncomfortable or unable to participate fully. The AHA is committed to maintaining respectful, professional and safe meetings.
Therefore, the AHA will implement a zero tolerance of such behaviour and will apply the Meeting Etiquette Policy consistently and promptly. We ask all members to familiarise themselves with the policy, available on the website - here: https://members.ahahypnotherapy.org.au/index.cfm//member-area/policies-procedures-and-guidelines-for-members/
Members may express differing views and engage in robust discussion. However, personal attacks, intimidation, aggression, disrespectful or disruptive conduct, and behaviour that prevents others from participating appropriately are not acceptable.
Meetings must remain focused on the published agenda and the Association’s business. Matters outside the agenda should be raised through the appropriate process rather than allowed to dominate or disrupt discussion.
Where conduct does not comply with the Meeting Etiquette Policy, the member may be asked to modify or cease it. If the conduct continues, or is sufficiently serious, the member may be removed from the meeting.
We ask all members to help maintain respectful, professional and inclusive meetings where differing views can be expressed appropriately and the Association’s business can be conducted effectively.
Thank you to the majority of our members who do contribute constructively and respectfully in our meetings.
MEDIbank REMINDER
As you may be aware Medibank private has made some changes recently, including the option to include your home clinic as a face-to-face practice.
You may have noticed if you have uploaded expiring documents recently that we are asking if you work from home and reminding members that Medibank Private require home practice paperwork, this has been part of the information gathering, which we hoped could be done over the membership year.
We wanted to allow members to apply in their own time, however Medibank private have notified us of their intended full audit scheduled, which will include home office information. So ,if you haven’t already done so, now is the time.
If you practise from your home and you see your clients face to face, please head to https://members.ahahypnotherapy.org.au/member-area/private-health-fund-information/ and complete the application form so that you can be added to the health fund report.
CHANGE OF PRACTICE ADDRESS : UPDATE
If your practice address has changed in recent years, please log in to the website to update your records. Ensure you register your current working address and delete any locations that are no longer in use. It is essential to remove redundant practice addresses, as Medibank Private is currently also auditing this information.https://www.ahahypnotherapy.org.au/change-of-address-details-for-health-funds
CARD PAYMENT SURCHARGES – AN UPDATE
From 1 October 2026, changes to Australia’s card payment rules will mean that businesses will no longer be able to add a surcharge to customers for paying by debit, credit or prepaid card across the major card networks, including Visa, Mastercard and eftpos.
Therefore, please ensure your processes are in line with this new government policy.
From 1 October 2026, Australian businesses generally cannot add card surcharges for eftpos, Visa, Mastercard and American Express card payments. The rule change applies to debit, credit and prepaid cards, and businesses should remove surcharge settings across tills, terminals and payment gateways before that date.
It is worth noting that the AHA has never passed card payment processing costs on to our members, or friends of the Association, when making payments through our payment system. We have always absorbed these costs rather than adding a surcharge to card transactions.
This change therefore does not require any change to our current practice. We will continue to provide members and friends with a straightforward payment process without adding card surcharges.
This is another example of the AHA’s commitment to providing our members with transparent, fair and member-focused services, while ensuring that participation in Association activities and services remains as accessible as possible.
EMILY'S WORKSHOP REPORT
September was a great month for Workshops. We were lucky enough to have Jerry Knight, one of our own incredibly experienced members presenting on treating trauma, veterans and FND with his Wednesday Evening workshop “The Future is Integrated”. He was Joined by Brendan Lee, who is the COO for Valour Health, the Veterans Association whom Jerry has recently formed a partnership with. This was such a wonderful workshop, where Jerry shared how he is working with Veterans to treat both trauma and FND, and the conversation expanded to how we as an association can help to make progress to have Hypnotherapy more widely recognised as an effective treatment for Veterans. If you work with trauma, FND or Veterans this workshop is a must watch, and it can now be accessed on our Intuto platform.
You can head over to the Online CPD Shop here – https://members.ahahypnotherapy.org.au/shop/intuto/
October is going to be a special month - we have Jan Sky presenting on The Interplay of Hypnosis and Neuroscience on the 21st at 6.30pm Melbourne/Sydney time - please check your time zones as we will have shifted to daylight savings in some states.
You can book for Jan’s workshop here (registrations close October 19th at 8pm AEDT)
Coming up in November we have a 2-day weekend workshop with the incredible Amanda Dounis, one of our highly respected members, whose presentation, called “Breaking the Loop” will focus on strategic hypnotherapy techniques that disrupt emotional patterns in kids, teens and adults.
Also, we are very excited to announce that planning for the Symposium for next year is making amazing progress, thanks to our wonderful symposium team who are working hard behind the scenes to organise something really special for all members. Getting together in person is such a great way to celebrate the AHA and make meaningful connections with colleagues, and we would love as many members as possible to join us for this incredibly special event to be held in Adelaide on the 22nd of May, so save the date! Keep an eye on socials and Association emails for more details as we announce the line up and venue over the coming months.
If you have a speaker or a topic in mind that you would love us to hold a workshop on, reach out to Emily at workshopteam@ahahypnotherapy.org.au
I look forward to seeing you at our next event!
-Emily
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: REVIVING THE AHA JOURNAL
As many of you may know, the AHA Journal has not been published in recent years due to a shortage of volunteer support. We are eager to restart this valuable publication and are seeking individuals interested in contributing to its production.
If you would like to help bring the journal back, please contact the president at AHAhypnotherapy.org.au. We aim to review current research and explore the benefits of a professional journal. However, we need additional support to achieve this goal. If you're interested in getting involved, please reach out to president@ahahypnotherapy.org.au .
We look forward to collaborating with you to make this initiative a reality.
HYPNOTIC IDEAS EXCHANGE
REMINDER: The Hypnotic Ideas Exchange (HIE) is a collaborative initiative organised by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH), specifically through its North Carolina, Northern Virginia, Eastern Society, and New Jersey Component Sections. Since its inception in May 2020, the HIE has become a cornerstone for learning about hypnosis and building a professional community.
These dynamic virtual gatherings typically attract 70 to 100 participants per session, bringing together leading experts and practitioners to exchange valuable ideas, stories, metaphors, and techniques in the field of hypnosis. We know many of our members are already aware of this excellent professional development opportunity, but we wanted to send this friendly reminder not to overlook the HIE! The meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at 7:30 PM ET (Tuesday morning AEST), and recordings are available for those unable to attend live. Link : https://www.nchypnosis.org/hie
This is a wonderful resource for expanding your knowledge, connecting with peers, and staying current in the field. We encourage you to mark your calendars and take advantage of this free opportunity!
SHARE YOUR AHA EXPERIENCE: TESTIMONIALS WANTED!
Don’t forget: We invite you to contribute a recorded testimonial to be featured on the AHA's YouTube channel and Facebook groups. We're seeking short (2-3 minute) testimonials from members at all levels, whether you're new, a graduate, or an experienced professional.
If you're inspired to share what led you to join the AHA, what has motivated you to remain, and what benefits you find invaluable, we'd love to hear from you. These testimonials aim to highlight the positive aspects of our association, what we excel in, and what potential members might want to know.
Please send your recordings to president@ahahypnotherapy.org.au. All submissions will be reviewed and have the opportunity to be featured on both our YouTube and Facebook channels. As a token of appreciation, participants will receive a complimentary voucher for a CPD workshop to the value of $40 on the Intuto platform.
We encourage members to get creative and share your unique journey with the AHA!
MEMBERS BLOG
Don’t forget to visit the Members' Blog! We are continuously updating this section of the website with great articles covering various hypnotherapeutic topics. These resources may be of interest to you and beneficial to your practice. https://www.ahahypnotherapy.org.au/articles-research-and-resources/aha-members-blog
MEMBER NOTICEBOARD
PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING AND WELCOMING ALL NEW MEMBERS TO THE ASSOCIATION. WELCOME ABOARD!
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE ALL RETURNING MEMBERS ON THEIR SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS. WELCOME BACK!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY UPGRADED YOUR MEMBERSHIP LEVEL THIS MONTH.
If anyone has any award successes to share in the President’s Report Member Notice Board, please send them through to: president@ahahypnotherapy.org.au
THERAPY BOOK REVIEWS
Pop over to the book review hub: 'Books to Inspire' if you are looking for something recommended to read or to listen to: https://www.ahahypnotherapy.org.au/articles-research-and-resources/books-to-inspire-reviews-audio-reflectionsAlso, don't forget, if you have read a great book that you think is worth sharing, you can write a book review for the Hub and be awarded 2 CPD points.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
If you want to answer some fun fact questions and provide a picture of yourself, we can spotlight you in the months ahead. To be involved, all you need to do is fill in the following form and upload a picture of yourself at the following link: https://www.ahahypnotherapy.org.au/members-spotlight
KEEPING IN TOUCH
Don't forget to check into the Facebook group and Instagram for everything current and interesting conversations.
- Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ahahypnotherapy.org.au/
- Face book Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/257684736308035
- Instagram group https://www.instagram.com/australianhypnotherapistsassoc/
DATES FOR THE DIARY
The next meeting dates are as follows: NB: All times are Sydney/Melbourne time.
- Supervisor Meet-up: February 2nd, 2027, 3 PM - 5 PM AEST
- Graduate Meet-up: December 1st , 2026, 2 PM – 4 PM AEST
- World's Biggest Member Meet-up: October 16th, 2026, 4 PM - 6 PM AEST
- Clinical Peer Meet-up: October 6th 2026, 11 AM to 1 PM AEST
- Trainer’s Meeting: TBA, 7 PM AEST
- Special General Meeting: December 7, 2026, 7 PM AEDT
- Academic Member Meeting: 22nd March 2027 7 pm AEDT
- AGM Meeting: 21st June 2027, 7 PM AEST
Symposium: May 22, 2027, South Australia
Danielle Aitken
National President
Australian Hypnotherapists Association
e president@ahahypnotherapy.org.au
w www.ahahypnotherapy.org.au
f AHA Facebook
