This logo represents the Australian Society of Hypnosis (ASH). The ASH has endorsed this course. Students who complete this course will receive Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for the ASH Introductory Course.

The ASH represents health care professionals who hold registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Authority as well as Counsellors, Speech Pathologists and Social Workers.

Tel: (02) 9747 4691 Website: www.hypnosisaustralia.org.au

Dr Leon W. Cowen AdvDipCH, PhD (Clinical Hypnotherapy)
Clinical Hypnotherapist and Executive Director

Leon W. Cowen runs a busy practice which he commenced over 40 years ago
and is acknowledged as a leader in the profession. At the beginning of his career
he took on the responsibility for the continuing education of two clinical hypnotherapy
associations which gave him a realistic perspective of the educational needs of clinical
hypnotherapy practitioners.

Leaving the continuing education role Leon was requested to train clinical hypnotherapists in a
more educationally sound way. To answer these requests he founded the Academy of Applied Hypnosis in 1983. From there he achieved the first government accreditation for clinical hypnotherapy training in Australia in 1998.

In his capacity as the Executive Director he is asked to speak at conferences (nationally and internationally), provide workshops for professional associations and lectures at various universities and hospitals on specialist hypnotherapy techniques and applications. He regularly lectures to medial practitioners, mental health professionals and natural health practitioners demonstrating how clinical hypnotherapy intersects with their health modality.

Leon is extremely versatile in having an unusual blend of grass roots practitioner and academic qualifications. He wrote (and now holds) the highest government accredited clinical hypnotherapy qualification in Australia and has recently completed a PhD where he researched clinical hypnotherapy education. Using his research skills, he responds to government calls for submissions by compiling research data and writing/presenting the data to the relevant authorities. His expertise is also sought by radio talkback and TV producers as an expert in clinical hypnotherapy.

Leon is a member of many professional associations which span mental health, natural health and health education. Through these interactions he keeps his up-to-date with current trends and presents the case for clinical hypnotherapy being acknowledged as a ‘profession in its own right’ to other health professionals and health educators.

Leon is one of the originals, those clinical hypnotherapists who have worked hard to build the profession in Australia. He continues to support the profession by undertaking various roles within the profession such as Chair of the Educational Advisory Body for the Hypnotherapy Council of Australia and founded Hypnotherapists Enhancing Life for People (HELP) as an outreach community service project for clinical hypnotherapy.

As the Executive Director of the Academy, Leon brings his immense experience into the Academy’s training. Leon is actively involved in all aspects of training -  lecturing, providing student support (including phone/Skype) and supervision.

Dr Leon W. Cowen
AdvDipCH, PhD (Clinical Hypnotherapy)

Clinical Hypnotherapist
Executive Director
Academy of Applied Hypnosis

Ms Francesca Graham

Grad.Dip.App.Hyp. (AAH), DCH, DHC, Cert.Couns

Consultant and Clinical Hypnotherapist

Francesca Graham is a clinical hypnotherapist and a consultant to the Academy. Originally from a corporate background, Francesca studied with the Academy in the 1990’s. After gaining her clinical hypnotherapy qualifications Francesca established her practice within her various specialty interests and over the years has acted as a consultant overseeing the Academy’s office requirements. Francesca is also a guest lecturer at the Academy.

Dr Robyn Beirman MB.BS (Hons) MHPEd
Medical Educationalist

Dr Beirman trained as a medical practitioner and holds a Masters in Health Personnel Education and the Advanced Practitioner Certificate in Clinical Hypnotherapy (APCCH). She has chosen to specialise in medical education and has taught at a number of institutions, including Sydney University, University of New South Wales, Nature Care College, Macquarie University and is currently a Senior Lecturer at Central Queensland University, Sydney Campus, Australia.

Her role within the Department of Chiropractic involves teaching in the areas of pathology and differential diagnosis, chairing the department’s curriculum committee, and co-ordinating the undergraduate degree program. She has presented over many years at the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) joint educational conferences in Canada, Mexico, China, Spain and Perth. Other conference presentations include Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) on chiropractic education. Her predominant area of interest is in curriculum design.

Dr Beirman is a current member of the Academy’s Continuous Improvement Panel, is a Guest Lecturer in the medial sciences area and advises on educational matters. She brings a wealth of experience to the Academy in her role as an educational advisor, course advisor and medical education expert.

Dr Robyn Beirman
MB.BS (Hons) MHPEd

Geoffrey Williams  DCH, CertIVClinHyp (AAH) BSc, GradDipCrim,DipJuris (Syd)
Clinical Hypnotherapist and Guest Lecturer

Geoffrey Williams is a graduate of the Academy and has been practicing Clinical Hypnotherapy for 13 years.  

Prior to this he had been a forensic and environmental chemist, expert witness and designer of major analytical and research laboratories. He also presented workshops on public speaking and court presentation and given numerous lectures to police forces and at forensic conferences.

As a former natural products chemist he has a keen interest in the neurochemistry which underpins Hypnotherapy’s success and investigates the relationships between the hypnotic state, brain functioning, the mind and our behavioural and thought processes.  As such, he is particularly interested as to how hypnotherapy addresses abnormality as well as improving living skills.

He is a passionate advocate of moving Hypnotherapy from the generally-perceived esoteric to acceptance as a powerful and conventional therapy. To promote this, he addresses a wide range of medical, scientific, community, social and hypnotherapy groups.

He was awarded a National Institute of Forensic Science scholarship to present "Forensic Applications of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy at the 15th International Symposium on the Forensic Sciences. He was a keynote speaker at the 2008 New Zealand Hypnotherapy Federation Conference (Parkinson’s Disease, Hypnosis and the Dopamine Connection) and an invited speaker at the June 2011 meeting of the Oregon (USA) Hypnotherapy Association.

As well as his hypnotherapy practice at the Academy and in the Central Coast, he is a guest lecturer at the Academy.

Geoffrey Williams
DCH, CertIVClinHyp (AAH) BSc, GradDipCrim,DipJuris (Syd)