Author: Alistair Campbell

People affected by Irritable Bowel Syndrome will welcome the news about the latest treatment for IBS proven to offer some relief from symptoms: hypnotherapy. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a very common condition; according to current estimates, 15% of all Australians have symptoms. Not all those who have symptoms seek medical help and the majority of sufferers are women. The exact cause…

Sex and Normative Narratives It is fair to say that a lot of sex happens in the mind. There is some evidence that men think about sex more often than women, though it’s a myth that men think about sex every 7 seconds! In fact, men tend to think about food and sleep about as much as they think about…

1.Do Men suffer from Eating Disorders? Psychologists commonly see female clients presenting with symptoms of eating disorders – but what about men? Does this mean that men do not suffer from eating disorders? I don’t think so. It is probably rarer for men to develop eating disorders with the same constellation of symptoms as women. Body image concerns and engaging…

The film portrayal of hypnosis is one where a dominant and powerful man (usually evil) takes control of a vulnerable and helpless woman and forces her to do his bidding against her will. This framing of the “power” of hypnosis has been supported by the many television and stage hypnosis shows, where a hypnotist appears to have amazing powers of…

Despite many years of public education and campaigns in relation to mental health, schizophrenia continues to be a misunderstood mental illness. When people fear that they might be going “mad” it is the symptom list of a schizophrenic illness that they point to. In films, on television, and in books, the term “schizophrenia” is used interchangeably with “split personality”. Yet…

A question that I am often asked is: “When would you use hypnosis for pain?” A somewhat flippant reply that comes to my mind is, “When wouldn’t you?!” Though I don’t often say it, I always think it. Hypnosis, the ‘modern’ western way of experiencing a trance state is probably the oldest, least intrusive, and a least toxic way for managing…

Author: Dr Alistair Campbell,BA (Hons), M Psych (Clinical), PhD. Narrative approaches to therapy originated in Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and are useful in the treatment of depression, anxiety and trauma. In the early days, they were introduced as a form of strategic therapy, which has its roots in family therapy and hypnosis, by two South Australian social…

Written By Dr Alistair Campbell Is it good enough to just like your therapist – or that your therapist seems to like you? How can you know if your therapy is working for you? These can be tough and challenging questions for both you and your therapist. For the therapist they go to the heart of our competency. Are we…

Written by Dr Alistair Campbell Do you remember watching any of those TV programs featuring “grumpy old men” (GOM)? I do. I love them! Witty, acerbic and opinionated older males making observations about people and life from a particularly jaded and critical point of view is pure gold for comedy. One of the reasons I really enjoyed watching these shows…