NZSPH Staff

Sara Wilson

Sara Wilson

BEd, DipCAH, HPD, PNLP
National Training Manager and Lead Christchurch Trainer

As National Training Manager, Sara’s role is to advocate for our students and ensure you have the best training experience possible.

Once you are enrolled, Sara and her assistant Hannah will be looking after you throughout your training journey. They will provide you with all the information and course materials you will need, be on hand for any questions and are there to help and support you – both during the training and beyond!

Sara completed her Hypnotherapy Diploma in Christchurch and then went on to train as one of our Christchurch Trainers a few years later.  So she has a unique perspective on what our students and trainers need to help them be successful.

With a teaching background, Sara is passionate about passing on her knowledge as a trainer, and introducing a new generation of students to these life-changing skills.

Sara runs Mind Garden Hypnotherapy in Christchurch and specialises in the mind-body connection.  She works with people to help them recognise the amazing power of their subconscious minds and enjoys empowering her clients to overcome any issues that are holding them back including smoking cessation, weight loss, stress and anxiety.

Sara has a particular focus on working with children especially those who are facing long-term illness and works one-on-one with children who are in treatment for cancer as well as leading relaxation and stress management sessions for parents of children with cancer. Her vision is for every person to be empowered to lead healthy, joyful lives free of unnecessary stress and anxiety.

Sara is also the face of our YouTube channel, and showcases her passion for hypnotherapy in regular “Breakthrough Hypnotherapy Sessions”, where students, graduates and other experts share their stories and techniques.



Ruth Lester

Ruth Lester

BA Hons, Co-Founder and Enrolments Director

Ruth is your first point of contact for answering any questions and providing information about the course.

She is always available and happy to chat about how our training options can meet your goals and dreams, and if what we offer is the right fit for you. She’ll also help you with the process of enrolling and getting onboard with the training.

Ruth Co-founded the NZSPH with her husband Ed in 2009 and has been instrumental in its development into the pre-eminent Hypnotherapy Training School in New Zealand today. Because of her long association with the school she is ideally placed to share her experience and knowledge, and share her insight into training with the NZSPH and what it can enable students to achieve.



Jo Green

Jo Green

Lead Auckland Trainer

Jo has been coaching & training for over 15 years in both her previous corporate roles & her own private business. She is a certified health and life coach, NLP Practitioner and completed her hypnotherapy training with the NZ School of Professional Hypnotherapy. She has also completed training in Executive State Identification & is currently completing a Mindfulness Practitioner Course.

Jo runs two businesses: The Health and Mind Coach working 1:1 with clients using hypnotherapy, coaching and NLP. She specialises in helping people with anxiety, chronic stress and low self worth/confidence. She also runs group programmes and has written an online course. As well as working with personal clients, she works with businesses to develop managers into coaches as well as to build a healthy and inspiring culture.

Her other business is The Happiness Club which runs The Emotional Management Programme in schools, workshops for parents and resilience and mindfulness workshops in businesses.

Jo is passionate about how hypnotherapy can help so many people and will pass on that passion to you on your hypnotherapy journey. The more people we have delivering this life changing work out in the world, the happier the world will be!

When she’s not working in her businesses or training, Jo can be found out with her dogs or out on the water on her SUP board.



Christine Walter

Christine Walter

DipCAH, HPD, MPNLP
Auckland Trainer

Christine Walter has been with the school since 2014. Christine has a high emotional intelligence and is people focussed.

While completing the course you will find that Christine is truly passionate about your learning; not only on your journey with learning hypnotherapy but also in transitioning your own goals in life via the course. During your weekends with Christine you learn from her skills and knowledge freely shared and her experiences of using hypnotherapy in her business as well as the course material.

  • As an experienced presenter and being energetic naturally, Christine’s training sessions are lively, fun and informative with lots of practical experience as well as the theory. You will no doubt find her training style inspirational, engaging and energising.
  • Christine’s training and qualifications include: Diploma in Clinical and Advanced Hypnosis from the NZ School of Professional Hypnotherapy, Master Practitioner and INLPTA trained trainer in NLP, Master Practitioner in Timeline Therapy, mBit Coach and Trainer and Reiki Practitioner 2nd level
  • Christine has an Auckland based coaching and hypnotherapy business and is a founding Director of the Australia and New Zealand Coaching Alliance.


Ellie Lockhart

Ellie Lockhart

Wellington Trainer

Ellie is a Hypnotherapist and coach that enjoys supporting people become the best versions of themselves.

Her qualifications include a focus on how our minds work, nutrition and wellbeing, and getting past inner self doubt and criticism She has a BSc Hons majoring in Psychology.

Her corporate background is in Human Resources and training and she has a passion for supporting growth and positive cultures in the workplace.

Her hypnotherapy style is focussed on evidence-based techniques that support the clients goal and their internal dialogue.



Tony Yuile

Tony Yuile

Wellington Trainer

Tony Yuile trained with the NZ School of Professional Hypnotherapy in 2010/11 and has been in practice as a life coach and hypnotherapist ever since, having attained his HPD and DipCAH qualifications. He also holds a Master Practitioner certificate in NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) and is a certified NLP Coach. He served on the NZ Association of NLP Management Committee for seven years and held the position of Treasurer.

One of Tony’s core values is ‘continuous and never-ending learning’ and since qualifying with the school he has gone on to train with many other recognised hypnotherapy trainers. Amongst his certifications he holds a Professional Hypnotherapy Diploma issued by the UK based Jacquin Hypnosis Academy and a Master Practitioner Diploma in Indirect Hypnosis, Ericksonian Hypnotherapy and Hypnotic Language with Clients (Distinction) issued by the British Hypnosis Research and Training School.

Tony is passionate about helping people overcome stress and anxiety related issues including phobias and traumas. He is the author of ‘7 Ways to Reduce Anxiety in 7 Minutes or Less’. He also specialises in Gut Directed Hypnotherapy, for disorders of the gut-brain interaction. He works with people in the greater Wellington area, and throughout NZ and the world via the internet.

Tony is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and understanding of hypnosis and its benefits with people and has for several years delivered self-hypnosis workshops and hypnosis trainings.

When not hypnotising and coaching people, Tony can be found practicing and performing improvised theatre in, and around, Wellington.



Ed Lester. Founder of the NZSPH

Ed Lester

DCAH, BA Hons, HPD, MPNLP
Founder

Founder Ed Lester is an experienced and respected hypnotherapist and trainer who has helped many hundreds of private clients to overcome problems and achieve their goals. He believes in giving hypnotherapy students all the tools they need to build a thriving and sustainable hypnotherapy practice in the quickest time possible. He understands that all students' needs and personal experiences are unique and that our training courses must always reflect that diversity. Here are some of Ed's qualifications and achievements:

  • BA in Linguistics and Visual Studies at the University of Central Lancashire.
  • Original hypnosis training with Ursula Markham of the Hypnothink Foundation in 2000.
  • Completed Diploma in Clinical and Advanced Hypnosis with the Washington School in Manchester, UK. Went on to complete 2 years of personal mentoring with Dr Shaun Brookhouse, one of the UK's most respected Hypnosis Trainers and Practitioners.
  • Elevated to Registered Status Membership of the National Council for Hypnotherapy in the UK in July 2002.
  • In 2003 he became a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists in America (the largest and oldest hypnosis organisation in the world).
  • Became a Certified Professional Life Coach in November 2004 through the International Institute of Coaching.
  • Became a Certified Master Practitioner of NLP through the UK Academy of Therapeutic Arts and Sciences in Feb 2003.
  • In 2003 Ed was one of the very first people to be awarded the Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma, the first ever externally accredited professional hypnotherapy qualification in the UK. This was awarded by the NCFE national awarding body.
  • In 2003 Ed became the Principal Trainer for the Oxford Training Centre for the Washington School of Clinical and Advanced Hypnosis. He trained many professional hypnotherapists who now have very successful practices of their own.
  • In 2003 and 2004, Ed was invited to speak at the National Council for Hypnotherapy's annual conference.
  • Ed spent three years studying towards a BSc in Psychology with the UK Open University.
  • As well as private practice and professional training, Ed spent years providing training presentations to private companies and public services including to the UK National Health Service.
  • Ed moved to New Zealand in 2004 and established a thriving hypnotherapy practice in Christchurch.  He founded the NZ School of Professional Hypnotherapy, which has been providing Clinical Hypnosis Diploma courses since 2009.
  • Ed also provides hypnotherapy marketing and practice building help for countless other hypnotherapists, coaches and other health and wellness professionals.


UK Academy of Therapeutic Arts and Sciences Staff

The Professional Diploma Course is run in association with the UK Academy. Although UK academy staff will not be actively involved in the training programs, their input by way of course content and support is pivotal.


Dr Shaun Brookhouse

Shaun Brookhouse

Principal

Shaun Brookhouse is a Psychotherapist, a Board Certified Hypnotherapist, a Certified Professional Coach, Educator and Author. He is known by many as 'a therapist's therapist'.

He is a MasterTrainer of NLP and a Certified Master Instructor of Hypnotherapy. His skills as an instructor and trainer make him very much in demand internationally at conferences and workshops. His lively and provocative style of lecturing makes training a memorable experience. Shaun is a strong believer in personal empowerment and that hypnotherapy and coaching is a means to this empowerment. Some of Shaun's credentials include:

  • GCGI, Counselling and Hypnotherapy, City and Guilds of London Institute
  • MA, Education Studies, Liverpool John Moores University
  • CertEd, Adult Higher and Further Education, Manchester University
  • ACoT, Associate Diploma, College of Teachers
  • ADHP(NC), Advanced Diploma in Hypno-Psychotherapy, National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy
  • DipProfCouns, Diploma of Professional Counselling, Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors
  • HPD, Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma, National Council for Hypnotherapy & NCFE National Awarding Body
  • CPC, Certified Professional Coach, International Institute of Coaching (US)
  • CertSup, Certificate in Supervision, Centre Training International School of Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy
  • DNGH, Diplomate, National Guild of Hypnotists (US)
  • FNCH, Fellow, National Council for Hypnotherapy (UK) Shaun has also earned several professional certifications, diplomas and Fellowships. Shaun's full time private practice is in Chorlton in Manchester and has a part time practice in Central London.


Fiona Biddle

Fiona Biddle

Managing Director and Vice-Principal

Fiona Biddle is a Certified Professional Coach, a Board Certified Hypnotherapist, and a Humanistic Counsellor. She assists her clients on a number of levels regarding better health, well-being, success and fulfilment. Fiona is the Chair of the National Council for Hypnotherapy. Originally trained in computer systems, she has applied this systemic knowledge to the assistance of her clients in achieving their full potential. Some of Fiona's credentials include:

  • BSc (Hons), Computing, Loughborough University
  • Dip Couns, Exeter College
  • DipCAH, Diploma in Clinical and Advanced Hypnotherapy, The Washington School of Clinical and Advanced Hypnotherapy
  • HPD, Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma, National Council for Hypnotherapy & NCFE National Awarding Body
  • CertHypSup, Certificate in Hypnotherapeutic Supervision, National Council for Hypnotherapy
  • BCH, Board Certified Hypnotherapist, National Guild of Hypnotists (US)
  • CPC, Certified Professional Coach, International Institute of Coaching (US)
  • FNCH, Fellow, National Council for Hypnotherapy (UK) Fiona's private practice is at the Institute's office in Burton on the Wolds.