Meet the Principals/Trainers
Karen Bartle, MSc
In addition to working as a coach & therapist for over 2 decades, Karen gained her MSc in Health Psychology and BSc (Hons) in psychology and has worked as a university lecturer teaching psychology and nursing undergraduates.
Karen has also worked in graduate psychologist roles with inpatient residents/patients with severe and enduring mental health issues, and a specialist community assessment and intensive support service working with people with learning difficulties and challenging behaviour.
Along with Paul Peace, she co-founded the Academy of Advanced Changework, an international training school in the UK in 2008 and they have been hosting training around Australia since 2014.
Karen incorporates a unique blend of psychology, coaching, hypnosis, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), & mindfulness, in her clinical hypnotherapy practice and training programs


Paul Peace, PhD
Paul's training experience includes teaching Psychology and Nursing undergraduates. He has published papers in academic journals and presented a paper at an international conference on language and gender at Stanford University, California.
In his clinical work, Paul uses hypnotherapy, NLP, psychology, coaching, and EMDR. He works with a wide spectrum of issues, most often for low confidence and self-esteem, phobia, stress and sleeping problems. He is also an experienced supervisor.
Meet the Assessors

Matt Vance
Matt has been a registered psychologist for over 15 years and has worked as an organisational psychologist in managerial and consultancy roles in both Australia and PNG providing direction for individual goals, organisational processes and healthcare standards. Matt has been an ongoing member of the Australian Psychological Society since his Honours year at the Uni of Queensland in 1994.
Matt has a Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy and a Diploma in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) with this training school. He has also completed Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Training (MBCT).
Over the past years Matt has transitioned into an individual focused therapist with a client-centred approach where using evidence based techniques he enjoys seeing the dramatic changes in each client’s life in his own Hinterland Hypnotherapy practice. Matt also consults at a rehabilitation retreat providing change work and guidance for clients with stress, anxiety, depression, phobias and drug dependencies.
Matt is a Member of the Australian Psychological Society (MAPS), Australian Hypnotherapy Association and registered with AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency).
Matt practices Tai qi and Qi gong as part of his daily routine. Ongoing learning is a major part of his life with current studies ongoing in Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture).

Garry Coles
Garry is based in the UK where he has been a full-time hypnotherapist since 2005 and is one of few practitioners in Europe to hold an MSc in Clinical Hypnotherapy. Garry has five busy practices in London, (Harley Street) and the south of England, including one in a major hospital and one in a doctor’s surgery, where he receives many GP referrals.
As part of his master’s degree, Garry was seconded to the hospital Breast Cancer Multidisciplinary team, where he carried out the first ground breaking UK clinical research project into ‘pre-surgical hypnosis and its effects on the recovery quality in breast cancer operations’. Because of this, Garry is one of the few hypnotherapists in the UK contracted to the National Health Service for hypnotherapeutic work, where he consults on a regular basis in a major hospital specialising in oncology based hypnotherapy work (Hypno-Oncology).
He has undertaken training in NLP with the co-creator, Richard Bandler, and he makes regular guest lectures on post graduate hypnotherapy training courses. He speaks internationally at hypnotherapy conferences and presents his own master-classes on the use of hypnotherapy in relation to oncology and psychoneuroimmunology (PNI).
Garry has been approved by many hypnotherapy organisations as a hypnotherapy supervisor.
In addition to Hypno-Oncology and PNI, Garry has a keen interest in sports performance hypnosis. He has worked with Olympians and world champions. He also uses hypnosis for unexplained infertility and IVF support.
Garry was recently elected by industry peers to the Hypnotherapy Profession Specific Board (PSB) for the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) in the UK, where he advises the CNHC on all aspects of hypnotherapy governance and training.

Sarah Rogers
Sarah's practice is on the beautiful Sunshine Coast, QLD, where she has lived for over 10 years. She studied Hypnotherapy on the Sunny Coast with our training school.
She is registered with the AHA (Australian Hypnotherapists Association) and she holds a Medibank provider number, as well as a Blue Card enabling her to work with children aged 5 and over. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Psychology), Diploma in Hypnotherapy, and a Diploma in NLP and Coaching.
Her areas of special interest are helping people with the psychological effects of cancer and cancer treatment. After undergoing extensive treatment herself during a 12 month battle with breast cancer in 2016, she realized her purpose was to be of service to people suffering from the devastating effects of this deadly disease.
She also loves to help people with anxiety and stress and she finds it particularly rewarding working with young people.
She loves the beach, running, walking, travelling, reading, writing, yoga, meditation and cooking delicious, healthy meals for her family.

Clare Longstaffe
After spending 15 years teaching French to secondary school children, Clare decided to put down her beret and pursue her interest in complementary therapies.
Fascinated by the power of the mind, she trained in Hypnotherapy in 2009 and qualified as an Advanced Hypnotherapist in 2012 with this training school.
Clare works with stress, anxiety and people with cancer and their carers. She is passionate about teaching children and adults ways to help manage their own well-being through school and community workshops.
Clare offers a professional, integrative approach to working with a range of issues including: pain, illness, phobias and fears, confidence building, smoking, and performance.
Her most recent venture combines her extensive experience in schools with her therapeutic skills providing support for young people with exam stress.
She enjoys trail running, walking, being out in the countryside, reading, arthouse cinema and going on adventures in Latin America.

Maria Hancock
Maria is a registered Hypnotherapist and Mindfulness Meditation Practitioner. She has always been fascinated by the mind, the mind-body link, and complementary health. This led her to complete a Psychology and Sociology BSc, followed by a Health Psychology MSc in 1992.
She then delved into research and data analysis with the public sector but she felt what she really wanted to do was help people.
Having discovered the benefits of hypnotherapy for herself, she decided it was time to leave numbers behind and work with people. So she trained in Hypnotherapy and NLP with this training school in 2011. Having been practising Mindfulness personally for a number of years, she went on to train as a Mindfulness Meditation Practitioner in 2014.
She offers one-to-one sessions from home and through Skype, using hypnotherapy, NLP, CBT, and Mindfulness Meditation. Although she works with a wide range of issues, her specialties are depression, sleep problems, weight loss, and smoking cessation.
She also teaches group Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Courses as well as offering corporate mindfulness.
When she's not working, she enjoys meditating, sewing, baking, reading, walking, eating out, and the theatre.

Sally Noble
Sally has practised as a qualified and registered hypnotherapist since 2010, following a career in teaching and having experienced the huge benefits of hypnotherapy for herself. She holds a PGCE, and a BSc and MA in Theology and Religious Studies from Girton College, Univeristy of Cambridge.
She trained with this training school, the Academy of Advanced Changework, and went on to work with people of all ages across a wide range of issues. She has a particular interest and enthusiasm for helping people overcome anxiety, stress and panic disorders and also for working with addictions.
She has undertaken many professional development courses, including a masterclass in treating insomnia and sleep problems. Alongside hypnosis, she uses a variety of other therapies, including NLP and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
She cares passionately about helping people to overcome their difficulties and she feels it is a privilege to work in partnership with clients, helping them enjoy life to the full.
"Paul and Karen are professional, warm, embracing, fun and brave individuals with a wealth of shared training, education and therapeutic experience."
~ Deborah Hill
"Karen and Paul, your course materials are very comprehensive and I found your methodology and practicals are very effective. You maintained high quality standards throughout the course and applied no shortcuts. Your portfolio exercise is a fantastic idea to keep a track of students’ progress and credentials. I enjoyed the course from the very first day. Hypnotherapy is a broad and evolving subject area. Your course laid a good foundation for my hypnotherapy career."
~ Bandara
"It was the best thing i ever did. Course was amazing. […] Their teaching methods are excellent, I learned so much! […] Training was set up in the way that we as students would get a lot of practice. By the end of it I had all the tools necessary to go out there and help people with their issues."
~ Diana Hayes