A 10-year-old Caringbah girl is on her way to becoming Australia's youngest hypnotherapist.
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Lorelei Chalmers has completed a hypnotherapy certification course that she and her family say make her a qualified hypnotist.
The year 5 student asked her parents Steve and Karine Chalmers if she could have the 2½ day course as a Christmas present.
She said she wanted to do the course so she could learn the skills to help people, and because her parents did the same course two years ago.
Both Mr and Mrs Chalmers are practising hypnotherapists who run a wellness centre at Gymea.
"It's not really mind control, it's more the client is in control," Lorelei said.
Asked how she felt about Lorelei wanting to do hypnotherapy, Mrs Chalmers said it was wonderful her daughter already had the desire to help others.
"The person who wants to be hypnotised wants that result, so you don't make anybody do anything they don't want to do," Mrs Chalmers said.
"It's all to do with positive mindset."
The chief executive of the company that ran the course, Shane Fozard, said Lorelei was the youngest person to have ever done it.
"Who are we to tell a motivated child, who has a thirst for knowledge, that she is too young to have a positive and empowered mindset?" he said.
Upon completion of the course, participants are able to "take anyone into a very deep hypnotic trance" and "effortlessly overcome all those areas of your life you want to improve," says the training company's website.
The company also has courses in neuro-linguistic programming and life coaching.
Lorelei, who finished the course at the end of May, has hypnotised her father.
Apparently, Lorelei's classmates are now lining up to be hypnotised.
"They say at the end [of the course] that we're all qualified as hypnotists," Lorelei said. "I'm looking forward to doing the advanced courses."
Mrs Chalmers said most clients sought hypnotherapy for anxiety, depression, smoking cessation and weight loss.
President of the Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists, Lyndall Briggs, was surprised to learn that a child had participated in a hypnotherapy course.
She said most reputable hypnotherapy colleges did not train people under the age of 21, let alone children.
She said children did not have the life skills or training to work with people with complex needs such as anxiety and addiction.
Mr Fozard said: "Of course, Lorelei will find that working with adults will be more challenging due to her age, however, she should be able to effectively help young people her own age and younger."
The Australian Hypnotherapists Association represents professional hypnotherapists in various practice settings.
It lists AHA-recognised hypnotherapy training courses on its website: ahahypnotherapy.org.au
Lorelei also asked Santa for a pet cat and a skateboard.
