Jennipher
McDonald PhD

I completed my PhD at Curtin University in 2025 — as a grandmother. It is one of the things I am most proud of in my life.

My doctoral research, Reclaiming Wholeness: After Intergenerational Family and Domestic Violence, drew together everything I have learned and lived across 30 years of clinical practice. Using somatic movement, systems theory, choreography and Theatre of the Oppressed, I developed a new methodology for healing from family and domestic violence — one that works through the body, not just the mind.

I am a Professional Clinical Hypnotherapist, NLP Trainer, Breathworker and Positive Intelligence Coach. I trained extensively in Australia and then over five years in New Zealand with master NLP trainers at Transformations International, where the focus is on NLP as a tool for healing. I am a member of the International Association of NLP, the National Council of Clinical Hypnotherapists Australia, PHWA and the American Board of Hypnotherapy.

I have practised as a natural therapist for over 30 years. My initial Breathwork training in Melbourne in 1989 gave me a solid foundation in the body-mind-spirit connection — and the deep knowing that each individual has the power to heal their own life. I have coached thousands of clients in life coaching, hypnotherapy, NLP and breathwork, and I continue to love this fascinating, creative and deeply rewarding work.

I am also a dancer, a choreographer, and a social justice theatre facilitator trained in Theatre of the Oppressed and Theatre for Living methodology. Movement and embodied practice are central to everything I do — in the clinic, in my research, and in my life.

I am a mother of three and a grandmother. I have lived experience of family and domestic violence and intergenerational trauma. My personal journey is woven into every aspect of my professional practice — not as a burden, but as the source of the depth, compassion and authority I bring to this work.

Alongside my clinical hypnotherapy practice, I have launched Reclaiming Wholeness — a workshop, online community and performance platform dedicated to women who have moved out of family and domestic violence. This work is the direct expression of my PhD research, brought to life for real women in Perth and online worldwide.

Reclaiming Wholeness offers in-person workshops, online courses, a private community membership, and a vision that drives everything: to bring 100 women who have reclaimed their wholeness onto one stage in a collective embodied performance.

If this calls to you, I would love to welcome you there.

Explore Reclaiming Wholeness: reclaimingwholeness.com.au