Dave Gilbert has been practising Hypnotherapy and NLP since 1988 having trained in London in Advanced Hypnotherapy with the Atkinson-Ball College of Hypnotherapy and HypnoHealing.

As well as the late Bill Atkinson-Ball, Dave trained with other well known international hypnotherapy teachers including Ormond McGill and Gil Boyne. In 2000, he completed NLP Trainers Training (INLPTA) with Wyatt Woodsmall, Marvin Oka and Roger Deaner.

Dave is a Registered Hypnotherapist (New Zealand Hypnotherapists Registration Board Inc.) and an INLPTA Certified NLP Trainer and Master Practitioner; a Member of the Corporation of Advanced Hypnotherapy (UK), the New Zealand Association of NLP, a Professional Member of the NZ Association of Professional Hypnotherapists,  and Registered with the NZ Charter of Health Practitioners.

Dave Gilbert is Chairman of the New Zealand Hypnotherapy Industry Advisory Group which has been revising the NZQA Hypnotherapy Diploma with the aim of creating uniform standards for the profession. He provides advice on standards to the NZ Hypnotherapy Registration Board and was centrally involved in efforts to establish a national standard setting body for the complementary health sector. For four years Dave was President of the NZ Association of Professional Hypnotherapists and Chair of its Examination Board.

As well as working as a therapist, Dave also spent many years in London working for an international environmental consultancy with corporate and government clients worldwide. Dave Gilbert has a PhD in Environmental Law and Policy from Imperial College, University of London and a BSc in Applied Biology.

Together with osteopaths Jocelyn Moore and Coralie Neville Smith, Dave established Hakanoa Health in 2006, providing natural health care services in Mt Eden, Auckland.