Did you see the recent BBC article about a cat being registered as a Hypnotherapist with what the cat owner says are leading Hypnotherapy Organisations? The Organisations mentioned in the article are the British Board of Neuro Linguistic Programming, The United Fellowship of Hypnotherapists and the Professional Hypnotherapy Practitioner Association.These are NOT ‘leading’ Hypnotherapy Organisations. However, it is a sad fact that there are vast differences in the level of qualifications and skills between UK hypnotherapists. This is both damaging to the general public who use the services of one of these poorly qualified Hypnotherapists and the Hypnotherapy profession as a whole. Some people can train for a few days or take online courses to qualify as hypnotherapists, which is frightening when you think about the damage it can cause to the unsuspecting public who come to them in all good faith.
A lot of you will know how passionate I am about my work and hypnotherapy as a whole, as well as the ethical guidelines I practice. Along with this story, there are a number of things currently happening within the Hypnotherapy profession that just don’t sit well with me, such as unethical practitioners claiming ‘guaranteed’ cures which I’ll cover in future blogs.
So how do you choose an ethical, qualified hypnotherapy practitioner?
As a minimum, look at the qualifications the practitioner holds, where they got them from and how long they studied for. With so many hypnotherapy ‘qualifications’ available, it is hard to know which ones are legitimate. You can claim to be a ‘master’ hypnotherapist but only ever have trained for 4 days. Look for a nationally recognised qualification such as the HPD (Hypnotherapy Practitioners Diploma). This diploma is externally marked, rather than by the training establishment where the student trained.
I would also want see if the Therapist is a member of any of the recognised leading Hypnotherapy Organisations such as the National Council for Hypnotherapy. They have a strict code of ethics, a formal complaints procedure and strict entry requirements. Practitioners who are members of the NCH are required to have completed and passed the HPD before they allowed membership.
Before I join any organisation, and I am a member of most of the Leading Hypnotherapy Organisations, I ask myself if the terms of their code of ethics is something I can agree with. The organisations I am a member of are The LEADING ORGANISATIONS in their field with a strict code of ethics and a strict application policy. The reason I am involved with these organisations is that I fully agree with their ethics and standards.
I offer prospective clients a free 20 minute meeting where they are encouraged to ask questions in order to help them make the decision if I am the right therapist for them. There is no obligation or pressure in these meetings and I quite often ask people to make their decision after they have left the office, to alleviate any pressure they may feel.
It’s such a shame that ‘cat becomes hypnotherapist’ is in the news, when there is so much positive research going on into the results of Hypnosis and how it can help issues such as IBS and dementia.
Regards,
Neil
