How To Find a Hypnotherapist

The best way to find a successful Hypnotherapist is by recommendation – so ask around.

 You can also check the hypnotherapy register bellowhrlogo6

Knowing which organisations are reputable

If you can’t find a personal recommendation, contact a professional hypnotherapy association that is accredited with the UK Confederation of Hypnotherapy Organisations (UKCHO).

 

Two of the most respected associations are the APHP and the NCH. These are both ‘not for profit’ organisations and are very strict on whom they allow to join.

 

Some associations allow people to join who have only done a distance learning course with no practical hands-on training, so make sure you check who the Hypnotherapist was trained by, not just the letters after their name. Also check if the courses are accredited by the UKCHO.

 

There is a list of other associations here for you to check, but some of these are not very rigorous about the checks they do because most are profit-making organisations.

 

Member of …

Some therapists have a list of associations they are a member of, for example “member of GHR, NCH, APHP, SNLP; none of which has anything to do with the level of training the therapist has received.

 

Testimonials

Another trick is to add testimonials to their marketing material. If you do see any testimonials, it probably means they are either breaking the terms and conditions of their own associations or they are not registered with a reputable one.

 

Connected to someone famous

Some therapists will say they have trained with lots of well recognised hypnotherapists but don’t say which courses they went on. For example, I could say I have been trained by Jonathan Chase, even though I have only been on a one day course with him.

 

NHS membership

Having an NHS Provider Code is nothing more than a billing code to allow the NHS to pay the therapist. It bears no relation to the training of the therapist, is very easy to get and is not connected to the NHS in any way.

Being up front about fees and terms and conditions

When you first contact a Hypnotherapist, he or she will usually be able to provide you with a leaflet or brochure explaining their qualifications and the services they offer.

 

You should also be given a list of fees and an idea of how many sessions are likely to be needed. Some therapists will also ask you to sign terms and conditions, which you should read before signing.

 

Using alphabet spaghetti

Practising Hypnotherapists should be properly trained and qualified by a professional Hypnotherapy Association or Hypnotherapy Training School. There are dozens of training schools, associations and organisations that will provide a variety of letters to be shown after their names.

 

If you want to know what these letters stand for, look at the list here As you will see, there is a vast number of abbreviations which are independent of each other, so they give no real information about the level of training the therapist has received.

 

Insurance

Also make sure your therapist has Professional Indemnity Insurance.

 

Criminal record checks

Some hypnotherapists have criminal record checks if they work with children. There are different types of checks, so make sure you check which type of CRB checks they have

Code of Ethics

All professional hypnotherapists should follow a code of ethics but they don’t always say what these codes are.

 

Various codes of ethics can be found at the hypnotherapy associations below.

 

http://www.aphp.co.uk/ethics.php

 

http://www.hypnotherapists.org.uk/standards/ethics.asp

 

http://www.general-hypnotherapy-register.com/Listings/COE.htm

 

http://www.thehypnotherapyassociation.co.uk/codeofethics.html

 

 

I have placed as much information on my site as I can so that you can make an informed decision about how I can help you.

 

Also, I regularly update my site when I’m asked questions that may be relevant to other clients.

 

 

The Which? Guide to Complementary Therapies offers the following advice on choosing a practitioner.

 

A good practitioner will:

 

welcome any questions you might have and answer them fully.

 

give a full explanation of all the procedures involved in the treatment and tell you how you might feel afterwards.

 

tell you how much treatment will cost and give you a rough estimate of how many treatment sessions you may need to have.

 

have had adequate training, not have trained through a correspondence course, and belong to a recognised organisation.

 

not guarantee recovery and will tell you if he or she cannot help you.

 

have full professional indemnity insurance.

 

not over-charge.

 

 

A bad practitioner will:

 

be rude, arrogant or offended when you ask questions.

 

promise to cure your condition (responsible practitioners, on the other hand, know that a cure cannot be guaranteed and that no medicine or therapy is 100 per cent effective).

 

promise cures for specific conditions (responsible practitioners will say no more than that the treatment they are administering is sometimes successful in cases such as yours).

 

tell you to stop seeing a doctor and/or to stop taking your medication.

 

not listen to you or take a full case history – or conversely take a prying, salacious interest in your personal life.

 

not take notes.

 

rubbish the work of other therapists and doctors.

 

make you feel uneasy or uncomfortable.

 

tell you a lot of mumbo-jumbo.

 

charge far more (or far less) than other practitioners.