Currently in the UK Hypnotherapy is not part of statutory regulation like some practices are including medicine, speech therapy, occupational therapy and psychology. However following recommendations made by the House of Lords Select Committee, Hypnotherapy is part of a voluntary regulation scheme initially set up by the Princes Foundation for Integrated Health.
In the UK the voluntary regulation register for Hypnotherapists (and many other practices) is run by the CNCH (Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council). They were set up by the government to protect the public. They set the standards that practitioners need to meet to get onto and then stay on the register. All CNHC registrants have agreed to be bound by the highest standards of conduct and have registered voluntarily. All of them are professionally trained and fully insured to practise. CNHC is also the holder of an Accredited Register by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, an independent body, accountable to the UK Parliament.
So, whilst in theory currently you could set up in the UK with little to no training in Hypnotherapy it would definitely not be wise or ethical to do so. The general public come to you with all sorts of issues that they would like help with and it is vitally important that you have the knowledge, skills and experience to help them.
What do I look for in a Hypnotherapy Course?
It really is a minefield out there! You will find all sorts of training if you do an internet search; online training, certificate, diploma, foundation. Some over a few days some a year or more so what do you look for?
- For the course to be thorough it needs to meet the National Occupational Standards (NOS). The National Occupational Standards (NOS) are statements which describe the knowledge and understanding an individual should have and what they need to be able to do in order to be safe and competent to practise. Skills for Health, an independent agency, is responsible for establishing NOS across a wide range of health care disciplines, including many complementary therapies. Take a look here for the National Occupational Standards for Hypnotherapy by Skills for Health.
- So, it is important to look at what is covered in the course. Really a course needs to take you from the very beginning; how to hypnotise, but really that is the easy part! You need to know about marketing as a Hypnotherapist, making contact with clients, meeting them for the first time – building rapport, what questions to ask, treatment strategies and techniques, setting goals, record keeping, contra-indications, and how to work with a variety of conditions a client may bring.
- Another important part of a course when looking at becoming a Hypnotherapist is how the course is structured. How much time is spent on theory and practice? You will not become a competent Hypnotherapist just by hearing the theory and reading some books, the key to becoming a successful Hypnotherapist is practice, practice, practice. Also, it is important that the course allows for supervised practice so you can receive feedback on how you are doing and how you can improve your skills. Some courses spend most of the time on theory with little time to practice, these won’t leave you feeling confident about your skills, and don’t get me started about online only courses!
- Also to consider is how experienced your tutors are. They need to be able to ‘walk the walk and talk the talk’. Look for a school that is led by an experienced and successful Hypnotherapist who has been where you want to go. I have seen many schools set up by people who have never been successful at running their own Hypnotherapy practice. How can you learn from them?
- Look for how many hours a course covers. The NOS says that a minimum of 450 hours is ‘reasonably be expected to be required in order for a Learner to achieve and demonstrate the achievement of the level of attainment necessary for the award of a qualification.’ Additionally, of these 450 hours, 120 need to be classroom based. See the CNCH core curriculum for further in-depth information.
- Something else you might like to consider is the venue for the course. Many courses are run in one room only so when it comes to practice it can be really distracting overhearing other people working. Therefore, if possible look for a course that is run in a venue that has break out rooms so that your practice time is more valuable.
- How is the course accredited? Is it accredited through a national accrediting body like the NCFE? Or is the course self-accredited? If they don’t meet the criteria for external accreditation then the course probably won’t equip you with everything you need to be an ethical, effective Hypnotherapist.
- Does the course enable me to become a professional member of leading professional association/register like the NCH (National Council for Hypnotherapy) or the GHR (General Hypnotherapy Register)? Potential clients may look for this so it is an important factor to look out for. Additionally, to join these organisations as a registered member you need to have completed a course that meets those National Occupational Standards, so it is a good indication!
Another important part of a course when looking at becoming a Hypnotherapist is how the course is structured. How much time is spent on theory and practice? You will not become a competent Hypnotherapist just by hearing the theory and reading some books, the key to becoming a successful Hypnotherapist is practice, practice, practice. Also, it is important that the course allows for supervised practice so you can receive feedback on how you are doing and how you can improve your skills. Some courses spend most of the time on theory with little time to practice, these won’t leave you feeling confident about your skills, and don’t get me started about online only courses! I would always recommend a classroom-based course as your first choice for all the reasons I make in this blog including supervised practice, meeting the National Occupational Standards criteria and being able to become members of the key professional organisations. If this is not possible then I recommend you research your online course provider thoroughly. Make sure they have processes in place to give you feedback and supervision on your practice, some even offer you the option to join some of their live training.
I hope this helps you find the right course for you. Becoming a Hypnotherapist is one of the most rewarding careers so good luck with your journey! Any questions please get in touch with marcia@lifeclinics.com .
Marcia Tillman is an experienced therapist who runs a training school for therapist’s in Kent, UK called Life Clinics Training. Find out more at www.lifeclinicstraining.com
