Clinical Hypnotherapist
First things, first and in case you didn't know...
Hypnosis/hypnotherapy is a changed state of awareness and increased relaxation that allows for improved focus and concentration. Hypnosis usually is done with the guidance of a healthcare provider, using verbal repetition and mental images. During hypnosis, most people feel calm and relaxed and it typically makes people more open to suggestions about behaviour changes.
Hypnosis can help you to gain control over behaviours you'd like to change, i.e, it may help you cope better with anxiety or pain. Although you're more open to suggestions during hypnosis, you don't lose control over your behaviour during a hypnosis session.
Solution-focussed hypnotherapy, which is what Emma has specifically trained in, and practices, was developed by David Newton and is summed-up as a model that uses various types of interventions (not purely hypnotherapy) to be effective. It claims to use a combination of the very best procedures that science and research prescribe. You can read more about David here.
Key skills/talents
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All round caring attitude - you have to want to help people, or else why are you doing it?
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Excellent verbal communication skills - and lets be honest, a nice voice (hence why Chops would never do it!).
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Active listening skills - and we mean REALLY good listening skills.
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High levels of sensitivity and understanding - which means getting to the crux of what's really being said.
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The ability to understand people’s reactions and how well they are responding to treatment.
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Patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
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To be flexible and open to change - particularly as a patient's 'journey' develops.
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Counselling skills including a true non-judgemental approach to people's lives.
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Believe it or not, customer service skills - as Emma says, people buy off people', so if you're a moody therapist, a lot of people might think 'um, no'.
Qualifications required
There isn’t one officially recognised qualification in hypnosis or hypnotherapy in the UK. Different courses will offer a different syllabus. Furthermore, different training schools often set up their own societies or awarding bodies that recognise/acknowledge students who have been on their hypnosis training courses.
CPHT (who Emma trained with) has an accredited Hypnotherapy training course, which, upon successful completion, leads to a Diploma in Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy (DSFH). Successful completion of an accompanying portfolio (which means treatment case-studies) can also lead to a Level 4 NCFE accredited Hypnotherapy in Practice Diploma (HPD).
However, other Hypnotherapy courses and qualifications are out there, so like Emma did, research the type of hypnotherapy you want to focus on and then find a course. A lot of ‘colleges’ offer taster sessions and seminars. Some course suggestions are:
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A Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy via ‘The UK College of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy’.
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The National Council for Hypnotherapy offers hypnotherapy training through NCH-Accredited Training Schools. Only schools that offer the Hypnotherapy in Practice Diploma (HPD) can get NCH accreditation. The HPD (NCH) is considered by many to be the gold standard in hypnotherapy training.
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The UK College of Clinical Hypnosis has a Mindful Based Clinical Hypnosis Diploma (MBCH).
Alternatively, and if you want to take hypnotherapy back to its roots, you could research and attend some courses in Germany, the home of Franz Anton Mesmer, the founder of hypnosis. Germany offer many, so here is a starter for ten.
Rules and regs
There are no specific legal requirements to become a Hypnotherapist in the UK (crazy, we know!); however, the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council & General Hypnotherapy (GHSC) Register has, as its founding principle, the ethical promotion of hypnotherapy as a profession in its own right and you can become affiliated with them. The GHSC is a professional association and register of practising hypnotherapists, comprising in excess of 3,000 UK based individual practitioners, together with registered therapists in some 35 countries around the world.
The ‘National Hypnotherapy Society’ holds the first and only current hypnotherapy register to be accredited by the ‘Professional Standards Authority’. Being accredited under the Accredited Register programme offers enhanced protection to anyone looking for Hypnotherapy services which includes:
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Members of the public seeking a Registered Hypnotherapist
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Qualified Hypnotherapists seeking to become Registrants
Professional Standards Authority
It’s also advised to familiarise yourself with ‘The Health and Social Care Act 2012’, which allows the Professional Standards Authority to accredit Registers.
A DBS check will be required if you wish to treat children and vulnerable adults.
You must also ensure that you are fully aware of the rules surrounding the Data Protection Act (2018) when it comes to patient records.
As always, it goes without saying that you need good insurance to be a hypnotherapist, as Emma discusses. The General Hypnotherapy Register gives a good list of brokers.. As does the ISH.
Some other suggestions, are:
Remuneration framework
According to the CPHT, and depending on whether you work full or part-time, you could earn between £30k - £80k per annum as a Hypnotherapist.
The average cost of a hypnotherapy session in the UK is £75 per hour, with most charging between £50 and £90 per session, so it really comes down to how many sessions you want to run per day and per week.
And as we always say on these info sheets, hourly rates can vary hugely depending on where you live in the UK (London/cities vs more rural etc).
This article gives some great financial scenarios and offers LOADS of great advice about to set yourself up, once you are qualified.
How to get started
The ‘UK College of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy’ has a page about choosing the best training course for you, and they suggest the main two questions to ask yourself are:
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Has the course been approved by the ‘British Psychological Society Learning Centre’ as appropriate CPD for registered psychologists?
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Is the course format spread out or intensive and what do you need it to be for your current work/life balance?
As we've said/shown, there are a variety of training courses, depending on the type of Hypnotherapy you might be looking to practise. Below are some links for some of the accredited courses available:
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Hypnotherapy Training UK lists courses available and where they are, as well as detailing the entry criteria required.
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The National Council for Hypnotherapy also has a list of recognised accredited schools.
The GHSC have training courses listed by area and course level.
If you are already qualified and registered to practise in a similar profession like counselling, life coaching, psychotherapy, CBT, etc; you would normally be required to complete an additional Hypnotherapy Diploma first, plus a full assessment to be accredited to practise hypnotherapy.
Associations or official bodies to register with
These are all listed above under our rules and regs section. In addition to those stated, you could also add a string to your bow by becoming a member of an organisation which the ‘National Hypnotherapy Society’ recognises.
EU wise, the ‘European Society of Hypnosis’ (ESH) is a confederation of National Societies specialising in the use of hypnosis in the fields of medicine, dentistry, psychology, and psychotherapy across Europe. Its Mission is to promote the highest professional standard in the practice of hypnosis for clinical and experimental purposes.
Job site links
Don’t really exist and if you google ‘Hypnotherapist Jobs’ (and even though the usual high-profile job sites pop), you get sent to pages that are for completely different jobs altogether. However, you might be lucky, so always give it a go.
More often than not, you’re going to have to do your own research and register interest (and send your CV/portfolio) to practices near you (using the official body links we’ve given you above). Or, you’ll need to take the plunge and set-up on your own. It might seem scary, but as Emma says in the chat, take one first step, then take another, and another.
The NHS do not ‘commonly’ employ Hypnotherapists, however, some NHS posts do exist and these are highly sought after as and when they do come up, so make sure you’re checking the NHS job site, if this is a sector you would like to work in.
Progression pathway
As you (hopefully) heard Emma discuss in our chat, there is scope to get paid for public speaking and seminars, and of course, the more experienced you are, the more likely you are to be asked to do such talks.
Likewise, (corporate) organisations could recruit and pay for a certain amount of hours per month/quarter for you to work with their staff (often leadership staff). This could even be something that you market yourself as, so be proactive and contact organisations near you, to sound out such contracts. Be willing to offer at least one or two free sessions if they need a bit of convincing.
Developing courses, again as Emma discusses, can be another route of income and you could develop your own style/approach of hypnotherapy, build it into a course programme, and then offer it out to trainees, as Emma is hoping to do.
And of course there is always the rich and famous route and becoming a ‘therapist to the stars’. If this is something you are keen on (LA I'm comin' for ya!), you will 100% need to build-up your experience and your portfolio, AND, you will need an active and prosperous set of social media accounts… After all, how will those celebs find you without them?