What makes a great hypnotherapist?

On a regular basis, I speak to people who are set to benefit from hypnotherapy: they have a compelling need to make those changes in their lives, they take responsibility for the outcome and they’re looking forward to enjoying the benefits. Often, they get a bit stuck at this point as they try to find the right therapist for them at that time.

So, what make a hypnotherapist the right hypnotherapist for you at the moment?

The over-riding factor is your gut instinct: rapport between therapist and client is so important in achieving the best outcomes. What are your feelings as you look through their website and speak to them?

Beyond that, consider the following – any credible hypnotherapist would be happy to confirm any of these:

• They are open about what certifications they have, from where and what continuous professional development they do. Remember that the term ‘diploma’ is, in itself, meaningless. The key things to look for when assessing a certification are how much work did it take to obtain, who accredited it and what competence does the accreditor have?
• That they are required to undertake a level of continuous professional development.
• They are members of recognised professional organisations. There are many of these – The key thing to look for is the organisation’s affiliation with the National Council for Hypnotherapy and / or the Complimentary and Natural Health Care Council.
• That they have Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII). This is not to expect anything to go wrong but it does give a degree of assurance as to the quality of their qualifications. Each broker offering PII to hypnotherapists has a list of certifications they accept as being suitable – and they are pretty shrewd about who they insure.
• They have lived experience of the issues you have chosen to resolve.
• They are clear about their overall balance between therapy and hypnosis.
• They allow you to set your own goals and they work to your (rather than their) agenda.
• They encourage and support you to become proficient in self-hypnosis and managing your wellbeing for the long term.
• They are happy to share content, resources and references with you to give a deeper understanding of what they, and you, are doing.
• They focus on you achieving your goals efficiently – there are no signs of them spinning things out for extra sessions.