How to find a 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. They’re looking forward to enjoying the benefits. Often, they get a bit stuck at this point: with how to find a Hypnotherapist for them at that time.

So, what makes a Hypnotherapist the right Hypnotherapist for you at the moment?

The over-riding factor is your gut instinct: rapport between Hypnotherapist 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 these:

1. They are open about what certifications they have.
2. That they are required to undertake a level of continuous professional development.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. They have lived experience of the issues you have chosen to resolve.
6. They are clear about their overall balance between therapy and hypnosis.
7. They allow you to set your own goals and they work to your (rather than their) agenda.
8. They encourage and support you to become proficient in self-hypnosis and managing your wellbeing for the long term.
9. They are happy to share content, resources, and references with you to give a deeper understanding of what they, and you, are doing.

 

OK – so how do I answer these questions?

1. My principal Hypnotherapy qualification is the Diploma in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. This was awarded by the prestigious Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training. Prior to achieving my long-held ambition of becoming a hypnotherapist I had a career in technology led manufacturing. Over the course of that career, I gained a Chemistry Degree, three separate post-graduate management / business diplomas and a Masters Degree from a leading business school. It was this latter qualification that introduced me (in 2007) to positive psychology which is closely allied with the Solution Focused approach.
2. As a member of the Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, I am required to undertake a minimum of 16 hours of recognised Continual Professional Development during any 12-month rolling basis. I’m also required to have at least one approved supervisor (I have two) and take part in supervision sessions.
3. As above, I am a member of the Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy.
4. I have professional indemnity insurance with the British Insurer Holistic Insurance Services. Member number HIS77161.
5. My clients tend to be adults experiencing issues rooted in anger, anxiety, depression– or the many physical, behavioural, or psychological manifestations of such. Many have a history of Adverse Childhood Experiences. While all our experiences are unique, I can relate experientially to these situations.
6. I schedule each session to be one hour. I never schedule back-to-back so over-runs are not a problem. Hypnosis sessions are most therapeutically effective when they are around 25 minutes long. They take place towards the end of a session. The logic of this becomes apparent through understanding the brain model. So, a typical session would be structured around a 30 minutes Solution Focused conversation, a 25 minutes therapeutic trance and any Q&A’s.
7. This is intrinsic to the Solution Focused Brief Therapy approach.  A basic tenet of the SFBT approach is that the client is the expert of their own experience.
8. I encourage all my clients to develop their own self-hypnosis practice. By working in live sessions and using the suite of downloads I give all clients, you will develop the ability to go in to trance as and when you choose. You will also learn a series of hypnosis processes which you can continue to use for as long as you choose.
9. Hypnotherapists tend to be enthusiasts. I have comprehensive documentation supporting the work we do together. This extends to notes, reflections, exercises, instruction, and a suite of hypnosis downloads which I share as a matter of course.

 

Moving beyond ‘How do I Find a Hypnotherapist’, I have written extensively about working with a Hypnotherapist in this comprehensive case study which you can get for free here

And you can find more quick-read articles covering a wide range of wellbeing subjects here: