Why Become a Hypnotherapist?
You probably enjoy helping people; you take pleasure in listening to people’s experiences or challenges and providing solutions. Now you’re wondering if hypnotherapy is for you. Can you really do it and make a living out of it? The truth is, yes, you can.
Hypnotherapy is deeply rewarding as a career. In addition to helping people conquer bad habits and trauma, you also help people experience significant improvements in their anxiety states. You get fulfilled from seeing people walk out of therapy sessions feeling refreshed and happier.
Another reason is that hypnotherapy is a diverse field that offers a flexible career path. You have the potential to work as a coach, become self-employed, or work alongside other wellness practitioners. You are in control of your schedule, field, client, and pricing.
Considering you’re probably certain about becoming a hypnotherapist, let’s discuss learning hypnosis, including the techniques you’ll be taught first, and the best ways to study hypnosis. We’ll end this post with some inside tips for developing a successful career.
The Best Hypnotherapy Techniques to Learn First
First off, before we delve into the hypnotherapy techniques, what is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is when you get into a very relaxed state and you’re receptive to suggestions from a therapist. A trained and qualified hypnotherapist is able to guide a client safely into a trance state, rewire and efficiently bring back the person feeling in control and confident.
These are the key techniques a hypnotherapist uses:
Induction
This involves systematically tensing and releasing different muscle groups to induce a state of deep physical relaxation. Here, the hypnotherapist guides your breathing. This controlled breathing exercise will help put your mind and body at ease. It also shuts out the noise from internal thoughts.
Deepening
This stage allows the therapist to put the client in a state where the client is receptive to suggestions. The therapist begins counting down, e.g., from 10 to 0, while giving suggestions to guide your body into that state. By the time you get to 0, for instance, you’d be incredibly relaxed and fully immersed in the hypnotic state.
Suggestions
This is where the magic happens. Now in the hypnotic state, the therapist speaks in a soft tone to the client’s subconscious mind, instructing him or her to perform certain actions in line with the client’s needs.
NLP Techniques (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)
NLP is a technique that involves total rewiring of the mind, shifting people’s thought processes, beliefs and behaviours.
Regression
In regression hypnotherapy, the client is brought back to what caused the problem, that is, its origin. The therapist creates a trance state and rewrites the origin of the event that triggered the problem in the first instance.
Parts Therapy
It stems from the idea that our personality is divided into different parts. Therapists capitalise on these internal parts to offer solutions to clients, cause positive changes and help them connect better with their parts.
Venturing into hypnotherapy can seem a bit challenging when you’re just starting out. At Piece of Mind, we reveal the secrets and techniques to make it easy for you. We teach you the basics and core of hypnotherapy through hands-on practice, face-to-face mentorship, and detailed resources that you can revisit anytime. Learn more about the skills and techniques you’ll need to know to guide patients effectively into hypnosis.
What’s the Best Route to Study Hypnosis?
Learning Hypnosis at Your Own Pace
When it comes to choosing the right online course to kick-start your hypnotherapy journey, you must look out for courses based on:
- Flexibility – the course must fit in easily into your schedule. This is especially if you are a career changer, have responsibilities or frequent engagements, or are a busy professional with a full-time job.
- Hands-on practice – including plenty of case studies.
- Offer post-training support and mentorship.
The Ideal Blend: Online Training + In-Person Interaction
While online-only has its perks, you won’t receive the same quality of education as getting training in real time.
A person can be taught how to use and apply hypnosis online, but that in itself does not mean the individual will be able to effectively apply that knowledge in real-life situations.
Hypnotherapy is a practical skill. That said, working in real-time allows you to observe firsthand the techniques of seasoned hypnotherapists—how they apply hypnosis to their clients.
It’s important to practise hypnosis while allowing someone trained in hypnosis to sit in, observe, give feedback and criticise your work. Essentially, it refines the quality of your work and skills and makes you thoroughly and competently trained in hypnosis.
All in all, it’s important that your training includes a lot of practical training. It is a more ideal way of learning to use hypnosis and gives you the confidence to see clients.
Peace of Mind offers unique blended training that combines both online and in-person training so that students can benefit from flexibility while gaining practical experience to help them become confident hypnotherapists.
Learning Hypnosis for Free: Pros and Cons
You can gain a wealth of knowledge from free resources, including books, articles, and podcasts. This approach is also a great way to assess your interest in becoming a hypnotherapist. However, you will eventually need to connect with a trained professional, whether through a course or a mentorship program, especially if you want to become a confident hypnotherapist. With that in mind, here are some free resources for those just starting their journey to learn hypnosis.
Where to Start: Books, Articles, and Podcasts
If you’re just starting out and confused about where to start and what books to read. Here are the perfect books to help you.
- Hartland’s Medical and Dental Hypnosis Fourth Edition (2001) – Michael Heap & Kottryattil K. Aravind
If you want to get an all-around grasp of clinical hypnotherapy in general. This is a great start for you.
- Essentials of Clinical Hypnosis: An Evidence-Based Approach (2006) – Steven Jay Lynn & Irving Kirsch
A clear, structured and excellent introduction overview to hypnosis written by two of the most respected and prolific researchers in the field.
- Trancework: An Intro to the Practice of Clinical Hypnosis – Michael Yakpo
This is a must-have companion for anyone looking for solid knowledge or looking to sharpen their hypnotic skills and help clients solve their problems.
Aspiring hypnotherapists will find this book super useful as he offers valuable practical tips to use in the real world.
- Hypnotherapy – Dave Elman
Dave Elman’s clear and concise induction techniques are gold and have stood the test of time over the years. You can effectively and confidently guide your clients into trance states with this book.
- Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions & Metaphors – Corydon Hammond
This is a must-read. It blends insights gathered from different respected authors.
- Hypnotherapy Explained – Assen Alladin
Assen deep dives into the basics of hypnotherapy and its clinical use and dissects how to treat migraine and depression.
- The Art of Hypnosis – Roy Hunter
Hunter lays the groundwork for professional training. It gives you insights on the various aspects of hypnotic inductions. Ideal for both aspiring hypnotists and experienced professionals alike.
Podcasts
Podcasts are also valuable resources to walk you through real-life hypnotherapy journeys. You can get an idea of what hypnotherapy sessions look like, how people change and the surprising things the subconscious can reveal.
Some great podcasts I recommend you tune into include:
1. Hypnotise Me – Dr Liz Bonet
Dr Liz is a popular licensed hypnotherapist. She covers everything from hypnosis, transformation and healing. This is a good one, as it’s super informative and offers a mix of real client questions and stories and practical advice.
2. Tickety Boo – Andy Griffiths
Licensed hypnotherapist Andy Griffiths, dives ino the nitty gritty of mental health to help listeners understand the psychology of self, and moving forward in life. While discussing serious issues (and each episode dropping subtle reality checks) , the conversations remain light hearted, and easy to digest.
3.Past Lives Podcast – Simon Bown
If you’re drawn to past-life regression, this one is a gem. Simon interviews people from all walks of life, including clients, renowned therapists and authors, offering fascinating and thought-provoking stories.
4.Brain Software with Mike Mandel
Mike is a popular hypnotist, psychotherapist and NLP trainer. His podcast is rich in discussions on hypnosis, NLP and even self-hypnosis techniques you can practise on your own. It’s super informative, funny and worth the listen.
Altogether, with the help of these resources above, you can get your feet wet in the basics of hypnotherapy before embarking on formal training.
But as mentioned earlier, while they’re good for foundational knowledge, you’ll most likely be nowhere near confident enough to hypnotise someone without getting supervised guidance and formal training.
At Piece of Mind, we offer hands-on training for our students who wish to create a difference and leave long-lasting impact on their clients. If you want to get a feel of our training programs, try out our free course available on our website.
Pros and cons of Free Learning
Easy Access:
Whether you’re lounging in the comfort of your home or you’re on vacation, your class is just a click away. You get to choose the time convenient for you. Ideal for those looking for flexibility while still getting access to experts online that can enhance their knowledge and skills.
Low cost:
Online hypnotherapy programmes tend to be more affordable than the in-person courses. No need to bother about travel, accommodation and other miscellaneous expenses that usually come with in-person courses.
On top of that, most online programmes don’t even require you to make a big upfront payment before you have access to their resources. And the best part? You can begin to generate income with the little knowledge you’ve gained.
Wide Range of Materials:
From video demonstrations to downloadable hypnotherapy scripts to quizzes to discussion forums to live training Q & A sessions—online training equips you with a wide variety of resources to make learning easier and more fun than with the traditional textbook.
Cons
Lack of Structure:
Let’s face it, it requires a great deal of self-discipline to keep up with online learning. Without a structure, it’s easy to struggle with staying consistent. There’s also nobody to put you in check and hold you accountable.
No hands-on experience:
Most of the trainings are theoretical and don’t offer beginners a real-world experience with clients.
No certification:
Most online hypnotherapy courses don’t offer recognised certificates which you can use to enhance your credibility as a hypnotherapist.
Nevertheless, no amount of poring through books and listening to podcasts is going to substitute for working with real people with real issues. Use free learning as a supplement, not a replacement.
The Best Hypnotherapy Training Centres in the UK
Before deciding on a good hypnotherapy training centre to enroll in, these 3 factors must be in place to make it qualify as a good school.
- Reputation
Reputation goes beyond catchy websites and polished syllabuses. A solid hypnotherapy centre is built on past positive reviews and testimonials from platforms such as Hypnotherapy Directory, Trustpilot, etc. You want to look out for training centres with proven and verifiable testimonials that their teaching is tried and true in the real world. And more importantly, that your qualification and certification earned are well recognised by clients, regulatory bodies and qualified hypnotherapists.
- Accreditation
It’s no news that hypnotherapy isn’t a strictly regulated profession in the UK, hence the importance of choosing an accredited training provider. Accreditation certifies that a hypnotherapy training course is robust and meets the training quality standard. It also ensures that you come out fully qualified to practise and help people.
It’s important you look out for centres accredited by bodies such as:
CNHC (Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council) — the UK’s voluntary regulator for complementary therapists.
UKCHO (UK Confederation of Hypnotherapy Organisations)
National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH)
GHSC (The General Hypnotherapy Standard Council)
GHR (The General Hypnotherapy Register)
BSCH (British Society of Clinical Hypnosis)
ACCPH (Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists)
HS (Hypnotherapy Society)
NRHP (National Register of Hypnotherapists and Psychotherapists)
UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy).
- Student Support
It’s not enough to get the best training or have access to the best courses. The best schools offer a supportive professional community needed during and after your trainings. Learning doesn’t stop after the end of the courses—it is continuous.
At the end of the day, a good support group consisting of your peers helps you cope with the demanding nature of hypnotherapy. It also gives you access to qualified professionals trained in hypnosis so you can better tackle tricky client cases.
Knowing you have a good support group to turn to makes a world of difference in building your confidence and career.
Leading Providers
There are a number of hypnotherapy training providers. However, to make your choice easier, we’ve carefully handpicked 3 hypnotherapy training centres for you . They stand out in terms of having excellent structured training, being accredited and offering peer support. They include:
Piece of Mind in Glasgow, Scotland
HypnoTC – The Hypnotherapy Training Company (London)
CPHT London (Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training)
How to Turn Hypnosis Into a Career
Going from student to certified practitioner and making a sustainable living out of hypnosis can be daunting. However, with lots of practical training and learning from select reputable and accredited training providers, it isn’t far fetched.
Taking courses—both certificate and diploma courses—is key if you want to advance your hypnotherapy skills, attract clients and build a sustainable career out of it.
After becoming an accredited and certified hypnotherapist, you can choose to open your own practice or collaborate with other certified practitioners.
Keep in mind that hypnotherapists aren’t just practitioners; they’re often also small business owners. Not only do you need to be skilled in therapy, but you also need to be skilled in the business aspect and in marketing yourself. And there are a number of ways to do this but you can start by:
Building a website: the website displays to potential clients what services you offer as well as your credentials, reviews and testimonials and your contact details.
Harness the power of social media: social media is a powerful tool you could use to establish an online presence and create visibility. Leverage local networking groups, wellness fairs or talks at community centres.
As a hypnotherapist, you’re your own financial manager and accountant. Do your research on what hypnotherapists around you charge to have an idea of what your charges should look like.
Becoming a hypnotherapist is feasible, and being successful doesn’t have to be hard, especially when you can draw inspiration from the stories of people who have already done it. Piece of Mind founder, Andy Griffiths, shares his path to becoming a six-figure hypnotherapist. Read this blog to find out more.
Feeling Confident to Work With Clients
It’s normal to sit and wonder, “Am I good enough?” “Could I really do this?” The truth is, you can’t build confidence if you just focus on the theory aspect. Hypnotherapy is practical, and you only build confidence from real-time experience with clients. With experience and lots of practice comes the confidence.
You have to continuously seek mentoring from experts—even after you’ve completed your courses. Being continually mentored by experts and supervised and being open to feedback and criticism helps a great deal in boosting one’s confidence.
Support from peers too goes a long way. However, if you’re serious about building your confidence, we share tips on boosting your confidence here.
Why Scotland Needs More Trained Hypnotherapists
It’s no news that Scotland, like the rest of the UK, has experienced a sharp surge in mental health issues over the years. Researchers show that the rates of stress, depression and anxiety are skyrocketing in Scotland, and with it comes grave concern.
For instance, Scotland has recorded a high percentage of cases of people with bad smoking habits, anxiety, alcohol dependency and unhealthy eating—habits that have high success rates with hypnotherapy.
Making local hypnotherapists available especially in rural and urban areas addresses the gap and helps improve the mental health of the public.
Additionally, the number of qualified therapists in Scotland are limited. This is risky and paves the way for poor-quality services as there are practitioners with little to no experience in the community.
If you’re looking to become fully trained as a hypnotherapist in a fully accredited school, our training programme at Piece of Mind located in Glasgow, Scotland, can surely help you achieve that.
Conclusion
Ready to start your hypnotherapy journey? Explore our free training course or reach out to us through email if you have any other questions or concerns about becoming a hypnotherapist. Your future as a confident, skilled therapist starts here.