Home Finding the course that's best for you. by Terence Watts First, my qualifications for providing this information: I have been a hypnotherapist in full-time private practice since 1989, with over 22,000 hours of consulting room experience. I am a published author of books and manuals on hypnotherapy and hypnotherapy training, and am the originator of several accredited hypnotherapy training courses. I am also an International lecturer and Chairman of one of the major hypnotherapy associations. To find out more about my qualifications, click here There are currently huge numbers of hypnotherapy training courses available from an ever-growing number of providers. Unfortunately, not all of the hypnotherapy schools provide adequate training and some of the tutors have never actually been in clinical practice themselves. A few seek to go straight from their own classes to training you. This is possible because there is no 'official' recognised hypnotherapy association or training body - all hypnotherapy schools, colleges, institutes, etc. are privately owned, however grand or important their title sounds. They are all private enterprises, trading for profit. There is nothing wrong with that, of course (indeed, my own hypnosis school comes into this category and would not be able to trade if it did not make a profit) but there are those who try to look 'official', often by running their classes in rooms that they hire from a University or Hospital. So how on earth do you choose a good one? Well, there are certain pointers to show that a hypnotherapy training course is worthwhile and we'll look at those in a moment. First, though, an important question: Do you want to become a hypnotherapist, or do you simply want to find out more about hypnosis? If you simply want to find out more, there is absolutely no need to pay out for a training course! There are some excellent books which will teach you all that you need to know, including how to hypnotise people and what to do with them when they are hypnotised. Two exceptional books are: The Art of Hypnosis and The Art of Hypnotherapy both by C. Roy Hunter and both available from the Anglo-american book company (there is a link to this company later on). Together, these two books will give you the same information that you might get from a basic training course. If your aim is to become a professional hypnotherapist, even working only part-time, then you need to be somewhat selective. The following pointers are of immense importance: The major professional associations do not recognise distance learning courses at all - you will not be able to be registered with them. Although you will still be able to go into practice (there is no law that says you even have to train!) your professional credibility suffers if you do not belong to at least one. Your client base will grow very slowly, if at all. If all you can manage is a distance learning course, for whatever reason, then make sure it is with a reputable hypnotherapy school, ideally one which also offers classroom tuition. The organisation should offer post-graduate support and advice when you need it. A good college or school should be accredited by a professional association in the country of origin. If not, you may not gain registration with the professional associations in your own country. Again, not essential, but definitely desirable. Such accreditation should be clearly visible in the school prospectus. A classroom-based course needs to be of at least 120 contact hours to be viable. This is usually spread over 10-12 months. There should be practical assignments to complete between classes. A good course will consist of around 450-600 hours in total. Distrust the weekend or 3 day 'complete diploma course'. No matter how intense, you will be left knowing enough to cause problems but not enough to sort them out. You should be able to find out something about the principal/director of a hypnotherapy school; it is advisable to check out his/her credentials, clinical hypnosis experience, etc. This information should be readily available. Remember, it is important to be taught by somebody who knows how to do the actual work. Always check the experience that your tutor actually has - find out how long he or she has been qualified. If it is less than two years, you are not in good hands! Unfortunately, it is sometimes the case a 'tutor' has only completed training just a few months before trying to teach you. In fact, some less-than-professional schools actively encourage their 'graduates' to go out and teach others, as a commission-based activity, rather like a franchise or MLM operation. There should be clear evidence of post-graduate support, even with a distance learning course. In some schools this is free, in others it can be expensive. Some do not offer it at all, which means that you have no 'back-up' should you need it. It is rare that you will need such support, but it can and does happen. Currently, there are no recognised BA, MA or Phd. qualifications available. If you see the title 'Dr.' used in hypnotherapy or hypnosis, it is from an unofficial source. To an extent, you get what you pay for. There are some very cheap 'courses' available but you are likely to find problems later on, as outlined above. The foregoing should provide you with enough information to source out the best hypnotherapy training organisation for your requirements but please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have, at tw@terencewatts.com I obviously cannot comment on individual schools, though. Go to: Hypnosense for a totally free, seven-lesson course in self-hypnosis for outrageous success in life! Look here for information about reputable training schools And go here for books: The Anglo-American Book Company A huge selection of books about hypnosis, psychotherapy and other mind matters is available here.