Education
Learning hypnosis is far more available, adequate and thorough at present then even in the recent past. Most large cities have centers for training and major hypnosis societies offer courses in many places around the world. There are other sources including many component chapters and independent groups throughout the United States. In some states there are virtually no requirements for the practice of hypnosis. This means that the quality of training is as varied and available as are the “hypnotists” in the yellow pages. Equally various are the state requirements for signed consent and other legal aspects such as forensic consequences of “having been hypnotized”.

Generally, however, securing complete and reliable information on such matters can prevent any serious obstacles to good practice. Current efforts to provide adequate education and ensure good practice now include the grades of proficiency delineated by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and the following specialty boards: The American Board of Medical Hypnosis, The American Board of Hypnosis in Dentistry, The American Board of Psychological Hypnosis, and The American Hypnosis Board for Clinical Social Work.

It is clear that the practitioner using hypnosis should be well trained in his or her field of practice in addition to hypnosis. Hypnosis for symptom relief requires increasing levels of skill and training; involvement of other persons with the patient generally requires still more. The practice of truly effective clinical hypnosis must be learned in years of training and experience. The clinician who uses hypnosis should first be well trained in the particular discipline needed by the patient; second, should confine use of hypnosis to that special discipline and should practice hypnosis only within the discipline of that specialty, e.g. the psychologist should treat appropriate problems of psychology, the dentist or orthopedist should likewise stay within their specialties and so on for each particular field. Education in hypnosis should then be fully adequate for the special discipline to be practiced.

The necessity for this recognition and concentration of hypnotic practice is the basis for the four specialty board examinations in hypnosis.

Official Licensing Bodies
In New York State there is no licensing in hypnosis. A licensed health care professional, however, can be certified in Clinical Hypnosis by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis or any of the four specialty boards mentioned above. This ensures that the practitioner has met educational standards and required training in clinical hypnosis.

References
American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Available at www.asch.net Hammond, D. Corydon. Learning Clinical Hypnosis. American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, 1988.

Content last modified on Mar 24, 2003