A hypnotherapy practice is one that combines therapeutic methods with hypnosis to help bring buried memories and beliefs to the surface. There is no central agency responsible for certifying hypnotists in the United States, but there are still good reasons to become a certified hypnotherapist.
First of all, gaining a hypnosis certification tells potential clients that a particular hypnotherapist is reputable. Since there are no requirements in most states for someone to say that they are a hypnotherapist, clients could potentially end up with anyone off the street claiming to specialize in hypnotherapy. A certification gives a clients peace of mind when selecting a practice, since they know the practitioner they are seeing has met the requirements of the certifying agency.
Certifications for hypnosis training are valuable for hypnotherapists as well as for many different kinds of therapy practices, including social workers, marriage counselors, family therapists, and registered nurses. There are even many medical, dental and mental health doctors who are certified as hypnotherapists. Hypnotherapy is considered a valid line of study by many medical practitioners today, and getting certified helps to have a practice recognized by these professionals.
The courses involved in a scholarly certification course also help the therapist to learn more. Hypnotherapy is a delicate process that requires proper training and practice before use. Certification courses help a therapist to become a more skilled hypnotist and a better counselor. There is much to be learned from a good hypnotherapy course; they shouldn’t be snubbed just because they aren’t required in order to perform hypnotherapy on clients.
Having more certified hypnotherapists benefits the profession as a whole. The public sees certified hypnotherapists as more professional than those who do not have such certifications. The more professional and certified hypnotherapists there are, the more valid the whole profession seems to the general public. This increase in value to the public means that the idea of hypnotherapy will become more accepted by everyone.
Certified hypnotherapists are also more likely to be recognized as valid providers by insurance agencies. There are obvious financial benefits for a practice to be recognized by insurers that outweigh the original investment required by a hypnosis certification. Clients are also more likely to select a practice that is covered by their insurance over one that is not. Increased client access means better results for client and more money for the practice as well. A more profitable hypnotherapy practice can of course pay its therapists more, but can also provide more and better services for its client.
A good hypnotherapist continues to learn after their initial training. Additional classes and specialty certifications are available, however many of these require a hypnotherapy certification to qualify for these advanced certifications. Each client provides an additional opportunity to learn even more about hypnotherapy, but without the foundation provided by your initial hypnotherapy certification, it would be challenging to establish a valid reputation that would provide this opportunity.
There is no one agency or board that certifies therapists to use hypnotherapy techniques on their clients. Despite this, there are lots of good reasons for a therapy practice to hire certified hypnotherapists or have their existing hypnotherapists certified. These reasons include getting potential clients to see the validity of a practice, having a practice recognized by medical professionals, helping hypnotherapists to grow as therapists and counselors, increasing public awareness of hypnotherapy as a valid form of therapy, and having a practice recognized by insurance companies as a valid form of therapy for their clients.