Online Hypnotherapy Courses

Given that there is so much choice and price variation, and the availability and growth in online training providers my observations and comments are from having personally undertaken traditional face to face training for my initial Hypnotherapy and NLP training eight years ago and Continuing Professional Development training.

Personally, speaking my preference for ongoing learning is and continues to be the traditional ‘classroom’ face to face study, which I believe is particularly essential for hypnotherapy training.   In addition to this, I am continually learning through self-study, personal research and reading.

NLP, our Five Senses and Sensory Acuity

I am trained as a Neuro Linguistic Practitioner, (NLP) which places so much more importance on non-verbal behaviour as non-verbal communication adds another dimension to the practitioner’s toolbox. We all have an individual preferred style of learning, and I would suggest that the benefits of ‘traditional classroom’ learning for hypnotherapy is that it facilitates a fuller integration of our five senses (Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic, Olfactory and Gustatory) and Sensory Acuity.

Non-verbal communication is often generated from the unconscious level, the practitioner takes into consideration Sensory Acuity e.g. observing a client’s eye queues can help the practitioner understand how the client is accessing his/her information, however Sensory Acuity doesn’t stop at eye queues it’s also about observing the body language, and the words used; calibration; facial expressions; skin colour; voice tone; body postures; gestures; voice etc, observing where the body language and verbal communication do not match, and is incongruent e.g., somebody says yes but shakes their head.

This helps the practitioner understand whether the client is feeling or thinking which can enable them to communicate more effectively as the practitioner can match and mirror their preferred language patterns. Furthermore, paying attention to the physiology, and matching and mirroring enables the practitioner to create greater rapport, thereby enabling the person to relax and getting them to remove their critical faculty (the bridge to the subconscious) and be more open to suggestion, and creative problem solving, also pacing, and leading them towards their desired state (e.g., thoughts, feelings, and behaviours).  Hypnotherapy is not just about trance, it’s also about the gathering of information through conversation and observing body language etc.  Mehrabian and Ferris undertook some research in 1967 which established that face to face communication is made up of 7% actual words we use – what we say; 38% of communication is taken from the tone of the voice; and 55% is based upon the physiology eg., body language, facial expression.

Sensory acuity for therapeutic intervention is fundamental to the success of therapeutic outcomes, especially on the side of the therapist, because he/she can see the reaction and facial expressions of the client hence understanding more about them. Observation and feedback from the tutor in a classroom, setting provides an optimal learning experience.

Critical Faculty:  “In hypnosis we think of the Critical Faculty as a firewall in the mind between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind. It stops messages from automatically being accepted by the unconscious. It gives the conscious mind an opportunity to evaluate and, possibly reject, the message.” Mike Mandel

From my perspective, the benefits of face-to-face hypnotherapy training:-

• Face to face in person practical application
• Practice sessions can be conducted under realistic therapy conditions, with feedback from the tutor and personal reflection, providing an optimal learning experience
• Practice theory of what is being taught, develop competence and confidence
• Group work and interaction, observing others in practical setting embeds learning
• Physical Hands-on experience that may be incorporated into hypnotic inductions and deepeners
• Develop sensory acuity
• Greater integration of five senses for learning

Hypnotherapy standards and accreditations.

Hypnotherapy continues to be an ‘unregulated’ industry, however if you are looking to train as a therapist, with full insurance etc, you will need to ensure any course that is undertaken is accredited which will enable you to be eligible to register with a wide range of hypnotherapy organisations and professional standards authorities which goes to demonstrate your commitment to professionalism and high standards of government-appointed accrediting bodies such as:-

Professional bodies in the UK are:

• The National Hypnotherapy Society
• The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH)
• General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC)
• The General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR)

Professional bodies in the USA are:

• American College of Hypnotherapy (ACH)
• The American Council of Hypnotist Examiners (A.C.H.E.)
• The American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists (AAPH)
• The National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists (NBCCH)

On a final note, if you’re thinking of undertaking training as a hypnotherapist, I would suggest you try hypnotherapy for yourself beforehand, there are a number of different styles of hypnotherapy and it’s worth exploring the best fit for you.  Here’s a great article written by Jessica Chapman if you’re interested in learning more about the differing styles of hypnotherapy, it’s not just about scripts!

A Great resource here if you’re looking to explore further.

The 9 essential questions to ask before choosing a hypnotherapy training – The UK College of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy – Hypnotherapy Training Courses (ukhypnosis.com)

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