These are the most frequently asked questions we receive about hypnotherapy training.
You may have questions about hypnotherapy training not answered here. We are happy to chat on the phone, by email or to arrange a Zoom call. Just get in touch.
In-person or online training?
In the UK, hypnotherapy is considered to be a "complementary therapy" so it is less regulated than other kinds of talking therapy, like counselling. There is a Training Standard which lays out a framework for course hours, content, assessment, etc. but it only covers in-person training. Following the Training Standards is also voluntary, even for in-person courses, so not all trainers do it.
Our course is built around the Training Standards framework* whether it's delivered online or in person. This approach is widely recognised, as you will have seen from our accreditations. Whether you train online or in person, once you have completed the course, you will be able to join one or more of the relevant professional bodies at practitioner level, get insurance, set up a practice, and see clients. You will be able to hold client appointments online or face-to-face, no matter what format you chose for training.
If you attend the in-person course you will be able to register with the CNHC, which oversees the Training Standards, although this is not required or necessary to practice. If it's important to you to do this, or if you are not sure if it should be, contact us. We are happy to answer questions and advise.
(* apart from the online option being online, of course! This is why the accreditation for online and in-person training is slightly different.)
How do you assess your students?
The Training Standards 2019 set out how students should be assessed. It says that you need to be evaluated on both your practical skills and your theoretical knowledge. Although some of this can be carried out by observation and feedback, it must also include case studies and exams.
At YHT we look at both homework and what you do in the classroom. Your tutor is primarily responsible for marking your work and monitoring your progress, but some of your written work and some of your practical work in the classroom will also be reviewed by a suitably qualified person who has not otherwise been involved in your training. This 'second opinion' acts as a kind of quality control for both you and your tutor.
In our experience, being assessed in any way can be a worrying thought, especially if you haven’t taken any kind of test for some time. But imagine you were going to see a therapist; you would certainly want to know that they had proved that they had reached a good standard of skill and knowledge before being given a professional qualification. Your clients will be just the same. If you still have questions, please contact us.
Why do different hypnotherapy schools give different qualifications?
Most accrediting bodies accredit courses which are developed by individual schools, after ensuring that they meet the requirements of the voluntary regulations. We feel this is the best option because a course is reviewed, assessed, and accredited by someone who wasn't responsible for writing it. These certificates/awards will all have different names because there would be a copyright issue if one school chose a name that was already in use by another.
A few accrediting bodies write a course around the voluntary regulations themselves, and authorise a number of schools to run it on a sort of franchise arrangement. All these schools will issue certificates showing the same qualification/award.
I hope you can see from this that the exact name of your qualification doesn't matter as much as whether the course is designed around the Voluntary Regulations. For more on this topic and others, please send for our free ebook 'How to become a hypnotherapist'.
Other courses take less time. Isn't that easier?
As a hypnotherapist, you are responsible for your clients' emotional and psychological well-being. A weekend course and a book of hypnotherapy scripts do not mean you can do this safely, effectively or professionally.
The therapists that brief courses turn out may sometimes help people, just as a 'cowboy' plumber might occasionally fix a tap. But would you knowingly call one in? Or, more to the point, would you want to become one?
If you were the client, would you want to see a therapist who had trained as quickly and cheaply as possible or one who had invested time, money and effort in a thorough understanding of the field?
Many hypnotherapists find a lot of their clients come by word of mouth, and that means being good at what you do. If you want a therapy business that will grow, become successful and genuinely help the people you work with you need to provide a top-class, professional service. And that means investing in top-class, professional training with no shortcuts.
For more on this topic and others, please send for our free ebook 'How to become a hypnotherapist'.
Can other studies be counted towards my hypnotherapy qualification?
If you have already undertaken some similarly accredited hypnotherapy training elsewhere and wish to transfer to us, it might be possible to offset what you have already covered. These decisions are taken on a case-by-case basis.
Please contact us with full details of the course you took (when, where, who with, areas covered, accreditation) and we will let you know. You will need to provide proof of your prior training (e.g. certificates or a letter from the previous trainer) at the time of enrolling.
Will I be able to make back the money I'm spending?
We recognise that for many of our students, their training represents a significant investment. Fees include 20 full days of face-to-face training, unlimited telephone and email support throughout the course, a textbook and entry into an externally validated specialist qualification worth up to £100.
We also offer continued support when you are qualified in terms of supervision and advice, and discounts on CPD training. We feel we offer pretty good value for money.
You need to invest in any type of business before it can be launched but hypnotherapy is not a particularly expensive business to set up compared with others where you need equipment and/or stock. But it's not free. You need at least insurance, professional memberships/registration, and advertising. We're happy to answer questions about these.
As with all self-employment, your hypnotherapy practice will be what you make it, and no one can promise you a particular level of success. But we feel our graduates are well suited for setting up in practice at the end of the course.
Can I get help with the fees?
Unfortunately, the grants, loans and incentives offered for private training vary all the time and they often depend on your circumstances, how old you are, if and for how long you’ve been out of work, and where you live. It’s simply not possible for us to keep up with them all. https://www.gov.uk/moving-from-benefits-to-work/starting-your-own-business tells you about one scheme, https://www.gov.uk/business-finance-support has links to a few other options, though not all apply to hypnotherapy.
Post-COVID, there may be other help around as ideas are introduced to help get the economy going again. Sometimes (especially if you already work within a related area like mental health) employers can help towards fees as part of your ongoing professional development.
Otherwise, we suggest contacting your local Job Centre which may have more up-to-date information about what support is available, and/or your local council, to see if they offer any incentives to those setting up businesses in your area.
How should I choose a hypnotherapy training course?
Don't rush into the first / cheapest / nearest course you find. This training is going to form the bedrock of your new career and it's worth making sure you have the best one for you.
Make a wishlist and don't be afraid to ask questions. Look for the same information about each course you consider so you can compare them like for like. Have a spreadsheet! And send for our free ebook 'How to become a hypnotherapist' which will give you a (reasonably) disinterested list of factors to consider.
Why should I choose you?
Because we're the best!
Well, OK, we have to believe that. But we do feel our course is special.
- It is accredited by a variety of professional bodies and based on the most up-to-date version of the voluntary regulations. It offers the added bonus of being able to advertise yourself as a specialist, with an additional qualification of your choice as well as your basic practitioner's diploma, from day one of your new career.
- Our tutor is an experienced and well-respected therapist, running a successful practice as well as teaching, a published author, a conference speaker, and a past editor of the Hypnotherapy Journal.
- We believe the quality of the therapists we train is more important than quantity. We don't have numerous classes churning out huge numbers of therapists as quickly as possible, we have a limited number of small classes with lots of individual attention. The maximum number of students in a class is nine.
- Our curriculum is based on the practicalities of running a therapy business. It starts by making you a good hypnotist and a good communicator, then goes on to cover the most common reasons people seek out hypnotherapy, and finally offers an introduction to some specialist areas. In other words, it teaches you what you need to know to be a successful professional therapist.
Convinced? Please contact us if you still have questions, or apply to join one of our classes.