Hypnotherapy Training

Hypnosis is a focused state of relaxation between sleeping and waking.

Hypnotherapy began in Austria under Franz Mesmer in the 1700s, though not in its contemporary form. Mesmer worked with magnetics, under the belief that magnetic fields surrounded everybody, and thought that by putting disturbed magnetic fields back in balance, he could restore health. He used several processes to do this, and referred to the altered state as Mesmerism, thus originating the word "mesmerize."

Contemporary Hypnotherapy

As of 2010, hypnotherapy puts willing clients into a focused state of relaxation in which the subconscious is open to suggestion. This state is somewhere between waking and sleeping. Hypnotherapy training, then, teaches practitioners guide their clients to this altered state. Quality hypnotherapy training programs never teach their students "control" their clients or manipulate them into doing or saying what they do not wish.

Facilitators

Hypnotherapy programs train practitioners facilitate subconscious processes that can benefit their clients. It is believed hypnotherapy helps the left and right sides of the brain communicate with one another, and that this is part of its effectiveness. In order for this to happen, however, hypnotherapists must be educated on provide a peaceful and trusting environment for their client, when the process is most effective, becoming a facilitator to the client's mental processes.

Uses

Hypnotherapy programs do not train students to become psychologists or certified counselors. However, the hypnotherapy process has been used in dental and medical settings to help with relaxation, pain management, weight loss, stress, anxiety and depression. It has also been used to help clients quit smoking, raise their self-esteem and defeat phobias, among other applications.

Careers

Hypnotherapy programs can train students to become independent hypnotherapists (in which they run their own businesses), or to work in other environments, such as medical and dental offices, acupuncture clinics, massage therapy practices or counseling offices, among others. The training may also be applicable to practitioners in a different field wishing to supplement their skills.

Certifications

Hypnotherapy training programs will certify graduates; some will do it on state and national levels. The training program itself should be state licensed and nationally approved as a postsecondary educational institution.

National certification in hypnotherapy is required to be a hypnotherapist, but each state will have its own guidelines and may want an additional state certification with particular requirements for hypnotherapists. Contact your state's Health Department for specific information.

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