At the Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy, we are often asked why we are so insistent about being a State-Licensed school and why we speak of “legitimate” diplomas. People often misunderstand this topic and say that because Hypnotherapy is not a licensed profession that schools do not have to be licensed either.
This statement however, is inaccurate. Offering a career in Hypnotherapy is illegal unless you are licensed by the Department of Education to do so. We have spent over two decades following in the footsteps of great leaders in this field, who also worked for decades, to make this profession what it is today. Please read on to learn more about the very high standards that we work to uphold for our profession and the reasons why we do so.
Is Hypnotherapy a real Profession?
Yes. The United States Department of Labor utilizes the occupational code of 513603 to acknowledge “Hypnotherapy/Hypnotherapist” as a legitimate profession according to the United States Department of Education’s Bureau of Labor and Statistics program data catalog.
Should Hypnotherapists be licensed?
No. The current majority view in our field is that hypnosis is safe and that our profession does not need that sort of regulation. However, Hypnotists and Hypnotherapists must abide by all federal, state, county and city laws regarding the use of hypnosis in their respective areas.
Should Hypnotherapy Schools be licensed?
Yes. Because the federal government acknowledges Hypnotherapy as a profession and because a Hypnotherapy training is often provided as a potential new career, it is considered illegal to train people in a career without being licensed to do so.
This is true for being a doctor, chiropractor, massage therapist and acupuncturist, and is therefore true for Hypnotherapy as well. This is not our opinion; this is the law.
What is the difference between a certification and a diploma?
It depends on who you ask, yet it is important to understand that a diploma from a licensed career school is not the same as a certification from a person or organization who prints that certification without government backing. A diploma from a licensed career school is backed by the Department of Education. This is a highly regulated process to ensure that the school maintains very high standards and that they protect the consumer at all costs.
Unlicensed schools are not regulated and if they offer a career diploma or certification, they are operating illegally. A cease and desist order can go out at any moment to an unlicensed Hypnotherapy training, and the consumer should be properly warned of this.
Can I call myself a Hypnotherapist or not just a hypnotist?
Yes, you can be a Hypnotherapist if you have legitimate credentials, however there are hypnosis associations who do not support the occupational title of Hypnotherapist.
They say that you are only a “consulting hypnotist,” however with Hypnotherapy being federally recognized as a profession, and with the Department of Education granting licenses to schools to train people in a career of Hypnotherapy, you can absolutely call yourself a Hypnotherapist in all 50 US states if you have earned the credentials to do so.
Is the Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy, as a State-Licensed School, better than other hypnosis trainings that are not licensed?
We never say that we are better than anyone, as that is an unsubstantiated claim and it would be unethical and illegal to do so. As a State-Licensed school, we cannot make such claims unless we can prove that these claims are accurate, which we cannot do. We would imagine that there are many very good Hypnotherapy trainings out there, yet we abide by certain standards that we ask you to strongly consider:
- How many hours of training? We offer well over 500 hours of training and encourage you not to settle for any less if you want to make Hypnotherapy your profession.
- State-Licensure – it is illegal to train people in a career without being licensed by the Department of Education to do so. This is not a debatable point because it is the law. Please be sure to only support schools, associations and/or trainings or trainers who abide by the law.
- In-House, Hands-On Hours – We do not believe that you can learn hypnosis only online. 70% of our training is done online and 30% is done in-house. It is important to practice hypnosis on real people under direct supervision if you ever plan to see real people in real offices.
We understand that during COVID-19 times social distancing is crucial for everyone’s well-being, so we have carefully adapted our in-house training accordingly to keep all of our students and staff safe. We always work to abide by the law and to support all of our students in the highest standards that we are aware of.
We never claim to be the best or to be better than others, we only ask that you do your research on the federal and state levels when making a choice for a Hypnotherapy Career Training.
Just as you would not go to an unlicensed career school to become a doctor, nurse, massage therapist or acupuncturist, so too do we strongly encourage you to also only attend legitimate career schools for Hypnotherapy, so that we can all keep moving our beloved profession forward into the ever higher standards that it deserves.
For more information about Hypnosis Law and our Legal Efforts to protect our profession, please visit:
https://www.interpersonalhypnotherapy.com/legal-efforts
For more information about a true career education in Hypnotherapy, please learn more at www.InstituteofHypnotherapy.com or simply give us a call at 800-551-9247.
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