You are looking for a hypnotist. Who should you choose? Who can match your needs best? Who is a scam artist and who is legit? While these questions are a great place to start, there’s a lot to consider when you are looking for your perfect hypnotist. The one who will not only match your needs, but enable you to enact lasting positive change in your life that you will remember for years to come. Let me share a few things that you should be looking for in a hypnotist and why.
As you can see from our listings, there are thousands of hypnotists out there, especially if you’re looking to go virtual and really hone in on that specialist you are seeking. So how do you narrow it down.
- Location may or may not matter depending on your personal needs. But if you are looking for an in-person hypnotist it certainly will. This obviously, will not matter as much if you’re fine with virtual. If you have to travel there this may be a limitation on your time and resources. If you need to narrow down your search by location this may narrow it significantly such as in small rural state. Or it may still leave you with a plethora of changes, which is true of many states in the North East portion of the U.S.
- Virtual Or In Person?
This is a second place where your preferences are going to dictate your choices here. If you need the assurance of being with a real person, then you need an in person session. Some people, on the other hand, will purposefully choose to go virtual due to their own personal trauma, fears, or anxieties. That is okay too. I don’t know that either answer is right or wrong, though both have their pros and cons depending on your needs.
- Does the Hypnotist Seem Legitimate?
Look at their website. While this may not guarantee or promise a great therapist. It is certainly a start. You can learn a lot about a hypnotist from their website.
- Are they offering guarantees?
I’m dubious of people who promise that x or y will happen. There is a big difference between a promise and basing your claims on data.
If someone is offering outrageous guarantees, don’t go there.
Are they promising to cure you of all your problems? Again you probably don’t want to go there.
Are they making statements like ultra-advanced therapy? Again, you probably want to look elsewhere.
An ethical hypnotist will be open about how their practice works. For example, we tell people that the number of sessions will depend on the problem they have. We tend to see anxiety, phobia, and trauma clients anywhere from once to ten times. On the other hand, we only see our smokers once or twice unless they have an underlying issue that is required to overcome their initial desired issue. It’s not something we see often, but we’ve seen it a few times, so we share that it is a possibility.
- Are they offering block bookings (i.e. 10% discount if you sign up for 6 sessions)
While I wouldn’t count them out entirely, I would consider it a potential red flag. I’m generally dubious of anyone promising something will be cured (notice my specification there) in one session or that it will always require x number of sessions. Some individuals may only require one session while others may struggle more and require multiple sessions.
Some individuals are more ‘hypnotizable’ than others and can respond in as little as one or two sessions, whereas others may require more sessions to achieve the same goal. Imagine a sliding scale from 1 (deepest level) to 100 practically awake. The majority of people fall into the 25-75 part of the scale. The rest fall either on the end that is highly suggestible or the end that is highly resistant to trance/hypnosis.
While you will find a variety of opinions on this issue, I am personal dubious of block sessions. I find that very few issues aside from trauma (and sometimes not even that) require a block of more than one to three sessions. Again, your milage may vary, but that is my experience with hypnotherapy. Anyone requiring a block larger than that (or even that) should have a guarantee of a refund if you do not require as many sessions as predicted.
- Do They Appear Knowledgeable?
Looking at the website you should be able to see some sort of data to support their claims. Some may have their own personal statistics. Others may have articles supporting their theories and claims. Take a look at the sources they are sharing.
Is the information recent? You don’t want to base your choice off information that is twenty years old. These individuals could be working off old methodology or may be missing best practices. This may be particularly true depending on your state’s qualification standards for a hypnotist.
- What Are Their Qualifications?
Of course, you want someone who knows what they are doing. Look on their site for any mention of the agency or hypnotist they trained with. Then look at that agency or hypnotist’s website. You may think that one certification is better than another based on what you read there. I can’t proclaim that any certification organization is better than any other, even though I admit that I have my own opinions. This is something you have to weigh on your own based on your needs and perspectives.
Secondly, make sure they meet the qualification standards for your state. States tend to fall into one of three categories. While each state’s qualifications are still unique and based on individual state laws, they are either strict, moderate, or lenient in their qualifications as you’ll see below.
- States with Mandatory Licensing/Registration Requirements.
Connecticut, Washington - States With Explicit Guidelines For Licensure Exemption
California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Texas, Utah - States That Do Not Specifically Regulate Hypnotic Practice
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
ADDITIONAL INFO
There are several states with laws defining psychology that refers to hypnosis being a part of that practice. In some of these states it is made clear that this means psychological training is required to practice hypnosis. In others it is less clear. For example, if hypnosis is listed as just one of many things psychologist do, but that others may do as well this may not affect licensure or certification within the state. The Hypnosis Union tracks this information and may have additional useful information as they keep up with even minute changes in the laws of each state regarding hypnosis.
- Is The Hypnotist Ethical?
At some point you will likely have to break down and start calling these organizations and practices. A website can only tell you so much. But a call can give you a different perspective. When calling a hypnotist there are a few things you can ask or look for to make sure that you are getting the best bang for your buck so to speak.
- Is the hypnotist respectful of your opinions and concerns?
Everyone deserves respect. Even if they ask what may seem like a silly question or have a different opinion. A professional hypnotist worthy of your time is respectful of your needs and your time. I know this is hard to guage, but it is certainly something to look for.
- Do your instincts tell you that you can trust them or is there something off putting that has you concerned even after the conversation?
Trust your instincts. If it feels off from the get go, then trust that. It may not mean they are a bad hypnotist per se, but it may mean that they are not the right hypnotist for you.
- Do they make you hopeful that they can help you achieve your goal?
After a conversation with a hypnotist you should feel ready to make a change in your life. Yes, you may be nervous like we are when we go fix something at the doctors, but you should be excited to let go of that negative behavior or pattern in your life. If you aren’t convinced you will change after talking to the hypnotist you may have a problem
It could mean:
- You’re not ready to change
- You don’t believe they can make that change
- You don’t trust them.
All three are potential red flags for you seeing that hypnotist. They can also mean that hypnosis is not a good fit for you. I mention this only because I hate to see anyone waste their time or money. Hypnosis requires the person be ready to change. They must believe that it will work and the hypnotist can help them make that change lasting.
- Ask them how long they have been in practice. Are they new or have they been doing this for decades?
A new hypnotist is not necessarily a red flag. Everyone has to learn somehow. But I appreciate how this may be a consideration for many people searching for a hypnotist.
- See if they promote you learning self-hypnosis
Every client I see is told the same thing about self-hypnosis. That I fully encourage it. I make it a point to make one final, but optional suggestion to every client once I have them back in their happy place. And I set them up to succeed in that suggestion, should they choose to do so at the start of the session. That suggestion is that they will practice self hypnosis so that they will never again be reliant upon a hypnotist unless they find they cannot fix the issue themselves. I explain it to them as the difference between moving the coffee table that weights a few pounds or moving that giant heavy master bedroom set.
A good hypnotist should want you to come back to them only if you have a real need for their services. We don’t want to be like other practices where you have to come back to maintain your results or succeed long term. I would much rather have you send me a referral of a friend with your hopefully glowing testimonial than to have you back every week dependent on my skills. I would much rather teach you to fish than be the fisherman that feeds you, to use a prominent parable.
A good hypnotist empowers you to do the work yourself. Not to be reliant on them. As I tell my clients regularly, you are doing the work. I’m just your guide when you need me for the heavy lifting.
- Does the Hypnotist Have Satisfied Customers?
This one is important no matter what choices you made for 1 and 2. Do they have client testimonials? Do they have decent google reviews? These are two things to look for when choosing a hypnotist. I don’t know that either is more important than the others. Some may choose to let the google reviews speak for themselves. Others feel more comfortable asking their clients to give testimonials. Everyone is going to have different opinions on which is more valid. But it is important to see that someone else has had a benefit from their work. You don’t go to a tire shop that is known for cheating their customers. The same should be true of anyone we pay to do work for us, even hypnotists.
This also gives you an idea of how successful their work with others really was. I get a little dubious on this point if they have no bad reviews or all five-star reviews with very little information (using google as an example). Many of the most excited and sincere reviews and testimonials are written or verbalized, if video, so passionately that you can almost feel it in the words they shared with future viewers.
Testimonials and reviews are a great way to narrow your search for the perfect hypnotist for you.
Other potential criteria to look at… or not
I find that the criteria I mentioned above is far more reliable than the rest of what I am about to share here. But given that so many sites have it listed in their criteria, I do want to give them mention. As well as the pitfalls to the reasoning of using this criterion in your own search. But luckily, it’s a short list.
- The hypnotist has written a book
This may or may not be valid as a criterion. Certainly, if you want to use this a criterion, read the book first. You may find that their book isn’t good or that they aren’t knowledgeable. Also, not everyone has the passion or ability to publish their own book. Having published my own book (not about hypnosis unfortunately), I can tell you that even self-publishing is an arduous process that is not for everyone. It certainly should not play a heavy role in your decision above all the others mentioned.
- The hypnotist has audio files
While I do believe there MAY be a time and a place for audio files, I don’t consider this a criterion at all for choosing a hypnotist. The research around the validity of audio files appears dubious at best. Binaurals have not been definitive proven as far as I can tell from the literature. I have enjoyed my fair share of audio files, but my experience is that they are nowhere near as effective as an actual session with an actual hypnotist.
Honestly, I’m unsure I can even advocate whether you could use them to determine your personal capacity for hypnosis. For the most part unless you have already been taught self-hypnosis the results are hit or miss at best. And even for those who are adept at hypnosis the results are unclear. I am a fairly susceptible subject and very few of my experiences with audio files have been worthy of discussing much less repeating.
Of course, your milage may vary, but those are my two cents on the matter.
Hypnosis is a wonderful tool to take advantage of in your own journey of self-empowerment and improvement. Make sure that you are choosing the best hypnotist for your needs. And remember that in order for hypnotherapy to be useful to you permit yourself to go with the flow of the process once you’ve chosen the hypnotist, you’re trusting to guide you. Because ultimately, that’s all we are, a guide on one piece of your journey. You’re doing the work. We’re just helping you get there.
