Down Under
Every now and then hypnosis gets a little caught up in the whole “should it be licensed” thing. I was sure we talked about it here last year, but I cannot find any mentions. It is a subject that always seems to be an under current on our consciousness (okay, I am speaking for me, maybe not the whole universal consciousness of hypnotists everywhere)
See the thing is, for those not familiar with hypnosis in the States, we are not licensed. I am hoping that one of my hypnosis friends will chime in with an elegant reason for this. Instead what many of us do instead is become certified by an organization (I believe many of those you read here are National Guild of Hypnotists people). With this we have to go through hours of practice and testing before we are certified. We also have to maintain continuing education credits. It is all for the good. We have a code of ethics and a client bill of rights.
Enter those who are licensed and do hypnosis such as psychologist, doctors and the like. Please note that I am showing no disrespect here at all. I think there is room for both of us, and I am definitely glad several members in the professions who are licensed see the value of hypnosis. I do believe they help legitimize what we do. Apparently, though, in the land down under, a few have issues with whom can practice hypnosis.
So, lets take a brief look at South Australia. Though I cannot find a decent source on the licensing of hypnotist (I find many who say they are not licensed), there was an article on their ABC news that their government is thinking about deregulating hypnosis and psychometric testing. Nice how those two are put together in this. In my mind, they seem very different. Apparently this has a lot of people up in arms (I can see the testing being a problem - if anyone can administer the test, without an impartial scorer, it could be used against people in an unsavory manner). And the South Australia’s Psychological Society is all up in arms about this. They say deregulation can have “dire consequences.”
Interesting. Is it the testing or the hypnosis that will have dire consequences? Why are these two subjects, testing and hypnosis, lumped together?
Source: ABC News
April 15th, 2008 at 9:08 am
The problem is, people confusing licensing and certification with competence. There is an invalid assumption that having a piece of paper means you are better than someone without the paper (a form of mass hypnosis).
It’s easy to forget that some of the greatest hypnotists in this century like Dave Elman, never had a certification a license or even bothered to put CHT behind their name.
And like I tell my clients, a stack of testimonials will get you way more new clients when used properly in your marketing, than a stack of certificates.
Cheers,
Craig Eubanks
HypnosisMarketingTips.com
April 16th, 2008 at 6:55 am
I have to agree with Craig on this. I know several hypnotists who are quite talented despite having no formal training or certifications, and I’ve heard through community channels of a couple of formally trained and certified hypnotists with little competence.
What’s the answer? I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure that government licensing, even at the state or local level, is not it. Politicians are not competent to set standards for hypnotism, so they’ll codify whatever various lobbying groups tell them and filter it through ignorance. (Do I sound cynical? Maybe I’ve lived in the DC area too long.)
<MR>
April 16th, 2008 at 6:56 am
Hi Craig,
Thanks for commenting. You have actually inspired today’s post.
Ellie
April 16th, 2008 at 7:58 am
That’s exactly what happened here in Indiana. Once a state representative got up on his high horse and thundered about how anyone could get a “degree” to practice hypnosis, everything went downhill. Some pretty influential people were initially involved, but apparently politics and personalities got added and the result is horrendous.
The resulting legislation is a confused mess. It lists a number of professions that are handled in other sections of the code, and explicitly excludes stage hypnosis. Anyone else doing anything with anything hypnosis related, which includes a wide range of related activities including guided imagery, is subject to a Class A misdemeanor. From my reading, even someone taking the approved course can’t even practice an induction even inside class without being subject to arrest. Even someone who uses guided imagery for ritual work, which is what was going to happen at the local pagan group’s regular meeting, would be included.
And the training requirements are worse. For one thing, there is no exception for training outside the state. Someone with 25 years in the field and Masters certifications from every known organization still have to take 500 hours (the mandated limit in the legislation) to qualify. Add to that the rampant favoritism with the first school (and still the only school) approved (the founder was spouse of one of the accrediting board members) and the cluelessness of the state licensing agency that is keeping anyone else from getting accredation.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:26 am
That sounds just awful! It is never a middle of the road thing, is it? Its either lack of one thing or too much of another.