The Transparent Hypnotist

Like Ellie, Debbie, Josh, and many others who frequent The Transparent Hypnotist, I’m a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH). The first thing I did when I became certified was to join the NGH because everyone I knew in the hypnosis community said NGH was one of the top, or possibly the top, professional hypnosis organization. In the years since then my friends’ recommendation has proven to be mostly true. Like any large organization NGH has its hang-ups, but by and large I’m still very happy with them.

That doesn’t mean that from time to time I don’t look at other organizations, too. Lately, for instance, I’ve been thinking a lot about the Society of Experiential Trance, a fairly young (established 2005) organization that came to my attention when I attended Hypnoticon earlier this year. That’s their logo at the top of this post.

SET has a feel and attitude that’s different from any other organization I’ve seen or heard about. Where most hypnosis organizations emphasize their training resources, professional codes of conduct, legal/political actions to protect their memberships, and whatnot — all of which, I hasten to say, are very good things — SET, primarily, is all about the trance experience and how people use it. Their membership criteria is telling: while they respect professional certifications from other organizations, the only way to join SET is for one of SET’s officers to actually watch you perform a list of trance phenomena, either live or on video. I have to admit, I like that.

Another interesting thing about SET is that they are extremely inclusive. Most hypnosis organizations are willing to accept and even teach in their conventions things like energy healing, past life regression, emotional freedom technique — things that may or may not be related to hypnosis but which tend to come into play frequently. There are some practices, though, that are decidedly Not Welcome. SET embraces every field of hypnosis, though, even the ones that organizations like NGH frown upon, such as erotic hypnosis. SET’s attitude is that if people are going to do these things — and they are — then it’s important to teach people to do them safely and responsibly. I love that position; I think it’s practical and realistic and fresh.

What I fear — and, after all this set-up, the point of today’s Sunday Question — is that if I join SET, the NGH people may frown on that because SET does support uses of hypnosis that NGH considers unprofessional or inappropriate. I still value my NGH membership and would rather not lose it. I still want to be taken seriously as a professional, and I see the NGH membership as part of that. So, today’s question is:

Would you associate yourself with an organization that supports alternative practices such as erotic hypnosis? Why or why not?

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Many thanks to Jim who posted a comment about some factors involved with getting a degree in psychology. Very thought provoking, actually. He brought up a point that as lay hypnotherapists we do not have to agree to codes of ethics as that of the APA. Good point. However for those of us who are certified, there is often a code of ethics that we are encouraged to follow. I realize this is not handy for everyone, but I think following a trusted organization’s code is the only way to go. It does bring credibility to both hypnotist and the organization. I personally go with (yes, I hear the chorus now) NGH’s, as well as providing each client with a bill of rights.

And I am not sure one can get malpractice insurance without belonging to some such organization, but I cannot swear to this. Do any of you know?

There are a few organizations for hypnotist out there. How does one ever decide which one’s to join? And why join? What’s the point?

There, that’s it, the Sunday Question. Organizations - which ones do you have membership in and why? And if you do not belong to any, why?

If you have been reading this blog for a little while, you probably already know my affiliation with the National guild of Hypnotists. But why are my loyalties there? Well, when thinking about going professional, I talked to as many people as I could and looked into various associations. As I was barely starting out, I did not have a lot of money to spend on memberships so I chose one. That meant it had to be really inclusive. I chose the NGH because it represented several interests (performance, clinical, metaphysical, etc.), was well established with a large membership and time, offered certificated that is respected, and had decent prices on vendors with malpractice.

So that’s mine, how about you?

The convention was wonderful. I’m so glad I get to do this at least once per year. I love the combination of education and socialization. So much talent, so little time! The speakers are still fantastic. I’ve been going 11 years now and I’m impressed every time I go. I get to meet new people and reconnect with others that I rarely get to see. Kevin Hogan greeted me warmly with a hug. The interview I did with him will be available as a podcast before the end of September. That’s why I went to Gerry Kein’s workshop on podcasting. That was very entertaining as well as informative. Dick Sutphen shared the secrets of brain washing with us in a seminar on Friday. I wasn’t able to attend his seminar last year, as it was at the same time as mine (Creative Hypnosis). The most intriguing seminar I saw was called Neurovasculars and Hypnosis, presented by Laurie Barefoot. She was in my certified instructor class last year and had a presentation right after mine on Sunday. I had never heard of neurovascular points before, but I think I will begin to hear lots more about them. It was very interesting.

Unfortunately, I had to leave the convention early (before 1pm) in order to catch the only direct flight back to Tampa. I won’t mention the airline, but I think I will make an effort to avoid this one next year. After clearing security, I went to my gate and boarded the plane. After a few minutes the captain announced there was a tiny problem. A half-hour later it was a major problem and we were allowed to leave the plane, as it would be over 3 hours before we could make repairs or get a different plane. Since I would not be home in time for dinner as I had planned, I decided to get dinner at a nice restaurant if I could find one. The food was good and I met someone who was interested in hypnosis who was waiting for the same flight.

It all turned out okay (I did get home safely and my luggage returned with me).

But If I didn’t have to rush out before the end of the convention, I could have seen a workshop called $100K, the Easy Way, by another talented speaker, Keith MacLean. I heard it was amazing, so I’m going to purchase the CD. The good thing is that all the workshops are recorded, so at least I can find out what I missed.

Yes, a little sadness. Not a huge sadness, but one that is tempering my morning. Last year at this time, I was on a plane to Marlborough, Mass. for the NGH Conference. It was the day the airlines implemented the “no liquid” rule. It was crazy.

This year, it is just another day. No conference for me (sniff).

So, for all of you lucky dogs who get to attend, have a double super time (double ’cause someone needs to do it for me). For those flying in, I hope it is smooth going. I cannot wait to hear all about it.

Is there anyone left who isn’t going?