<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s hypnotherapy industry (in the UK) there can be a lot of confusion about terms such as \u2018accreditation\u2019, \u2018validation\u2019 and \u2018regulation\u2019 and there are a huge variety of different professional hypnotherapy associations \/ organisations \/ bodies that offer these services. As such, when looking into this topic there are a vast number of acronyms to become familiar with, such as those related to hypnotherapy associations, who may also offer or approve courses (e.g. NGH, GHR, BACP, BPS, BIH, UKCP, HA, FHT) and other (non-hypnotherapy-specific) organisations who approve courses (e.g. NCFE, OCN). \u00a0Also, to add to the mix, there is the government-initiated route for \u2018voluntary regulation\u2019 with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) too\u2026 But don\u2019t worry too much about all of these acronyms and companies just yet, because I\u2019ll give you some more information in a moment that will help you to figure out which route \/ hypnotherapy association will be best for you.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n As we know, in the UK, being a member of a group of like-minded individuals is an accepted and common practice, whether for networking, peer and \/ or professional support, education or simply for social purposes.\u00a0 There are a vast number of societies and associations (that are not chartered, nor do they offer a \u2018licence to practice\u2019) and these range from Golf Greenkeepers, businesspeople, Bloggers, and advertisers, to a broad range of talking therapies, including counselling and psychotherapy.\u00a0 As well as these, there are also Trade Associations, Governing Bodies and Institutes \/ Institutions, but with hypnotherapy, we tend to join groups known as \u2018professional associations\u2019, of which there are a diverse range.<\/p>\n A common question in the hypnotherapy field, is what exactly is<\/em> a professional association?\u00a0 What does it do?\u00a0 Well, a professional association (\u2018PA\u2019 \u2013 yes I know, another acronym, but it\u2019ll shorten your reading time and it\u2019s an easy one to remember), also known as a \u2018professional organisation\u2019 or \u2018professional body\u2019, tends to be focused on furthering the profession they represent, together with the interests of those within the profession and to safeguard the public interest (clients).<\/p>\n As well as the examples mentioned above, there are plenty more reasons that a hypnotherapist will register with a PA\u2026 They can offer a source of information and support, and can be reassuring to potential clients that your training has been assessed to be of a good standard to practice.\u00a0 Also, it can show that you are committed to a professional code of conduct and ethics, and are subject to a complaints procedure (and many clients will appreciate that \u2018security\u2019 and professionalism when booking a service).\u00a0 Though not mandatory for any hypnotherapist, even the National Health Service (NHS) recommends choosing a hypnotherapist who belongs to a professional hypnotherapy association (one that is regulated by the CNHC \u2013 see the NHS hypnotherapy page).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n As well as the enhancement of client perceptions of professionalism, there is also the marketing aspect to consider.\u00a0 Most PAs maintain a register where the public can search for a local or specialist hypnotherapist.\u00a0 Furthermore, many PAs invest in a range of advertising and marketing campaigns that may not be financially viable (nor practical) for an individual practitioner.\u00a0 Thus, when searching for a hypnotherapist, a prospective client may initially find the PA first<\/em> and then<\/em> find the hypnotherapist through the PA\u2019s own website \/ register.<\/p>\n For some professions, membership of professional bodies can be a legal requirement and result in a \u2018license to practice\u2019.\u00a0 However, this is not a requirement for hypnotherapists in the UK.<\/p>\n As mentioned previously, there are a great number of professional hypnotherapy associations in the UK, and this may be partly due to the vast number and range of psychotherapies<\/a>, which may influence the diversity and breadth of the hypnotherapy profession as a whole.<\/p>\n Some PAs are very small and associated with just one branch of therapy \/ one training school, for example, the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis (BSCH) focus on supporting primarily the members of one training school.\u00a0 However, other PAs are much broader, with a range of schools feeding into their membership, such as the British Institute of Hypnotherapy and NLP (BIH).\u00a0 There are also organisations who set their own standard \u2018course syllabus\u2019 (and training programmes) with their allied training schools providing that specific model of training, such as with the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH).\u00a0 In addition, there are some organisations who are independent of any particular training providers, such as the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), who assess membership solely based on the content of the qualification completed.\u00a0 The GHR and other \u2018independent\u2019 PAs (such as the BIH and FHT) tend to observe the UK Core Curriculum as the industry standard for hypnotherapy training (but more on that shortly).<\/p>\n Some PAs, who accept prospective members from a variety of routes of entry into the profession, may take on a \u2018Credentialing\u2019 role, assessing the students\u2019 credentials by considering the evidence they have supplied, often in a portfolio which evidences the individual\u2019s suitability for engaging in the profession.\u00a0 When you study to be a hypnotherapist, your training institution, school or mentor may be aligned to one or more of these PAs.\u00a0 Here, the course contents (syllabus) will have been assessed and accepted by the PA as sufficient for membership of that association.\u00a0 This can be useful, as often you will simply give the name of the school where you trained when you apply to join the PA, rather than have to supply evidence (e.g. course transcript, portfolio, certificates etc.,) of having been trained to a certain level.\u00a0 This PA assessment will often be skills and knowledge related as many PAs do not require specific \u2018academic levels\u2019 of training, recognising that hypnotherapists come from a broad range of academic and non-academic backgrounds.<\/p>\n Those PAs who adopt a minimum standard of training to be eligible for membership may be regarded as \u2018Gatekeepers\u2019 with a role of limiting access only to those meeting the standards of the organisation or profession. Often, as new standards gradually evolve, those already within a PA tend to retain their membership, with the new standards being applied to new members.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n As there are no legal obligations upon a PA to perform a specific function, what they do and how they work can vary considerably.\u00a0 Some are little more than a register of names, others have a number of specialist divisions, hold training and conference events and are much more active and visible within the profession.\u00a0 There are a range of roles that a PA may adopt, including:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Where PAs take on the role of \u2018enforcers\u2019 they adopt a monitoring role, with the ability to impose sanctions or ultimately expel an individual for breaches of their codes of conduct.\u00a0 The potential for these sanctions are part of the terms of an individual\u2019s membership of a PA. \u00a0However, given the significant number of hypnotherapy PAs in the UK, such sanctions may be seen to offer little as a deterrent, as an individual may simply apply to join another PA.<\/p>\n Where UK and International PAs recognise UK hypnotherapy training schools, these schools will have been assessed and then \u2018accredited\u2019 or \u2018validated\u2019 by those PAs, often very thoroughly and on an ongoing basis.\u00a0 Training schools can seek approval from PAs to confirm that they are providing the right type of training and education to equip their students to be able to work as hypnotherapists.\u00a0 Some PAs operate a \u2018Course Accreditation\u2019 programme, with defined criteria that a training school needs to meet for their course to be deemed suitable as professional hypnotherapy training.\u00a0 Most commonly, these criteria are associated with the Hypnotherapy Core Curriculum as mentioned previously.\u00a0 This core curriculum addresses the practical and theoretical aspects that a hypnotherapist would need to meet the requirements of the Hypnotherapy National Occupational Standards (H.NOS).\u00a0 There are National Occupational Standards (NOS) for a vast range of occupations within the UK, ranging from environmental conservation, to sports, healthcare to hospitality (again, will go into more detail on these shortly).<\/p>\n Where a hypnotherapy training course is accredited<\/strong>, this relates only to the course.\u00a0 So, when you complete the course, it does not mean that you, as an individual, are then accredited by default. When qualified, you will then need to go and apply to your chosen PA(s) for membership.<\/p>\n You may notice that whilst many professional hypnotherapy training schools are accredited by one or more professional associations, other schools are \u2018self-accredited<\/strong>\u2019.\u00a0 As there is no national or international organisation that is solely responsible for hypnotherapy accreditation, some schools \/ hypnotherapy trainers, rather than go to the expense and work of obtaining external accreditation, will \u2018self-accredit\u2019 either under their own school name or under a different company name that they invent themselves.<\/p>\n As an example, \u2018The Mega Excellent Hypnotherapy School\u2019 may issue their own certificates or provide them from a \u2018different organisation\u2019 such as, \u2018The Mega Excellent Hypnotherapy Association\u2019.\u00a0 Sometimes however, it\u2019s harder to spot, because these fictional PAs can be created with completely unrelated titles, such as \u2018The International Clinical Hypnosis Association\u2019. \u00a0This can make the school sound more \u2018official\u2019 than it actually is. \u00a0Using the example above, this school could advertise that; \u201cOur training is fully accredited with the ICHA\u201d, and though the \u2018accreditation\u2019 \/ PA is in-house and made up, it is currently perfectly legal for trainers to do this (though it is rather unethical from an advertising \/ professional perspective).\u00a0 So, whilst the training could<\/em> potentially be of good quality, it may also be a case that it is not sufficient to meet the core curriculum and hence a reason for not applying for external recognition.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Validation is a term for a process conducted by academic bodies, by which a course of study leading to a specific title award is approved for delivery.\u00a0 The term can also be used in relation to government standards, previously called the Qualification and Credit Framework and National Qualifications Framework which have now been replaced by the Regulated Qualifications Framework in October 2015.\u00a0 These set out the requirements for different levels of training from level 1 to 8<\/a>.<\/p>\n Two aspects relate to these qualifications: level and size.\u00a0 The level (1-8) indicates the difficulty and complexity of the skills and knowledge required for the qualification.\u00a0 The size relates to the total study time, called the \u2018Total Qualification Time\u2019 (from hours to years) and includes both directly taught (e.g. in a classroom), called \u2018Guided Learning Hours\u2019 and time spent studying or practicing outside of the classroom.\u00a0 Whilst there are currently no set levels relating to hypnotherapy (as hypnotherapy is not a regulated qualification in the UK), it would seem that courses unsupported by theory are more at \u2018entry level\u2019 and those courses with minimal or a little theory tend to be at around level 1 or 2 (O level\/GCSE), whilst those that provide more supporting theoretical background and understanding tend to be at levels 3 (A level) and 4 (Certificate of Higher Education range).<\/p>\n Many PAs and the voluntary regulator (the CNHC, which will be covered shortly) observe the requirements of the Hypnotherapy National Occupational Standards (H.NOS) and the Core Curriculum.\u00a0 The H.NOS were developed by Skills for Health, a government funded organisation, alongside consultations with the hypnotherapy profession (who were consulted prior to and during their development and their subsequent revisions).\u00a0 These standards outline the knowledge, skills and understanding required for an individual to be deemed to be competent to do a job<\/a>.<\/p>\n There is a specific NOS (CNH23) entitled \u2018Provide Hypnotherapy to Clients\u2019 [DOWNLOAD PDF] and two further standards related to therapies providing \u2018complementary and natural healthcare\u2019 (being CNH1 \u2018Explore and establish client needs\u2019 [DOWNLOAD PDF] and CNH2 \u2018Develop and agree plans\u2019 [DOWNLOAD PDF]), together with hypnotherapy \u2018Principles of Good Practice\u2019 [DOWNLOAD PDF<\/a>].<\/p>\n The Core Curriculum [DOWNLOAD PDF<\/a>] outlines what is required, in terms of theoretical knowledge and understanding and practical skills, that a hypnotherapist would need, to meet the standards of the H.NOS. The Core Curriculum is subject to review every few years.\u00a0 It has requirements in terms of theory and practical content, together with means of assessment and both classroom hours (120) and total learning hours (450).<\/p>\n In the UK, some professions are regulated, with a \u2018licence to practice\u2019, such as for doctors, who are required to maintain registration with a regulatory body, the General Medical Council (GMC).\u00a0 The GMC regulate all stages of a doctor\u2019s training and professional development and set standards for doctors\u2019 abilities in relation to scholarly and scientific aspects as well as practitioner and professional responsibilities. They also set standards for \u2018fitness to practice\u2019.\u00a0 However, hypnotherapy is currently not a regulated profession and there is no \u2018licence to practice\u2019 required to work as a hypnotherapist.\u00a0 Whilst hypnotherapy is not subject to \u2018statutory regulation\u2019 is does fall within the CNHC\u2019s voluntary regulation<\/strong> scheme which is overseen by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).<\/p>\n The UK voluntary regulator for hypnotherapy is the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).\u00a0 The CNHC regulates a number of complementary therapies, including reflexology, aromatherapy and indeed, hypnotherapy.\u00a0 To ‘volunteer’ yourself to be regulated by the CNHC, you must already be a member of an appropriate PA (such as the GHR, BIH, FHT, NCH, BHSC, etc.).\u00a0 Whilst the CNHC themselves do not have specialist therapists on staff, they are supported by Profession Specific Boards (PSBs) for each profession that they regulate.\u00a0 These PSBs all have defined roles, terms of reference and membership criteria.\u00a0 Appointment to the PSB is by election, with any registered practitioner (of that profession) eligible to stand for election and to vote. The PSB has several roles:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The CNHC itself is regulated by the PSA, who have several roles; they oversee regulators within the health and social care industry, they review decisions made by these regulators relating to practitioners \u2018fitness to practice, and accredit voluntary registers that meet their standards.\u00a0 Their role is to protect the public and help ensure their health and wellbeing. They are overseen by parliament.<\/p>\n![\"route](\"https:\/\/hypnotc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/road-path-question-confused-man-life.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nProfessional Hypnotherapy Associations<\/h3>\n
![\"nhs](\"https:\/\/hypnotc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/NHS_CHOICES.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"hypnotherapy](\"https:\/\/hypnotc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/weird-door-light-scene.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n\n
Course accreditation \/ self-accreditation<\/h3>\n
![\"choose](\"https:\/\/hypnotc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/question-confused-wondering-thinking.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nValidation<\/h3>\n
The Core Curriculum & H.NOS<\/h3>\n
Regulation and the CNHC<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"professional](\"https:\/\/hypnotc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/psa.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Dr](\"https:\/\/hypnotc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Kate-Circle-for-Blogs-Small-New-2018.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"