If you're wondering how to become a certified hypnotist, this article might save you a lot of time and money.  There are some common misconceptions about becoming a professional hypnotist that cause people to jump through hoops they don't need to worry about, or that stop them from training in hypnotism at all.

Licensure vs Certification

People often use the terms "licensed" and "certified" interchangeably, but that is a big mistake.  Getting certified is not the same as getting licensed!  Licenses are distributed by state, province, or county departments.  A license shows that you have met the government's criteria for practicing something, while certificates are given out by trainers to show that you have completed a training program.

In most states in the United States, a license is not required for operating a hypnotism practice.  In fact, in most states, you don't even have to be certified; you can just open an office and start seeing clients.  The key is to not do any work with clients that could be considered therapy.  Therapy is a regulated practice, and you need to be a licensed counselor or therapist to provide that service.  Licensing is intended to protect the consumer.

It is up to the individual to determine what the requirements are in their state/province.  If you operate a hypnotism practice in violation of your local laws, and then legal action is taken against you, you cannot defend yourself by saying you didn't know the rules.  It's your responsibility to know.

Why Should You Get Certified?

Before we cover more about how to become a certified hypnotist, let's discuss why you should want to become certified:

1. You owe it to your clients.
   If you're going to do client work, you owe it to the people you are supposed to be helping to have proper training.  Even if you're going to do stage shows, you owe it to the people who volunteer to be in the show to provide a safe environment where you are using proper technique and providing them with a quality hypnosis experience.
2. You owe it to yourself.
   Going through a certification program speeds your learning curve.  That means you get to do the work sooner, and you're probably going to do it better.  If you put it all on yourself to figure out the techniques and methodology just by reading books and watching online videos, there's a good chance you're going to miss something.  You may be able to copy or imitate the techniques and still get a result, but you won't necessarily know what you're really doing, and your path to mastery will be longer.

How to Become a Certified Hypnotist

Finally, let's approach the central issue: how do you actually get certified?

You'll need to find a trainer or Certified Instructor.  There are many, many trainers out there, but they are not all equal.  This is the most challenging aspect of getting certified.  Some only offer in-person training, while others offer online training.  Online training has become much more common since the pandemic, but many trainers don't know how to create quality online training.  It's not as simple as hanging out on a Zoom call.

There are about a dozen different professional organizations for hypnotists, and each one has its own training curriculum.  The amount of hours of training and the cost will vary, sometimes by a lot.  Then, each organization has its own staff of instructors or trainers, and the teaching ability of those individuals is going to vary.  Choosing an instructor is the most crucial aspect of how to become a certified hypnotist. 

People tend to focus on the cost of the program and how long the course takes, and I understand that instinct, but the real cost in time and money is not what you first pay for the program, but how well the program prepares you.  If the program doesn't prepare you, you won't feel ready to see clients or do shows, and then you won't have a way to make your money back.  A lack of confidence in your own hypnotic abilities could lead to taking a whole other training, so that you're spending even more time and money.  Pick the right trainer and the right program the first time so that you can get the skills you need and feel confident in your ability to get results.

Treat the process of choosing a trainer like any other consumer purchase, like buying a car or a house.  Do your due diligence!  If you don't feel comfortable, in any way, then walk away. There are plenty of other trainers out there.  Picking a good trainer and a good program really is the most important part of how to become a certified hypnotist.

If, after reading this, you feel like you want to start exploring hypnotism but aren't ready to commit to a certification program, we offer a non-certification learning program that can help you get started.  For a low monthly subscription, you can access multiple online hypnotism courses and explore different aspects of hypnotism.