How to find a registered hypnotherapist in Australia.

Hypnotherapy in Australia is a self-regulated industry and hypnotherapists are not, by law, required to meet any specific standard of training.  Because of this many people find it difficult to know how to choose a hypnotherapist from the many advertising in their area.

It is the responsibility of professional associations such as the Hypnotherapy Council of Australia as the profession’s peak body, along with its Member Associations to set industry standards. These standards include minimum training, a strict code of ethics, professional supervision, continuing professional development and may other important areas of practice.

If you are going to consult a hypnotherapist, it is in your best interest to make sure that the therapist you choose meets such standards. Therapists who are members of HCA professional associations  have agreed to abide by industry standards and the code of conduct of the association to which they belong as well as those of the peak body, HCA.  Choosing a therapist who is a member of a HCA  member association protects you as a consumer of health services.

These professional associations provide accountability for therapists and serve as an avenue of recourse and arbitration for clients. They also ensure that therapists are professionally qualified and the associations provide ongoing training and professional supervision for members.

Hypnotherapists who are not members of professional associations may not have recognised training or, their training may also be inadequate and may have been provided more for personal development than for professional practice. Many non-qualified hypnotherapists are individuals with an interest in hypnosis, or who may have experienced a trauma and use this as their qualification for helping others. Whilst personal life experiences are relevant, they alone do not qualify an individual for professional practice in hypnotherapy or counselling.

Registered Hypnotherapist : The HCA National Register of Hypnotherapists

Many, if not all HCA member associations provide a list of their members on association websites and such lists are very useful for members of the public specifically seeking a member of a professional association. Until now, there has not been a National Register of Hypnotherapists listing all of these association members available to the the public. The HCA’s National Register of Hypnotherapists is an industry initiative, administered by the industry peak body to help the public, governments and health professionals access a comprehensive register of qualified hypnotherapists throughout the country. This register, established in August 2017 is a work in progress and may take some time to populate in full, but it is open to all members of HCA member associations.

An Authoritative Guide

The HCA National Register of Hypnotherapists provides an authoritative guide to the qualifications and standards of training of practitioners in hypnotherapy. All members listed on the Register have undergone a rigorous application process in which their qualifications, relevant training and supervised experience have been verified as meeting HCA defined standards. It also confirms that they meet the HCA requirements for on-going supervision and professional development, and that they belong to a HCA recognised professional association.

HCA encourages all practitioners to become members of the HCA National Register as a statement about standards and qualifications, and to contribute towards the increasing self-regulation of the profession.

This focus on standards and verification of qualifications distinguishes the HCA Register from most other Association Directories. Association Directories of practitioners that typically serve a different purpose related more to promoting awareness of and marketing of practitioner services. Generally, Association Directories are associated with the training school that set them up and do not serve a regulatory function.

HCA therefore sees individual Association Directories and the HCA National Register of Hypnotherapists as independent and serving different but potentially complementary purposes.

Questions you should ask when seeking treatment from a hypnotherapist

The answers to questions such as the following will help you decide whether your hypnotherapist meets the minimum reasonable industry standards and any hypnotherapist listed on this National Register should be happy to answer them

• Does he/she abide by a national Code of Conduct or Ethics?
• Is he/she a financial member of an HCA Member Association?
• Does he/she receive regular professional supervision?
• What organisation (s) is he/she a member of? Is it a national organization? (A current dated and signed certificate of registration should be displayed).
• What are the practice hours and do you need an appointment?
• How much are sessions and are there any other costs involved?
• How long are normal sessions? (Sessions average between 50 and 90 minutes).
• What happens if the session goes over time?
• Are notes taken? If so, what happens to them?
• What are their qualifications and are they recognised?
• If a hypnotherapist answers no to some of these, they may not meet the minimum industry standards.

Professional, qualified hypnotherapists should not be offended by these or other reasonable questions. Hypnotherapists who do not meet industry standards may try to convince you that there are no standards. It should also be noted that some organisations do not meet with industry minimum standards.