03/09/2026
What people are calling hypnotherapy now… often isn’t hypnosis at all.
Anyone who has followed my work for a while will know this is something I care deeply about.
I have been in this industry for 30 years. I have watched the standards change slowly, then quickly, and now dramatically.
The word hypnotherapist used to mean something very specific. It meant someone who had invested serious time learning altered states, suggestion, psychology, ethics, and client safety. It meant someone who understood how to induce hypnosis properly, how to manage abreactions, how to structure change work, and how to take responsibility for the person sitting in front of them.
Now the label is being handed out after five day courses.
Five days.
In that time you can barely begin to understand induction depth, let alone learn how to safely work with a human mind.
Yet people walk away with a certificate and are told they are ready to work with trauma, anxiety, addiction, phobias, and complex psychological issues.
It is extraordinary.
And honestly, it is embarrassing.
Not embarrassing for the students, most of them are well intentioned and genuinely want to help people.
It is embarrassing for the industry.
Because the public assume we are all trained to the same standard. They do not know the difference between someone who has studied the craft deeply and someone who has completed a long weekend certification.
So when a poorly trained practitioner gets poor results, or worse, harms someone, it reflects on all of us.
The truth is that hypnosis is a powerful tool. When it is done well, it can change lives remarkably quickly. When it is done badly, it becomes little more than guided relaxation.
And that difference comes down to training.
Thirty years in this field has taught me something very simple.
Standards matter.