Hypnotists or Hypnotherapist, Hypnotism or Hypnotherapy, and Hypnosis Credentials Explained

By Cal Banyan, MA, BCH, FNGH, MCPHI

A great deal has changed since I entered this profession, and at the same time, it all pretty stayed the same. Are you confused yet? Most people are when it comes to understanding some of the most important terms used in the profession of hypnotism, not to mention some of the credentials that are “floating around” out there.

After years of training as a "talk therapist" and then spending more years working as a psychotherapist I decided to become a full time "hypnotherapist." My life has become much more satisfying since I made that change. However, now things are not quite as simple as they were when I was called a psychotherapist. Sometimes I am now called a "Hypnotherapist" and sometimes I am called a "hypnotist" and sometimes (more recently) I am even called a "Consulting Hypnotist." So what am I really? Well, the common denominator of all these titles is hypnotism. And, the truth is the difference between these three titles is non-existent, at least with regard to what I do, and has much more to do with the legal environment in which the hypnosis professional practices than anything else.

In some states such as California, the title "Hypnotherapist" is most popular. I always liked the name, but not everyone in the profession can use it. Because of certain political and legal environments the term "therapist" may have been legally protected and as such only be used by certain professions. So, hypnosis professionals practicing hypnotism in those places need to use a term a title like "Hypnotist" or "Consulting Hypnotist" but the title really does not indicate a difference in what they do or the kind of training that they have received.

When choosing a hypnosis professional to work with, it is far more important that you pay attention to their qualifications and affiliations that what they call themselves (same goes for schools and trainers of hypnotism for that matter). I place my confidence in the world’s oldest and largest hypnosis organization in the USA, the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH). Rather than looking for a specific title, i.e., Hypnotherapist or simply Hypnotist, I suggest that you look for the following credentials, Certified Hypnotherapist, or Certified Hypnotist represented by the initials "CH" which the NGH uses to designate that the individual has, at a very minimum completed their course, or a course that they have approved, and adheres to their ethical standards.

This is important because the NGH is very active in constantly improving standards of for the profession, both in training and in ethics. I can attest to this because I am on the NGH Advisory Board, a Certified Instructor with the NGH and on the NGH Ethics Committee. No other organization does more for the ongoing development of the profession of professional hypnotism.

The next credential that you should look for is Board Certified Hypnotist (BCH). When one is an NGH BCH then he or she has gone far beyond the NGH standards for certification and served in the profession for a significant period of time, has kept the standards of ethical behavior, pasted further examinations, both written and oral, as well as written at least one article which is reviewed and deemed to meeting publication standards.

Some credentials show that the hypnosis professional has sought out advanced training in the profession, such as when someone is trained, tested and certified through our State Registered School, here in Tustin, California. An example of that kind of training is our 5-PATH® Certification. Hypnosis professionals who have this designation have gone far beyond the basics and have been trained and certified to work using advanced techniques for a wide variety of issues. When someone with that designation has mastered those skills he or she is among the top 1% of hypnosis professionals in the world.

So do not be confused about the titles of Hypnotherapist, Hypnotist, or Consulting Hypnotist. The most up to date title in use now by the NGH is "Consulting Hypnotist" and the most important credentials are "CH" and "BCH".

Short list of credentials that you may come across are:

FNGH, Fellow of the National Guild of Hypnotists
DNGH, Diplomat of the National Guild of Hypnotists
CI, Certified Instructor of the National Guild of Hypnotists
5-PATH®, Recipient of training in Five-Phased Advanced Transformational Hypnosis
CPHI, Certified Professional Hypnosis Instructor (able to train 5-PATH® hypnotists)
MCPHI, Master Certified Professional Hypnosis Instructor (able to train and certify CPHI's)

All of these titles indicate that the CH has undergone additional training in the profession.

To learn more about the NGH go to their website at www.NGH.net. To learn more about 5-PATH® go to the association site at www.5-PATH.com. To learn more about becoming a hypnosis professional, or how to receive advanced training in the profession, visit www.HypnosisCenter.com or call our office at (800) 965-3390 or (714) 258-8380.