By Cal Banyan, MA, BCH, FNGH, MCPHI

In one of my talks this month at the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), one of the members of the audience used the label of “Lay Hypnotist” to describe unlicensed hypnosis professionals, and I want to say that I completely reject that label, and I hope you will be convinced to do the same. 

Certainly there are “lay hypnotists”.  These individuals are not professionals and would include a group individuals made up primarily of hobbyists, who casually study hypnosis out of personal interest, but have not received any significant professional training. The term “lay hypnotist” applies to these individuals, because the term “lay” means untrained.

Here is when I reject the label, when the term is most commonly used by other professionals (doctors, psychologists, etc.), it is not used to describe those untrained hobbyists, rather, the term has is misused and regularly applied to professionals like myself who have undergone hundreds of hours of professional training.  It is completely in appropriate and misleading to use that label to describe me and those like myself, who in many cases have undergone significantly more training in hypnosis, than almost any doctor, psychologist, and so on who practice hypnosis. 

They completely misuse the word “lay” wanting it to mean, unlicensed, rather than untrained.  Certainly, those who have undergone significant professional training, and have an ongoing professional practice of hypnotism, even though there state government does not require that they be licensed, are professionals.  I suggest that there are many psychologists, psychologists, and physicians out there, who are medically licensed, who are far better described as “lay hypnotists” than are those of us who are professionally trained in the profession and use hypnosis to help others through the legal practices of hypnosis across the country and around the world (but are not licensed in psychology or medicine).  A careful look at the issue and the fair-minded individual will find that doctors and such will willingly take a weekend class in hypnotism, or read a series of books on the subject and eagerly call themselves pros on the subject and call others such as myself “lay hypnotists.”

Unlicensed does not mean unprofessional, nor does it mean, untrained.  I suggest that these medical and psychology professionals take a look at the laws of their own states, and they will see that the need for licensing certain professions (such as medicine) is done to protect the public from what their government sees as a dangerous practice.  The practice of medicine is dangerous.  Hundreds, if not thousands of people die every year from poorly practiced medicine.   And, since this is not the case with the practice of hypnotism, there is no need for the licensing of the profession.  No one has ever died because of the work done with a hypnosis professional, period.

I am a hypnosis professional.  I have had professional training in the practice of hypnotism.  That training is ongoing, because of my own interest in the subject, and the annual requirement by the NGH for such training to remain certified.  If you have done as I have then you are also a hypnosis professional, particularly if you are providing services to the public based on that training and experience.

So, you do not need to be a doctor or psychologist, etc. to be (or become) a hypnosis professional.  Since hypnosis is most appropriately used to help normal everyday people with normal everyday problems, being licensed as a psychologist or physician is simply not an issue.

Furthermore, such licensure does not in any way determine the quality of hypnosis or hypnotherapy that a particular client will experience, or the outcome that they can expect from such services. This is because there is no licensed profession (medical or psychological) in which hypnotherapy or hypnosis training is provided as a regular part of their education (some colleges may have some course with hypnosis, but they are not usually required). In fact, many such professionals have had to seek training outside of their own licensed profession from the very people that they label “lay hypnotists” if they want to become trained in hypnotic techniques, especially if they want the best and most up to date techniques.   I know this is true because I have had many such professionals go through both our NGH Hypnotherapy Certification Course and our Advanced Hypnotherapy Training Course at the Banyan Hypnosis Center for Training & Services, Inc.

So to summarize; the idea of calling non-licensed hypnosis professionals, “lay hypnotists” should be considered a statement made out of ignorance. I for one have studied hypnosis and hypnotherapy extensively, and have received certification from the NGH as a Hypnotherapist, a Board Certified Hypnotherapist, and also carry the title of Fellow of the National Guild of Hypnotists. Although I am not licensed, I also have a BS and MA in Psychology. I have written books and taught on the subject for years now. Should I accept the label of “lay” hypnotist? Should any professional hypnotist or hypnotherapist? Not if they have taken up serious study of the subject and have been properly certified by a respectable organization.

Let me extend this one step farther if I may; in my opinion, if ignorance of the proper usage of the word “lay” is not at issue (meaning that they have another reason for applying the misuse of the label), then applying the label to professional hypnotists may be designed solely to make themselves appear superior, in the eyes of the public, to those who are true professionals in the field of hypnotism.

With that I once again say that it is time for hypnosis professionals (licensed and unlicensed) to wholeheartedly reject this demeaning, and misleading use of the term “lay hypnotist” when referring to properly trained professionals, and proudly state the truth, we are a true and separate profession.  Wake up!  We have been so for quite some time now.