Introduction

The Society believes that Clinical Hypnotherapy is a distinct profession with clearly recognisable principles of practice and philosophy supported by a distinct body of knowledge.

This body of knowledge is addressed in three key learning areas:

1.      Profession-Specific Subjects including history and philosophy, theories of hypnotherapy, basic understanding of the disease process, counselling skills, human behaviour and development.

2.      Professional Studies including, legal and ethical requirements for practice. Business management, financial management and marketing subjects are optional but recommended for individuals who wish to set up their own private practice.

3.      Clinical Training (Practicum) including 100 hours of face to face hypnotherapy skills and 30 hours face to face counselling skills training.

Educational Requirements

To achieve Professional Membership of the Society an individual will need to have completed either a government accredited diploma level qualification in hypnotherapy OR completed a non-accredited programme of at least 450 hours that addresses the three key learning areas described above. The training programme must include at least 100 hours of face to face teaching (Hypnotherapy) plus 30 hours of face to face teaching (Counselling) to ensure the development of the required expertise.

Hypnotherapy Topics – 350 hours total

• History of hypnotic approaches
• Myths and misconceptions of hypnosis
• Specific theories for hypnotic phenomena
• Assessment of hypnotisability
• Contexts of hypnosis and hypnotherapy
• Human suggestibility
• The mind and how it works – conscious and unconscious processes
• Induction techniques (for adult and child subjects)
• Deepening techniques
• Structuring suggestions
• Hypnotic communication
• Indications for hypnosis and hypnotherapy
• Contraindications for hypnosis and hypnotherapy
• Limitations, complications and adverse effects
• Therapeutic implications of the hypnotic state
• Symptom removal
• Imagery techniques
• Self-hypnosis
• Hypnosis in the behavioural therapies
• Hypnosis in the psychodynamic therapies
• Specific techniques (e.g. of Hilgard, Spiegel, Erickson, Yapko, etc)
• Spontaneous trance-states
• Symptom remission
• Relaxation and methods of diversion of attention

The Society recommends Tranceworks – 3rd edition by Dr. Michael Yapko as a foundation text

Counselling Topics – 100 hours total

• The counselling relationship
• Ethical and professional issues related to professional practice
• Multicultural issues in counselling 
• Gender issues in counselling
• Developmental/lifespan issues in counselling.
• Attending skills and behaviour - empathic listening
• Use of questions and language - opening communication - timing in therapy
• Observation skills - individual styles and perception
• Encouraging, paraphrasing and summarising - reflection of clients' feelings
• Structuring the counselling process - establishing rapport - gathering information and defining the problem - determining goals - exploring alternatives
• Use of confrontation
• Working with grief and loss
• Eliciting and reflecting meaning
• Exploring clients' values and beliefs
• Interpersonal influencing skills and strategies (interpretation, feedback, advice, self-disclosure, directives)

The Society recommends Basic Personal Counselling - 5th ed by David Geldard and Kathryn Geldard.

Application Forms

Download a membership application here

A.S.C.H. Application for Membership (564 KB)

Download the application process here

Application Process (342 KB)