The ASCH 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, which include: history and philosophy, theories of hypnotherapy, basic understanding of the disease process, counselling skills, human behaviour and development.
2. Professional studies, which include 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), which includes hypnotherapy skills and counselling skills.

Minimum hours of training from 1 January 2025 are 1,000.

Requirements for professional membership

To achieve professional membership of the ASCH, which includes Registered Professional (health fund provider status), Professional and Intern Professional memberships, you need to have completed an accredited diploma in hypnotherapy at a school whose curriculum has been evaluated by the ASCH. See the list of approved schools at https://www.asch.com.au/approved-courses/.  The training must include face-to-face teaching in hypnotherapy and counselling to ensure the development of the required expertise.

Minimum formal training or educational requirements are 1,000 hours of training as of January 2025. The 1,000 hours must include the following:

• Face-to-face and online training
• Supervision and mentoring throughout training
• Clinic hours
• Main subjects covered are:
  • • Work within a hypnotic framework
    • Evaluate services to be provided
    • Provide therapeutic treatment for a client under hypnosis
    • Engage with health professionals and the health system
    • Deal with abreactions when hypnotising a client
    • Work legally and ethically
    • Reflect on and improve own professional practice
    • Facilitate the counselling relationship and process
    • Hypnotic design (Ericksonian/Analytical)
    • Training in suggestion design, stories and metaphor design
    • Design and development of a treatment plan
    • Study and review of textbook and course material
    • Assignment work that demonstrates competency in hypnosis with some counselling skills
    • Recommended reading to completion
    • Assessment preparation and completion
    • Tutorial preparation
    • Study and reading
• The training usually takes 12 to 24 months and can result in a diploma or an advanced diploma, as long as the requirements have been met.

Course recognition criteria for purposes of the above

The ASCH’s Education Officer evaluates all schools of hypnotherapy who wish to be recognised by the ASCH. To be recognised and approved, a school’s training program must:

• Cover the above subjects and develop the required skills to demonstrate competency – a minimum of 1,000 hours.
• Take between 12 and 18 months to complete.
• Be delivered by trainers who are suitably qualified in hypnotherapy and who possess Training and Assessment qualifications (TAE).