I am not a cat - I am a Hypnotherapist: now stick with me on this!  It is a fact I feel I need to point out to you, not because of an extreme case of mistaken identity, but for the sake of clarity. You see George is a cat, and he is a Hypnotherapist; and I mean he’s a real cat, a proper 9 out of 10 who expressed a preference type of cat, a full on ‘Felis Catus’ (no, that is not a made up name!)

Chris Jackson is a BBC reporter who hosts a program called Inside Out in the North East, and he has a cat called George. To my great amusement and horror, Mr Jackson has managed to register George with several industry bodies using a certificate from the non-existent Society of Certified Advanced Mind Therapists. Even though Hypnosis is recognised by the British Medical Association (since the 1950’s) there is no legal requirement for a therapist to belong to a professional association or to have completed a specified course of training. Today a parking warden in Huddersfield can chuck in his job, buy a set of DVDs from the Internet and next week set up shop as a Hypnotherapist. A fact that is scary and makes me extremely mad.

But not for long. Today a whole range of associations and societies regulate Hypnotherapist's.  You could choose someone who is part of the HA, the GHR, the BSMDH or the BSCH or even the HS.  A little while ago The Princes Trust (yes, that is HRH Charlie to you and me) started to pull all branches of complimentary medicine together and bring them to the point where they can join the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council. The CNHC are the only government recognised regulatory body for the complementary health industry, funded by the Dept of Health.  They will even be issuing their own ‘kite mark’ of quality.

Alas, it will only be voluntary for Hypnotherapist's to join. Instead, we have our own set of letters to look after us: the UKCHO and the WGHR (the UK Confederation of Hypnotherapy Organisations and the Working Group for Hypnotherapy Regulation). They are almost in agreement on standards and ethics. Their most recent move is to accept funding from the Princes Trust for a lay Chair, Dr Jenny Gordon of the Royal College of Nursing to sort out the differences.

In my view of the world, we do need a strong regulating body; we also need a licensing process and a minimum set of training standards.  One day soon…

I am a proud member of the Hypnotherapy Association and registered with the UKCHO. I still consider myself a student in human behaviour; I saw my first ever client in 2007, and I still learn from every person I meet.

You can learn more about me by clicking Here

Richard 0208 647 7441 or Email Me Richard.Stone@ModernHypnotherapy.co.uk