Professional Bodies
When choosing a hypnotherapist it can be reassuring to know that they work to certain standards of good practice as a professional, as you will be placing a huge amount of trust in them.
Not all hypnotherapists are members of a professional body, however being a member means a hypnotherapist has met certain requirements set by their member organisation and must abide by a code of ethics and complaints procedure.
All professional bodies differ in their requirements for membership; some require very strict standards for all their members and others provide different categories for their members (e.g. Licentiate Member, Registered Member, Accredited Member). Hypnotherapists who are a member of a professional body will make this clear on their profile.
Accredited Hypnotherapists
Being accredited with a professional body means the individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation. Hypnotherapists who are accredited with their professional body will have the stamp to the left on their profile. To find out more information about accreditation visit the professional bodies’ websites below. Each will have information on their requirements.
Professional bodies include:
- Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (APHP)
Each member of APHP has received thorough training in hypnosis and hypnotherapy, is competent and conscientious, and abides strictly by a code of ethics. There are four grades of membership: Licentiate (LAPHP), Registered Member (MAPHP), Accredited Member (MAPHP(acc.)) and Fellow (FAPHP), with the different categories standing for different levels of training and experience. The Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy is a member organisation of UKCHO (an umbrella body for the hypnotherapy profession in the United Kingdom). - British Society of Clinical Hypnosis (BSCH)
The British Society of Clinical Hypnosis (BSCH) is a national professional body whose aim is to promote and assure high standards in the practice of hypnotherapy. There are various types of membership of BSCH, including associate members, full members, diplomats and fellows. Registration demands good quality training, ethical practice and adherence to a code of conduct. - General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR)
Hypnotherapists may become members of the General Hypnotherapy Register if they satisfy certain criteria with regard to both training and ongoing requirements as determined from time to time by the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC). Members are either registered at Practitioner status (which confirms that the GHR acknowledges their qualification to practice), or Affiliate status. Although Affiliate level registrants will have completed a sufficient number of training hours to equip them to commence seeing clients on a limited basis, the GHR does not acknowledge them to have yet been trained to full practitioner level. All GHR Registered Practitioners are required to accept the published Code of Ethics and Complaints & Disciplinary Procedure. - Hypnotherapy Association (HA)
The Hypnotherapy Association is a leading independent professional body in Britain representing approved hypnotherapists in active practice. All members agree to follow a code of ethics.There are a number of different membership categories, e.g. Associate Member, Licentiate Member, and Full member, with the different categories standing for different levels of training and experience. Hypnotherapy Association is a Registered Member of UKCHO (an umbrella body for the hypnotherapy profession in the United Kingdom). - The National Hypnotherapy Society
The National Hypnotherapy Society acts as the professional body maintaining good standards, both for individual hypnotherapists, and for hypnotherapy trainers. Hypnotherapy Society is an Organisational Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and, as such, is bound by that organisation’s Code of Ethics and Complaints Procedure. There are a number of different membership categories, e.g. Registered Member, Accredited Member, with the different categories standing for different levels of training and experience. - International Association of Pure Hypnoanalysts (IAPH)
All IAPH Members have undergone a certain amount of 'hands - on' training and reached a certain standard of proficiency and experience before they are eligible to join the organisation. This is based around three main areas of competence: firstly, they have successfully passed the Successful Hypnotherapy Diploma Course, secondly, they have undergone a specified amount of hands-on training and experience and thirdly, they have undergone their own training therapy. All IAPH Members are committed to Continuing Professional Development and are bound by a Code of Practice and Ethics. - National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH)
The National Council for Hypnotherapy strives to maintain the highest standards among its members. There are a number of different membership categories, e.g. Licentiate Member, Registered Member, Accredited Member, with the different categories standing for different levels of training and experience. There is an agreed Code of Conduct, an established Complaints & Disciplinary Procedure and all members are obliged to maintain comprehensive Public Liability & Professional Indemnity Insurance. - British National Register of Advanced Hypnotherapists (NRAH)
The British National Register of Advanced Hypnotherapists (NRAH) is an independent organisation not aligned to any one school of thought. There are three levels of the NRAH: Associate, Member (MNRAH) and Fellow (FNRAH), with the different categories standing for different levels of training and experience. The National Register of Advanced Hypnotherapists is a member organisation of UKCHO, and all members must agree to abide by a Code of Ethics and Complaints Procedure. - United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is an umbrella organisation, with over 80 training, or accrediting organisations in membership. Registration with UKCP is obtained through one of their Member Organisations and each practitioner must maintain membership of a Member Organisation to maintain their UKCP Registration. Members must adhere to approved Codes of Ethics and Practice and be accountable to UKCP Complaints and Appeals Procedures.
This list of professional organisations is not exhaustive, and more can be found on our Useful Resources page. Here at Hypnotherapy Directory we recognise the value of being a member of a professional body, and for those of you who are wary about visiting a hypnotherapist we would suggest choosing a hypnotherapist on our site who is a member of a professional body. This way you know they are part of an organisation that offers a code of ethics.
