If you are interested in becoming a practicing hypnotist, on stage or in the clinic, you are going to need some training! There are generally two types of training, correspondence courses and classroom tuition. With a subject such as hypnosis, the practical element is very important so naturally classroom tuition is preferable to distance learning. However, distance learning does come much cheaper, it is easier to fit in with your lifestyle and commitments and, if you are committed to learn, you will gain a great deal from the courses provided.
Successful completion of a distance learning course will gain you a certificate and letters that you are able to use after your name. But it will not have the prestige of classroom tuition and other hypnotists, and indeed potential clients, may not be impressed.
If you are very serious about hypnosis and would like to open a professional practice as a therapist then classroom tuition is really your only option. You may also like to enroll on a psychology or counseling course. If you are interested in becoming a stage hypnotist or would like to use hypnosis as a hobby rather than becoming a professional therapist then a correspondence course will save you a lot of money.
Of course there is a third option, if you are simply interested in learning hypnosis, and are not too concerned with certificates and letters after your name you can opt to purchase a cheaper course of study that is simply designed to educate, but offers no certificate upon completion.
Depending on your level of training required you can expect to pay in the region of $20-$50 for study materials that offer no qualification or recognition. Around $100-$200 for a correspondence course and upward of $1500 for classroom tuition. If you decide to take the professional route of classroom study be sure to check out the school before hand! Make sure they are accredited to a recognized hypnotherapy organization in your country and check what support they offer once you graduate.
Below are a list of possible courses of study. If you are just starting out in hypnosis it would be beneficial to purchase a less expensive e-book course that will give you a good understanding of the subject before going onto to classroom tuition. Your prior knowledge gained from spending around $20 will allow you to focus on the more complicated and advanced sections of the classroom study, enabling you to gain much more from your course.
The quickest way to learn hypnosis is through online e-book courses. These are much cheaper than professional tuition and will provide a workable foundation upon which to expand your knowledge. These guides can usually be downloaded so you will be able to begin immediately. Learning hypnosis using this system will give you the opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of the subject at a fraction of the cost.
After studying hypnosis using downloadable tuition guides, such as e-books and email courses, many people realise that they no longer require the professional tuition that they initially thought they would need. Hypnosis is surprisingly easy to learn, and you too may find that upon completion of the download courses your knowledge of hypnosis will suffice your needs. Once you have developed the ability to hypnotise with confidence you will find that your greatest teacher will be your subject. Each session will expand your hypnotic ability and the more you are able to practise the faster you will learn.
I am currently putting an e-book together called 'Making hypnosis simple' that is ideal for this purpose, if you would like details via email when this is ready for distribution please contact me at simple@inducingtrance.com I do have a hypnosis guide available now if you would like to get started immediately, you can view more information about this guide at http://www.inducingtrance.com this guide is primarily geared toward stage hypnosis, however the inductions techniques used work equally well for therapeutic work.
If you live in the US you will no doubt have noticed the huge number of options available to you if you wish to develop a career in hypnosis. However, here in the UK things are a little different! To help those in the UK find suitable training I have included a selection of courses below. These include classroom and correspondence tuition. This list is by no means extensive and if you know of a course that you feel should be added, please send full details to courses@inducingtrance.com
The Essex Institute of Clinical Hypnosis
(Classroom tuition or distance learning options available)
Accredited hypnosis and hypnotherapy training in the UK from the well
respected Terrance Watts.
http://www.eich.co.uk/
The Proudfoot School of Clinical Hypnosis & Hypnotherapy
(Classroom tuition)
Accredited hypnosis, hypnotherapy and NLP training based in Scarborough under
the guidance of Wilfred Proudfoot.
http://www.proudfoothypnosis.com
Central England Holistic Therapies & College of Clinical Hypnosis
(Classroom tuition)
Located in Birmingham and offering accredited year long courses with flexible
starting dates.
http://www.cecch.com/
Washington School of Hypnosis
(Classroom tuition)
The oddly named 'Washington' school is based in Manchester and offers accredited
NLP and hypnosis courses run by Dr. Shaun Brookhouse.
http://www.hypno-nlp.com/page1a.htm
The British School of Yoga
(Correspondence course with option to attend a class)
The BSY group offer numerous Hypnosis related courses with no time pressures to
complete; providing a more affordable alternative that fits in with daily
commitments!
http://www.bsygroup.co.uk/