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Can anyone become a Hypnotist/therapists?
Can anyone become a hypnotist/therapist?
Taking aside the ongoing views and discussion about regulation and training, do you think from a purely personality point of view that anyone can become a hypnotist/therapists.
Is there a hypnosis/therapy gene; despite our differences are their similarities in characteristics, traits and personality that are consistent with all successful practitioners?
Can these all be taught or are some genetic, a part of our make up the essence of who we are and therefore un-teachable?
So my question is although anyone can learn academically all the theories and practice with other like minded trainees within the training environment to be hypnotists/therapists can anyone then go on to be successful as a practitioner with that training or does personality have a greater impact and is then the ingredient that defines success in practice?
What do you think? Smiles Nath
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jill Semonin PhD- CHt on -
I honestly do not think genetics has anything to do with it, other than already being accustomed to it if raised around it would be like a head start.
I do feel that absolutely anyone, with the right training and practice is all it takes for anyone to become a good hypnotist. This doesn't happen over night. However: there should be an inner drive inside to want it enough. It takes a lot of dedication and practice as well as constant learning to really become good at it.
As with most careers, it's a never ending learning process, that just helps one get better and better as they go.
Just my two cents... lol
Jill
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Permalink Reply by Justin James on -
Well you know most of us can learn to play Basketball or Golf however ther is a huge difference between a weekend warrior and a pro.
As for clinical hypnosis, you must have an innate desire to be of service... Personality wise if you look at many in the counseling professions you will find certain personality traits that make them suited to the field.
On the other hand A good Stage hypnotist has a much different personality profile.
Speaking of Stage hypnotists in many cases you have just like in any other art you "American Idol Rejects" these people come with the best intentions and great enthusiasm but no natural talent, presence or personality for the stage..
Beyond all of that Nathan, you have got to have a very entrepreneurial spirit to be a professional in this field as there are no safety nets for the self employed and for many, that simple step is the hardest to take.
With Regards,
Justin James
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Permalink Reply by Kathleen Hanover on
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Hi Nath,
Of course, I haven't had a statistically significant sample to work with, but I've been involved in self-improvement and therapeutic work for about 15 years, so I've encountered a variety of personalities in that general realm.
Looking back over those 15 years, the most effective helping professionals do seem to share the following characteristics--some of which may be personality-influenced...
Great therapists are great, self-actualized people.
They're kind, considerate, punctual, respectful, responsible....and just plain nice. They're generally happy and lead enjoyable, balanced lives.
Great therapists have done the work themselves, first.
Great therapists have dealt with their own issues, so there's no need or temptation for them to get their emotional needs met by their clients. This one thing makes it far less likely that a practitioner would have issues with counter-transference or codependency.
Great therapists are scrupulously ethical, have high personal integrity, and strong personal boundaries.
Ethical practitioners recognize their own human natures and weaknesses, and have the integrity to do the right thing, no matter how appealing the wrong thing may seem at the time.
They are intellectually curious.
Great therapists are driven to expand their knowledge base and training. They question themselves, their clients, orthodoxy, and the status quo in a quest to learn more. They like being exposed to different viewpoints, even if they disagree with them.
Great therapists are highly analytical.
They like figuring things out. They are good at pattern recognition in both themselves, and their clients. They can identify cause-and-effect, and can also rule out immaterial information.
Great therapists are emotionally well-rounded.
They've had enough life experience of their own to be able to relate to and understand their clients' experiences. They have experienced love, joy, sorrow, loss, and a broad range of emotions in between. They can feel empathy.
Great therapists are "people" people.
I'm probably too introverted to be a great therapist. The best ones truly enjoy people. They enjoy relating to other people and have good interpersonal communication skills.
Great therapists are optimistic.
They believe people can change and evolve. They sincerely believe things can get better, and people can overcome trauma and tragedy. They have an almost Pollyanna-ish belief in the basic goodness of people, and think that even the most hardcore, screwed-up, criminal mind is redeemable.
Great therapists have a highly evolved therapeutic/psychological skill set.
Some people are born to be therapists. They have an innate understanding of how people work. Others learn through experience, observation, or academic pursuits (or ideally, all of these.) However they've arrived at it, great therapists understand the mechanics of human psychology, the mind/body connection and interpersonal relationships.
Great therapists are superior communicators.
They understand visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and can adapt their own patterns to create rapport with their clients. They think with precision, so they can communicate with precision. They are observant. They're able to adapt their communication patterns to clients of different backgrounds, ages, genders, etc.
I'm sure others can add to this list, but that's how I see it as a client.
Hope this helps,
Kathleen
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Permalink Reply by Richard Clark MFT on
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Hi Nathan,
Absolutely anyone at all can be a professional hypnotist as long as they have 2 things.
1. A cumfy chair.
2. A pocket watch (this is actually optional).
Now that doesn't mean just any old one should be a professional hypnotist.
What I think is a problem at times is that someone that shouldn't be a hypnotist realizes they have a cumfy chair and they can make $100/hr if they just find an old pocket watch someplace.
Richard
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Permalink Reply by Alonzo Cavazos, Ed.D., LCSW, LPC on -
@Richard:
Academic institutions, like social work, counseling, psychology, really don't have adequate screening procedures. I suspect that the same is true for hypnosis credentialing entities. If we can acknowledge this systemic problem, then anyone can find a way to claim "professionalism".
Alonzo
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@Alonzo
Yes, I agree. The point was really that NO certification or credentialing is required to be a professional hypnotist/hypnotherapist in most jurisdictions.
And although screening is less then perfect, no school of SW or PSY would admit a registered sex offender or other serious felon. I'm not sure all hypnosis credentialing entities provide the same diligence in background checks. I had to be fingerprinted prior to admission to my program.
Richard
Alonzo Cavazos said:@Richard:
Academic institutions, like social work, counseling, psychology, really don't have adequate screening procedures. I suspect that the same is true for hypnosis credentialing entities. If we can acknowledge this systemic problem, then anyone can find a way to claim "professionalism".
Alonzo
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Permalink Reply by Richard Nongard - NLPBoard.com on -
ICBCH requires a photo ID to verify identity AND a sworn statement of criminal background. This has been the ICBCH standard for 5 years. Of course there is no way for ICBCH or any university to actually verify this (the USA system does not provide this in a usable format in many cases) but what it does do, should somebody lie; is give us a reason for de-certifying a person, absent any other way. Just like Al Capone went to jail for tax evasion not murder, and martha stewart for lieing to investigators NOT insider trading, by asking, it gives us a way of dealing with fraud in addition to any complaint.
I would also suspect it acts as a deterrent to a would be criminal from joining our group.
Lately we have also taken to google searches of applicants, which depending on the name, may or may not yield interesting results.
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Permalink Reply by Richard Nongard - NLPBoard.com on
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But I don't think this thread is really a credentialing question. That one has been beaten like a dead horse.
The OP, I think, was really asking if it is nurture or nature. Is a hypnotist a good hypnotist because he is trained, or because of some inner qualities.
I would have to say the answer is both.
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Permalink Reply by Graham Old on -
Kathleen,
That was an excellent response. However, the part that I've quoted below is - I believe - fairly debateable.
Research that I'm aware of is pretty much divided 50/50.
Kathleen Hanover said:Great therapists are "people" people.
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Hi Graham,
I'm just reporting my perceptions, based on 15 years of gathering completely anecdotal evidence. :) No actual research was involved in forming my opinions.
But that's an interesting and counter-intuitive factoid....
Kathleen
Graham Old said:
Kathleen,
That was an excellent response. However, the part that I've quoted below is - I believe - fairly debateable.
Research that I'm aware of is pretty much divided 50/50.
Kathleen Hanover said:Great therapists are "people" people.
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Permalink Reply by Aino / Akpolarmom on -
Wow Kathleen, a great collection of traits, we should all be striving to live up to no matter what we choose to do in life.
I must say that we have doctors who are great clinical practitioners, but their bedside manners are sorely lacking, just like we have hypnotists that know how to hypnotize and help people, but they are not very likable or personable. I do not think you can teach those kind of skills. They may be able to fake some semblance of, empathy interest in client etc etc but would most likely come across very incongruent, so did it actually get 'taught'.
Why some one would want to be in the field that is so based on trust, and a connection between the client and therapist, if they don't have that drive and spirit with in them. I think as far as being "successful' they would have a hard time. Would it make sense to open a day care if one did not like kids? That being said... there are, I am sure, lots of great hypnotists not successful because they are too personable etc and can't get the business side in the right grove...lol
Thanks for posting the question good food for thought!
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Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on -
Great question-- I believe it is a matter of nature and nurture in that any one can be a mediocre hypnotist or therapist - Many can be competent hypnotists or therapists. Many can be excellent hypnotists and therapists... The greats are few and far between.
Nongard suggests that newly certified hypnotists become hypnotic and I tell newly certified hypnotists that the state of the art is inside of them and not their models and related techniques. I believe that Richard and I are both saying the same thing in different ways. Some people are naturally hypnotic or therapeutic and others can develop their inner-hypnotist or inner-therapist enough to develop into competent and effective hypnotists or therapists.
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