Hypnotists that are also PhDs

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Roy Hunter on November 25, 2009 at 10:30am

Hi Gil,

It is downright scary to think that someone could "buy" a doctorate degree for only $8.00.

Best wishes on your upcoming trip.

Roy

GIL BOYNE said:

Hello Hugh, Congratulations are in order! You have the courage to tell it like it really is. I bought a Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy Degree for $ 8 USD (using a ficticious name) from an ad on Ebay. I show it to those in my classes to point out the facts of life.

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Permalink Reply by Henxy on November 25, 2009 at 10:38am

Hi James,

I have been allocated mentor for 4 psychology graduates who are learning hypnosis... All very positive so far!

James Hazlerig said:

Don,

Can you comment on how a psychology student interested in hypnosis would be received in the current day?

Thanks,

James

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Permalink Reply by Don Gibbons, Ph.D. on November 25, 2009 at 12:20pm

Henxy said:

Hi James,

I have been allocated mentor for 4 psychology graduates who are learning hypnosis... All very positive so far!

James Hazlerig said:

Don,

Can you comment on how a psychology student interested in hypnosis would be received in the current day?

Thanks,

James

Henxy and James,

After the late Ernest Hilgard founded the Division of Psychological Hypnosis in the American Psychological Association, things began to change, but it took a while. Behaviorists still can't explain hypnosis, but at least they're willing to tolerate its existence. Today, there are some strong research centers, like the State Univerisity of NY at Binghamton, where they have several graduate students working under the direction of Steven Lynn (and bringing in grant money)!

More recently, the main point of division seems to be between the "Establishment" societies (the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis) and the others. The two that I mentioned initially had codes of ethics which would expel any member who presents at meetings of "lay" hypnotists (i.e., those who do not have degrees in medicine, dentistry, or psychology, or are enrolled in an approved graduate program, or are interns in one), or who presumes to teach hypnosis to said "laypeople." More recently, however, their position has softened a bit to accept psychiatric social workers and maybe a few others here and there, lest they form their own societies.

Henxy, you're fortunate to have broken through -- at least temporarily. (You're in the U.K., aren't you? That probably makes a diffrerence.) I have a friend with a doctorate in music (D.M.A.), who teaches English part-time at the college level and has been active in hypnosis for a while. He had a hypnosis course approved -- until he got a call from the Dean, which began, "Have you ever heard of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis?" He knew what was coming. The course was dropped.

So far, there has been no discussion of blogging or discussing hypnotic subjects on Internet postings in their codes of ethics. That would be a hard one to enforce, because anyone can subscribe to the journals of these societies, and anyone can read books published by their members -- so how can you prevent Internet publishing?

Come to think of it, isn't it unethical to try to tell a person which meetings they can attend, and whom they can and cannot associate with?

Don

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Permalink Reply by Hugh Cole on November 25, 2009 at 12:39pm

Thank you Don for being so forthright and straight forward about this. I hope we all understand the fine line you walk when you openly participate in our discussion groups and share your vast storehouse of knowledge and experience. I mourn the fact that we can't have you at the Hypnosummit, but I understand the underlying cause. Love your blog and highly recommend your books. keep up the good work.

Hugh Cole
The Pretty Goodest Hypnotist on the Planet.

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Permalink Reply by Roy Hunter on November 25, 2009 at 2:39pm

I believe the hypnotherapy profession in the U.K. is more advanced that we are in the United States. In June of 2006 I presented a two-day masterclass on parts therapy at the London College of Clinical Hypnosis.

In the USA the ASCH would probably consider me a "lay hypnotist" even though many hypnosis schools around the world use one or more of my books for their students. However, the participants at my presentation at the LCCH included a number of psychologists and psychotherapists, a psychiatrist, and several hypnotherapists. It was cosponsored by both Crown House Publishing and the British Medical Hypnosis Association.

Prior to the workshop, my article on parts therapy was published in the European Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. I've also been published in the Australian Journal of Clinical Hypnosis.

It is my hope that we can build more bridges between the professional artists of hypnosis and mainstream healthcare.

Roy Hunter, M.S., FAPHP
Author: THE ART OF HYPNOTHERAPY and other books
www.royhunter.com
Don Gibbons, Ph.D. said:

Henxy said:

Hi James,

I have been allocated mentor for 4 psychology graduates who are learning hypnosis... All very positive so far!

James Hazlerig said:

Don,

Can you comment on how a psychology student interested in hypnosis would be received in the current day?

Thanks,

James

Henxy and James,

After the late Ernest Hilgard founded the Division of Psychological Hypnosis in the American Psychological Association, things began to change, but it took a while. Behaviorists still can't explain hypnosis, but at least they're willing to tolerate its existence. Today, there are some strong research centers, like the State Univerisity of NY at Binghamton, where they have several graduate students working under the direction of Steven Lynn (and bringing in grant money)!

More recently, the main point of division seems to be between the "Establishment" societies (the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis) and the others. The two that I mentioned initially had codes of ethics which would expel any member who presents at meetings of "lay" hypnotists (i.e., those who do not have degrees in medicine, dentistry, or psychology, or are enrolled in an approved graduate program, or are interns in one), or who presumes to teach hypnosis to said "laypeople." More recently, however, their position has softened a bit to accept psychiatric social workers and maybe a few others here and there, lest they form their own societies.

Henxy, you're fortunate to have broken through -- at least temporarily. (You're in the U.K., aren't you? That probably makes a diffrerence.) I have a friend with a doctorate in music (D.M.A.), who teaches English part-time at the college level and has been active in hypnosis for a while. He had a hypnosis course approved -- until he got a call from the Dean, which began, "Have you ever heard of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis?" He knew what was coming. The course was dropped.

So far, there has been no discussion of blogging or discussing hypnotic subjects on Internet postings in their codes of ethics. That would be a hard one to enforce, because anyone can subscribe to the journals of these societies, and anyone can read books published by their members -- so how can you prevent Internet publishing?

Come to think of it, isn't it unethical to try to tell a person which meetings they can attend, and whom they can and cannot associate with?

Don

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Permalink Reply by James Hazlerig on November 25, 2009 at 7:51pm

Thank you so much, Don, for sharing your knowledge and insight with us.

James

Don Gibbons, Ph.D. said:

Henxy said:

Hi James,

I have been allocated mentor for 4 psychology graduates who are learning hypnosis... All very positive so far!

James Hazlerig said:

Don,

Can you comment on how a psychology student interested in hypnosis would be received in the current day?

Thanks,

James

Henxy and James,

After the late Ernest Hilgard founded the Division of Psychological Hypnosis in the American Psychological Association, things began to change, but it took a while. Behaviorists still can't explain hypnosis, but at least they're willing to tolerate its existence. Today, there are some strong research centers, like the State Univerisity of NY at Binghamton, where they have several graduate students working under the direction of Steven Lynn (and bringing in grant money)!

More recently, the main point of division seems to be between the "Establishment" societies (the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis) and the others. The two that I mentioned initially had codes of ethics which would expel any member who presents at meetings of "lay" hypnotists (i.e., those who do not have degrees in medicine, dentistry, or psychology, or are enrolled in an approved graduate program, or are interns in one), or who presumes to teach hypnosis to said "laypeople." More recently, however, their position has softened a bit to accept psychiatric social workers and maybe a few others here and there, lest they form their own societies.

Henxy, you're fortunate to have broken through -- at least temporarily. (You're in the U.K., aren't you? That probably makes a diffrerence.) I have a friend with a doctorate in music (D.M.A.), who teaches English part-time at the college level and has been active in hypnosis for a while. He had a hypnosis course approved -- until he got a call from the Dean, which began, "Have you ever heard of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis?" He knew what was coming. The course was dropped.

So far, there has been no discussion of blogging or discussing hypnotic subjects on Internet postings in their codes of ethics. That would be a hard one to enforce, because anyone can subscribe to the journals of these societies, and anyone can read books published by their members -- so how can you prevent Internet publishing?

Come to think of it, isn't it unethical to try to tell a person which meetings they can attend, and whom they can and cannot associate with?

Don

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Permalink Reply by Brian Sanders, MS, CH on November 26, 2009 at 12:04am

Not a PhD, but I'm currently working on a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) in Music Education at Boston University.

Conrad Cook said:

John R. Brochu said:

It seems that our industry is not immune to the fabulous fakes that are misrepresenting themselves to their clients and the world.

So it should be a good business, if you can break into it.

In truth, I'm pretty ambivalent about *legitimate* degrees -- having known a few Ph.D.s who didn't have all that good judgement, and so on.

But you can't make assumptions either way. There was a guy online whose Ph.D. I assumed was fake, but it turned out to be legit. In psychology, no less. Still kind of a jerk, though.

Conrad.

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Permalink Reply by GIL BOYNE on November 26, 2009 at 4:05am

GAO-03-269R Purchases of Degrees from Diploma Mills
United States General Accounting Office
Washington, DC 20548
November 21, 2002
The Honorable Susan M. Collins
Ranking Minority Member
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Committee on Governmental Affairs
United States Senate
Subject: Purchases of Degrees from Diploma Mills
Dear Senator Collins:
This report responds to your request that we investigate issues concerning the
proliferation of diploma mills, which sell bogus academic degrees based upon “life
experience” or substandard or negligible academic work. Specifically, you asked that
the Office of Special Investigations, acting in an undercover capacity, demonstrate
how easy it is to purchase a degree from a diploma mill. You also asked us to identify
and interview individuals who have purchased degrees from diploma mills and
determine whether those individuals have used their bogus degrees to increase
income, defraud employers, or gain positions of public trust. We briefed your office
on our investigative findings. This report summarizes those findings and includes
documents referenced in that briefing.
We conducted our investigation from May 14, 2001, through May 8, 2002, in
accordance with investigative standards established by the President’s Council on
Integrity and Efficiency. We searched the Internet and identified Degrees-R-Us as a
diploma mill. Posing as an individual working in the biology and medical technology
field, our investigator purchased a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, as well as a
1-year “degree verification service” from Degrees-R-Us. In addition, we obtained a
list of individuals who have purchased degrees from Degrees-R-Us and interviewed
several of them to determine how they have used their degrees. We also obtained a
list of entities that the Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization has identified as
diploma mills and enlisted the assistance of a government-sponsored Internet job
recruitment Web site to identify individuals who have listed degrees from diploma
mills on their résumés. We then conducted interviews with several individuals who
held positions of trust and responsibility in order to determine whether they used
their diploma mill degrees to obtain their positions, increase their earning potential,
or defraud employers.
In summary, we purchased a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of
Science degree in Medical Technology from Degrees-R-Us, a diploma mill. Based on
the lack of candid responses during our interviews with individuals who purchased
Pag e 2 GAO-03-269R Purchases of Degrees from Diploma Mills
degrees from Degrees-R-Us, we were not able to determine whether they benefited
financially or otherwise from the bogus degrees. However, our review of résumés
and subsequent interviews with individuals who purchased degrees from other
diploma mills established that these individuals intended to benefit from their bogus
degrees and in some cases might have benefited from them. As a result of our
investigation, we referred Degrees-R-Us to both the Federal Trade Commission and
the U.S. Postal Service for further investigation.
Purchase of Degrees from Degrees-R-Us
After identifying Degrees-R-Us as a diploma mill, we held numerous discussions in an
undercover capacity with its owner. Posing as Susan M. Collins, we first contacted
Degrees-R-Us to obtain information regarding the steps to follow in purchasing
degrees. Following those instructions, we successfully purchased a Bachelor of
Science degree in Biology dated June 13, 1975, and a Master of Science degree in
Medical Technology dated June 10, 1988, in the name of Susan M. Collins. The
degrees were awarded by Lexington University, a nonexistent institution purportedly
located in Middletown, New York. Pursuant to Degrees-R-Us’s request, we provided
the names and telephone numbers of individuals who could provide references and
vouch for Ms. Collins’ job experience in biology and medical technology. However,
Degrees-R-Us did not contact any of our references. We paid $1,515 to Degrees-R-Us
for the “premium package” (enc. I). The package included two diplomas from
Lexington University (enc. II), honors distinctions, and a telephone degree
verification service that could be accessed by potential employers wishing to verify
information regarding the school transcripts and degrees purportedly conferred (enc.
III).
To test the degree verification service, we posed as a potential employer of
Ms. Collins. An individual associated with Degrees-R-Us confirmed that Ms. Collins
had been awarded a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Lexington University.
Lack of Candor Prevented Determination Regarding How Individuals May
Have Benefited from Bogus Degrees
We also obtained a list of individuals who purchased degrees from Degrees-R-Us and
attempted to interview them. The individuals we interviewed were not candid in
discussing why they purchased the degrees or how they used them.
At the time of our investigation, the Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization
identified 43 institutions as diploma mills or unaccredited institutions. To determine
the reason for which the degrees had been purchased, we requested that a
government-sponsored Internet résumé repository query its database to determine if
any résumés it contained listed degrees from entities identified by the state of Oregon
as diploma mills. We received a database of more than 1,200 résumés that included
degrees from 14 of the 43 diploma mills.
We then reviewed each résumé to determine if the job applicant held a position of
trust and responsibility. Based on our review, we concluded that approximately 200
individuals held such positions. Of these, we interviewed four individuals who had
purchased degrees from entities listed on the state of Oregon’s diploma mill list.
Pag e 3 GAO-03-269R Purchases of Degrees from Diploma Mills
Based on our review of the résumés and interviews with the four individuals, we
believe that these individuals intended to use the bogus degrees to benefit financially
or defraud employers. In this regard, each résumé listed the degrees, and the
individuals disclosed to us that they purchased the degrees either to enhance their
résumé or to be considered for certain positions.
Referral of Degrees-R-Us to the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Postal
Service
After purchasing the degrees from Degrees-R-Us and testing its degree verification
service, we interviewed the firm’s owner. We learned that the owner is a disbarred
attorney who resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, and who runs the business out of his
home using the Internet and relying on mail drops and toll-free numbers. The owner
told us that he has sold approximately 100 degrees since starting his business
approximately 2 years ago. He explained that he started the business after viewing a
television exposé about the prosecution of a diploma mill operator and deciding that
he could more successfully operate a diploma mill. Notwithstanding the company’s
degree verification service, the owner claimed that he sells the degrees for “self
esteem purposes” and not to satisfy employment requirements. The owner admitted
that although “candidates” are required to provide references vouching for their
experience, he does not verify such experience because he assumes that his
customers are honest people.
We referred this matter to both the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Postal
Service for further investigation.
-----
As agreed with your office, unless you announce its contents earlier, we plan no
further distribution of this report until 30 days after its date. At that time, we will
send copies of this report to interested congressional committees. The report will
also be available at no charge on the GAO Web site at http://www.gao.gov. If you
have questions about the investigation, please contact Acting Assistant Director
Andrew O’Connell at (202) 512-7449 or Senior Special Agent Robyn D. Stewart at
(202) 512-7475.
Sincerely yours,
Robert J. Cramer
Managing Director
Office of Special Investigations


Henxy said:

STANDING OVATION!

James Hazlerig said:

I'm glad that others have commented on the phenomenon of fake Ph.D.s in the hypnosis field, as it's a pet peeve of mine, and I was holding back from going on a tirade.

A real university Ph.D. takes a lot of work. My parents were professors, and I was raised around Ph.D.s. (which is slightly better than being raised by wolves, I think. *grin*) Although having a Ph.D. is not an absolute guarantee of competence, intelligence, common sense, or moral character, it does indicate a certain level of achievement that I prefer to respect. Culturally, it implies credibility.

That's just one of several reason why fake Ph.D.s in our field are offensive. Here are some of the others:

1. While a fake Ph.D. may impress some clients, those with even a little wherewithal will spot it as fake, thus damaging your credibility and your ability to help potential clients.

2. Claiming fake degrees damages the reputation of entire profession.

3. Claiming fake degrees perpetuates the faulty notion of credentialism--the idea that someone with a degree is inherently more competent, intelligent, or ethical that someone without.

4. Claiming fake degrees can get you arrested in some states.

Here are some ways to spot a fake Ph.D. or doctorate:

1. The individual in question claims to have a doctorate in hypnosis or hypnotherapy. There are no legally accredited institutions that grant such a degree. (There have in the past been unaccredited schools that put students through a program of hypnosis education and then granted a degree. While such degrees are imho more meaningful than the buy-it-online variety, they are legally the same.)

2. The individual in question lists his/her name as "Dr. Whoever, Ph.D" or even worse, "Dr. Whoever, RN, CHt, BCH, DCH, Ph.D." Real academics list only the highest or most applicable degree, and they realize that listing the title and the degree is redundant.

3. The individual in question claims to have multiple doctorates--I've seen one member of this site who claims to have seven.

4. The institution granting the degree is not listed anywhere in the individual's bio information.

5. The institution is listed, but it's a notorious diploma mill. If you have doubt, google the name of the institution.

BTW, my hat's off to members of the site who have earned real degrees, and especially to those with the good sense to use the titles only in the settings where they apply. You are a credit to our profession.

James

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Permalink Reply by Fable Goodman on November 26, 2009 at 4:16am

Thanks Gil,

that makes facinating reading.

love and hugs,

Fable

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Permalink Reply by Hugh Cole on November 26, 2009 at 5:25am

Gil,
The most fascinating Question .... What ever happened with the report? Is it still languishing somewhere in the GAO files? or did it do some good somehow? Looking around me I still see diploma mills and if I remember correctly if was long after 2002 the someone's cat recieved his diplomate in Hypnotherapy.

Hugh Cole
The pretty Goodest Hypnotist on the Planet,

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Permalink Reply by GIL BOYNE on November 26, 2009 at 5:56am

Hello Hugh, Almost all political investigations, commitees for special hearings etc. rarely amount to anything meaningful.
The politicians make announcements in press conferences to enhance their image, "By George, I'm going to look into this !"

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Permalink Reply by Kelley Woods on November 26, 2009 at 7:11am

Thank you for the read, Gil. Wonder how much THAT investigation cost!

Good ol' American opportunism was rampant when the shyster Las Vegas owner of Degree-R-Us believed he could be the best at diploma-milling...too bad he didn't apply that effort toward something more ethical.

Best wishes,

Kelley

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