What's in a qualification?

The British Federation of Ethical Stage hypnotists stops it's members using 'letters' after their names because - according to an ex chairman - "There are no hypnosis qualifications that mean anything and none are 'recognised' by anyone in the real world of education."

I must admit I rarely use the one's I'm entitled to use - C.M.H., [UK] M.M.I.T., [USA] Member of the British Guild of Hypnotist Examiners. I don't bother mainly because so few people actually ask for them.

As we know some people have never done any formal training with anyone else, some even teach. There are titles you can 'buy' such as the Dr or PhD some people use, and there are in Britain alone around 157 different qualifications, and some people even sell qualification without any training.

I know one guy who has so many qualifications it fills two pages of A4 in his publicity [ makes you wonder if he ever finds time to practice :-) ]

Now I think it's important to train, or at least be open to learning others methods however, with so much abuse of qualifications going around is there any real value in having any? After all as I say to my students - no one ever got hypnotised by a qualification.

Tags: hypnosis, qualifications, training

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Permalink Reply by Ian Read on November 4, 2008 at 9:40am

In the UK the National Council for Hypnotherapy in cooperation with the NCFE, who issue City & Gilds and NVQs, have created the Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma. Because this is externally accessed by a pukka academic body, it is worth having and has proper standing.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on November 4, 2008 at 10:01am

Hi Ian,

Does one have to be a resident to apply for a Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma and what are the requirements?

Best,
me

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Permalink Reply by Leo Gopal on November 4, 2008 at 10:58am

lol yeah true, though miltons qualifications were not for hypnosis where they?

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Permalink Reply by Leo Gopal on November 4, 2008 at 10:59am

he wasnt THAT bad lol...

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Permalink Reply by James Hazlerig on November 4, 2008 at 11:20am

Amen, Jon!

You've hit one of my pet peeves. My dad had a Ph.D., and a girl I've mentored since she was fifteen is currently working on one. I know how much work goes into it, and I hate seeing folks claim fake degrees.

A lot of hypnotists, I suspect, have legitimacy issues because our industry is not acknowledged by the mainstream. They try to make up for it with certification after certification, thinking that letters after their names will make them look official. Unfortunately, too many letters after the name, too many certifications, and especially questionable degrees simply make a person look desperate or even shady, not qualified.

It's also worth noting that real academics list only one degree after the name, and they avoid redundant constructions like "Dr. Emmanuel Pompous, Ph.D." It's also worth noting that some of the states on my side of the pond have laws against publically claiming degrees from unaccredited institutions.

A certification is only as good as the organization that grants it, and most folks outside of the hypnosis world don't know an ACHE certification from one that came off of a cereal box. And most folks don't care as long as the hypnosis works.

Y'know, I can buy a karate uniform and die the belt black, but I'll still get my ass kicked . . .

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Permalink Reply by Bonnie Robinson on November 4, 2008 at 11:26am

What does the M.M.I.T. stand for by the way?

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Permalink Reply by Ian Read on November 4, 2008 at 11:38am

I suspect that one would have to be a resident but am not sure because it can be done by sending in a portfolio. Here is a link that might answer this question: http://www.hypnotherapypractitioner.org/

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Permalink Reply by Fable Goodman on November 4, 2008 at 11:51am

Like all bodies, training schools, etc who offer an acreditation/certificate, diploma etc. they say that this one has more credibility than others... The truth I suspect is that it has no more credibility than you, as the buyer, believe it has. Buy the story, and you buy the product.

I, many years ago took all my diplomii of my wall, and put them in a drawer. Since then, only one person has asked to see them. I reflected back to him that he had some concerns about wether or not I was qualified to work with him, on this issue) , and to put his mind at rest I would produce some diplomas, for him. I dragged them out, covered in dust, and showed them to him, but he was too embarrased to give them anything more than a cursary glance, and we moved on, to work with the problem. (rather succesfully I might add)

I think it was Jung who said something like " learn your theories well, but put them aside when you touch the miracle of a living soul"

LOve and hugs,

fable

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Permalink Reply by Fable Goodman on November 4, 2008 at 12:04pm

Acually now that I think back to the conversation... I think that Jung was a bit drunk when he said that, and I myself had imbibed a few, so I may have misheard him anyway.

But I am sure it was the same night that he said to me "Fable, you are a lovely man, and I like you a lot (in a non sexual way of course) ... but I have this one bit of advice.."

I said " what's that Carl me old buddy?"

and he said; "for god sake Fable, STOP NAME DROPPING!!"

The funny thing is, that Milton had said the very same thing earlier in the night (before he BLACKED OUT) , and I was sure they were trying to tell me something useful, but after all these years, I still haven't worked out yet quite what they were trying to tell me.

Am I slow? or what?

Fable

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Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on November 4, 2008 at 12:48pm

Hi James,

I agree.

FYI - A real black belt can get his or her ass kicked as well-- depending on the skills and abilities of the kicker

I would say that a certification can be better than the organization that grants it -- if a client is impressed by it And when a hypno is starting out the certificate can help boost their confidence-- which makes them more effective...

In 2007 - I approached a medical conference and successfully pitched a program for mind/body seminars and a hypnosis workshop - The conference organizers who green lighted my proposals felt the other participating organizations would be more comfortable with the IMDHA offer it's member IMDHA-CEUs for my program than with NGH-CEUs simply based on the names of the organizations--

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Permalink Reply by Fable Goodman on November 4, 2008 at 12:50pm

Milt told me a story about that night, but I thought that he was making it up! (he was prone to do that after a few tokes.)
Is the story about you in the sling true then?
or was that just another one of his elaborate fantasies?

(And just In case any moderator thinks we have wondered of topic... I think I am still on subject. Although some may not understand the point yet. levels of understanding do vary.)

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Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on November 4, 2008 at 12:55pm

Most employers and professional organizations recognize and accept what they consider accredited degrees -
Example - Most employers and professional organizations would reject a PhD in hypnosis out of hand. The question is will they recognize and accept alternative certifications of training and expertise... I think that we should be striving for reaching the same level of acceptance for our non-accredited degrees based on the reputation of the certifying organization and our own reputations --

Just thinking out loud--