Florida Hypnosis Trianing Requirements

A friend forwarded me a post from the yahoo Omni graduates group, wondering why I was claiming a 50-hour state approved course was required to do hypnotherapy in Florida. Since I am not a member of that yahoo group (it is restricted to Omni grads) I figured I would respond here. Feel free to repost my reply on that group if you want to. And someone else responded with what I perceived as upset that Gerald was not teaching the course and wondering why I was.

Let me clarify the situation in Florida. First, there are no restrictions on those who are NOT licensed as mental health professionals in practicing hypnosis. In other words, if you are NOT a licensed social worker, MFT, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, psychologist, etc. any certification program is fine to practice hypnosis.

However, in Florida, the statues require that if a person *is* licensed in the healing arts, that they take a required 50 hour course approved by the state board. My company is an approved provider of CEU's for mental health professionals and the state board has approved my course because we have state licensed instructors. That does not mean Omno doesn;t have great programs, or that Gerald is not an awesome teacher. It just means we meet the legislative requirements for CEU's - a totally different market than Omni.

Essentially, Florida has a two tiered system. Oddly enough, it is the licensed and degreed person who is affected by this requirement, NOT the certified hypnotist without a state license.

From the email I got, one lady seemed a little indignant about me teaching this course, but Gerald not teaching it. Frankly, although Gerald and I have disagreed about the role of ASCH and the contributions of licensed psychologists to hypnosis, I have never met a graduate of Omni who was not well trained, and although I have never taken his classes or viewed his trianing material I consider Gerald an excellent teacher based on the many graduates of his program that I know.

But *I* am not the rule maker in Florida. I have owned a CEU company since 1994 that provides CEUs to licensed mental health professionals (which I am) and our program was designed to meet the state requirement that DOES NOT PERTAIN to people who are not licensed. Our requirements and programs were designed for the licensed person. The statement of a 50-hour requirement is a statement only to those licensed as mental health professionals, not a statement to certified hypnotists practicing in the state of Florida without licensure.

People wonder, why a 50 hour ICBCH requirement? Why not 100 hours? The answer is simple. That is the State of Florida requirement that ONLY PERTAINS TO PEOPLE WITH A LICENESE in the healing arts (social work, MFT, pscyhology, etc.). I am assuming that the state figures that since licensed people have 2000 hours of supervision, a 300 hour practicum and a 60 hour graduate level degree, they have experience in assessment, diagnosis, human relationships and many of the other skills taught in similar 100 hour certification courses.

And I am not the only one teaching this 50 hour course. Many other approved CEU providers in Florida offer a similar 50-hour course to those with state licensure.

I hope this clarifies the two-tiered requirements in Florida. Gerald and I are not in competition, his students are practicing hypnosis in one setting with one set of background experiences; and 95% of my clinical hypnosis student are licensed by the state as mental health professionals with a different set of rules, education and experiences. We are serving different markets and with 6 billion people on the planet there are enough students for both of us and enough clients for all of us.

I certainly have been impressed with Omni grads, and wish all a happy 2009 and continued success. If anyone ever has any questions, I am happy to answer them, just send me a private message.