What Should You Look For In A Live Training Or School?

I don’t have a live training scheduled but I hear from a lot of graduates of hypnosis & NLP schools. And a lot of them couldn’t hypnotize their way out of a paper bag, let alone work with clients. It’s sad. We need to improve the quality of education in the field. There are lots of good schools and lots of bad ones. The differences aren’t what you think.

Choosing A Hypnosis/NLP Training Can Be A Minefield

• People look at what certifications the school offers but they don’t know what they mean.
• Most folks don’t know the differences between the major certifying organizations.
• Most don’t know the difference between becoming certified, licensed or being trained in a licensed school vs. non-licensed.
• On top of that, there are different kinds of licenses–most which have no governmental standing whatsoever.
• A lot of people think that going to a licensed school means they will be licensed to practice.
• Why do some schools offer Masters degrees or PhDs in hypnosis and others don’t? Are those legitimate credentials?

Let’s Bust Some Myths

OK. Let’s bust some myths. I’m going to say some things here that you may not believe but I assure you–they’re true. And they’re things that many hypnosis schools don’t want you to know…

• Most places do not require you to be certified as a hypnotherapist or NLP practitioner in order to practice.
• In most cases, a school being licensed in a state (for instance) has nothing to do with your being able to practice in that state.
• Regional accreditation is considered the highest level of accreditation of schools in the United States. State colleges and many other programs are regionally accredited. There are no regionally accredited schools offering a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in hypnosis.
• There are no legitimate PhDs being offered by regionally accredited schools. If you see an instructor who is offering such or claims such as part of his or her credentials, ask them where they got them and about the accreditation of that school.
• Often, when you see a school advertise themselves as “licensed,” they mean they are licensed or approved by a parent organization–not by the government. In this case, a license is similar to belonging to a franchise, and saying they’re a legitimate franchise members. That has nothing to do with their ability to offer a credential that’s legitimate in the eyes of your government.

…and most shockingly…

Are There Any Government Approved Hypnosis/NLP Trainings Anywhere?

Not in the way you think, anyway. In the U.S., and most of the world, hypnotherapy is simply not regulated much, if at all. Governments don’t regulate the practice or training of hypnotherapists or NLP practitioners aside from a few places and regulations that apply to all businesses.

Now, you’ll find an occasional program from a licensed vocational institution that qualifies for government funds for workforce training or something. But when most people are looking for a hypnosis school or NLP training, they are thinking something like this…

“I want to take a training that the government says qualifies me to legally practice where I live.” Right?

Well, for the most part, there’s no such animal.

The Government Doesn’t Care About Your Training

Many people find this difficult to believe and hard to accept. They write me and ask, “Will training x allow me to practice here where I live?” I’ll answer back, “Chances are, you’re not required to have any specific training where you live. You can just get a business license and open a practice right now.” They say, “OK, thanks. What school do I need to go to to get the training to qualify where I live?” They simply don’t believe me when I tell them they can practice right now–without any training whatsoever.

But in most places, it’s true. I know. It’s difficult to fathom, isn’t it? But that’s the way it is. So, if you don’t need training in order to practice, what should you look for in a hypnosis or NLP training?

Look For One Thing: Quality Instruction

If the training you take isn’t important to your local government, why should you take any training? The obvious answer is to get good. You want a school that can help you to help more people, more effectively. You want to feel confident doing the work you want to do. You want to be able to get good results with your clients.

Now, quality instruction can mean different things to different people. I can’t tell you what quality instruction is to you.

Sincerely,

Keith Livingston