When many people think of hypnotism, the first thing that comes to mind is novelty acts in Las Vegas where audience members end up clucking like chickens or singing like American Idol rejects. They view it more like a magic show than a compassionate coaching service.
However, hypnotism is a valuable process that can help clients deal with problematic behavior, crippling fears, or debilitating anxieties. As a hypnotist, you can improve the quality of life of your clients and ease their suffering, all while working in a flexible, lucrative career. As such, hypnotism can be a gratifying and fulfilling career. Here are the basics of building a career in hypnotism.
Training
To launch your hypnosis career, you first need to learn the foundations of the craft. Hypnotherapy isn’t something you can teach yourself or learn from a few TikTok videos like a dance. You’ll need to find a hypnotism certification program. Thankfully, with hypnosis as a coaching modality growing in popularity, it is easier than ever to find the courses you need to become a certified hypnotist. You can even pursue a hypnosis certification online.
Coursework will vary, but you can expect to spend as little as eight weeks or as long as about a year training in hypnosis. Training and certification typically takes about 100 hours. After that, you may participate in continuing education to expand your skills. To help you build a thriving practice, you might also participate in classes for hypnosis business success.
While many mental health professionals, including therapists, psychologists, doctors, nurses, and counselors, pursue hypnotherapy certifications to expand their knowledge and offer additional value to their clients, there is no need to have a background in health care or mental health. You will learn everything you need to know to be a successful hypnotism practitioner in your training.
Income
Rates will vary by location and type of practice, but you can expect to be able to charge anywhere from $50 to $300+ per session. Most sessions last one hour. You can increase your client base with solid marketing, relationships with referring healthcare providers, and strong word-of-mouth.
Execution
What does a hypnosis session look like? Just as each doctor has their own approach to an appointment and every teacher a different style of educating, every hypnotist’s process will look slightly different. In general, you will start a session with a new client by educating them about hypnotherapy and how it works. Then you will begin relaxation and focusing techniques, followed by suggestions and guided imagery, with the goal of providing relief for your client’s concerns.
Your sessions will help clients improve their cognitive skills, changing their perception of problematic events or situations. That could mean helping them associate smoking with negative things, aiding them in their goal to give up cigarettes, or helping them examine and reframe childhood events that contribute to self-esteem issues.
Practice
Your hypnotism business can be whatever you want it to be. You can start small and build up to full-time work. You can also take it on as a side job. Most hypnotists work out of a dedicated office space, but you can practice in your own home if you have a free room. Hypnosis sessions via Zoom are growing in popularity, just as in other healthcare and coaching fields, meaning you could work from anywhere.
Somehypnotists use their skills as an adjunct to existing professions like massage, psychotherapy, or acupuncture. Others make hypnotherapy the core of their business. You can even work alongside other holistic health practitioners, medical care providers, or dentistry professionals as contractors or partners.
You might help a world-class athlete deal with anxieties or aid a mom in overcoming her fear of dogs so her kids can finally get that Cocker Spaniel they’ve been wanting. Because hypnosis can help with everything from insomnia to anxiety, and personal relationships to self-esteem, there is a tremendous variety of people seeking this type of treatment. You can choose to specialize in one area, or see clients seeking care for a variety of concerns and challenges.
Because the business of hypnosis is so flexible, it is ideal for parents of young children, those pursuing a second career, someone looking for additional income, or anyone seeking a profession that allows them to spend their days helping people.
With growing demand for holistic care, complementary therapies, and non-medical interventions, hypnotism is a promising career. Because of the incredible improvements hypnotism can offer clients, it may feel like magic to those suffering from mental health challenges. However, hypnotism is far more than a novelty act. It’s moved beyond the stereotypes to become a therapeutic method recognized and recommended by doctors, psychologists, dentists, and other traditional healthcare professionals.
If you are feeling dissatisfied with your career, looking to return to the workforce in a way that serves humanity, or wanting to explore ways to work in a mental health field, hypnosis training can be the magic that turns those goals into reality.
