To move ever so slightly off-thread...but it does relate to the public
perceptions of hypnotherapy...I have two tales to tell.



A few weeks ago I was buying my morning coffee at my local café and was
chatting to the owner, a well educated, intelligent person. We had just
begun to talk about some aspects of hypnotherapy when she stopped me and
said that the conversation had reminded her of something. She then proceeded
to tell me about her recent holiday to Scotland where her and her husband
had come across a house where, in the front garden, was placed a pole with a
skull upon it. The house, it appeared, was inhabited by a ‘black witch’ who
sold her services to help people with their problems. I was amazed, and
somewhat amused, that our conversation about hypnotherapy had reminded my
friend of her recent brush with black-magic!



From the public perception, now, to a professional one; only yesterday did I
have my first brush with mental health professionals having concerns about
hypnotherapy. This was not because they did not agree with its effectiveness
but that they did not want to promote it because of the “public concern
regarding stage hypnosis”. The context is that I was promoting my practice
to a local private mental health clinic. They told me that their CB
Therapists did use some hypnosis but that they didn’t promote it to the
public as they were worried that the public may think it too “weird” (my
quotes are their words). This, they said, was down to the perceptual damage
done by stage hypnosis.



My point? To say that I agree with those on here who promote the empirical
testing of hypnosis and therefore evidence-based treatments for clients.
Stories such as those I have just told are not uncommon and hypnotherapy is
still considered by many, outside the psychotherapeutic world, to be just
another untested ‘alternative’ health remedy. I think it is our duty, not
only to ourselves but to our clients, to become a part of the mainstream
mental health world. As some on this forum may know, I am also a registered
architect in the UK; a title I worked hard to attain and a title which is
protected by English and Welsh (and Scottish) Law. Probably not likely to
happen in my life time, although quite a youngster really, but I would
dearly like to see the term ‘hypnotherapist’ similarly protected. (By
“protected” I mean that only those having completed and passed a course
approved and monitored by a government-approved regulator may pass
themselves off as a hypnotherapist). Architects, Doctors, psychiatrists are
all such protected titles. At the moment hypnotherapy is far too open to
quackery!



From another thread Ron has been asking us to accept that certain psi
abilities under hypnosis have been tested. As a curious and investigative
bunch, I’m sure we would be interested to here where we can read about the
research processes and results, Ron. Could you let us all know?



Duncan Gunn MNCH(Lic) GHR(Reg)





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