Greeting fellow healers and friends,
I pulled this document off Napster and it rates hypnosis seminars.
Is it as benificial to learn from a videotape as it is from a live
class.

Elaine O'Brien - C.H.



Hypnosis Certification Classes

All hypnosis certification classes are not the same. I have done an
enormous amount of research. Some are just blatant ripoffs. Many of
the so-called, self entitled hypnosis gurus learned how to instruct
a class but have never gotten around to doing one-on-one sessions
with clients.


I have been researching schools for over a year and a half now,
collecting opinions from websources, emails and I have sent for all
the literature. I've have attended several certification courses. A
good portion of the schools I researched weren't worth mentioning at
all. The ones below are the more popular, attendance-wise. This is
the result of my research and efforts, I hope you appreciate it. –
S. Z.


TOP CERTIFICATION COURSE IN THE COUNTRY

***** - OMNIHYPNOSIS.COM

Gerald Kein in Florida basic to advanced 6 day course (also on
video) is without a doubt, the finest instruction available in the
country. Upon graduating, you will be more well informed than many
of the practicing hypnotists in the world. Mr. Kein also teaches a
hypnotherapeutic approach which is called Universal Therapy and has
proven its effectiveness in areas such as addiction and alcoholism.


HMI – The Hypnosis Motivation Institute -
http://hypnosismotivation.com/
One of the largest full time hypnosis schools in the world. Started
by Dr. John Kappas in 1968. The school has in-house training and a
53 videotape, learn at home training.
From the email correspondence I have collected off the web, Dr.
Kappas is a classically trained psychiatrist and integrates hypnosis
learning from the standpoint and views of the medical industry.
H.M.I. training is not an inexpensive course by any means and in my
research, students whom have attended this course found it
worthwhile. Several graduates have mentioned to having cross-
trained with other industry professionals to add variety to their
education. I'm on the boards as to whether this is a limitation in
HMI's training or that it sparks one on to higher learnings.


Gil Boyne – Author of Transforming Therapy – founder of A.C.H.E.
Mr. Boyne although an icon in the hypnosis arena, like Picasso and
Milton Erickson, Mr. Boyne most likely won't be recognized for his
accomplishments until his death. Leading hypnotists throughout the
world have benefited from Mr. Boyne's revolutionary approach and his
A.C.H.E. affiliated schools have proliferated on the West Coast. Mr.
Boyne must now be in his 90's. I received an email yesterday that he
still teaches an occasional certification course in New Mexico and
England. If you get a chance, the man is a legend. I own several of
his videotapes and they regularly turn up on ebay. The man combined
hypnosis with his studies with Fritz Perls, the founder and creator
of Gestalt Therapy and created his own form of brief hypnotherapy
called Transforming Therapy.

A.C.H.E. accredited schools / (Gil Boyne)


Randal Churchill runs the Hypnotherapy Training Institute -
http://www.hypnoschool.com/leadingschool.html

Web reports say Mr. Churchill's program is extremely comprehensive.
On the other hand, Mr. Churchill and Ms. Muldar have been reported
not to be the world's most exciting presenters. But on that matter,
how many college professors set the world on fire.
Randall Churchill as published two books which are worth reading:
On Regression and Dreams.

Neurosomatic Sciences Foundation – Ann Thevenin
http://www.neurosomatic.org/newwebsite/

This was one of the first courses I was interested in, after all, I
am a San Diego native and I was blown away when I saw the diversity
and size of my friend's manual who is a graduate. It was 900 pages.
As I eagerly thumbed through the pages, I was in awe.. It contained
the handouts of every major hypnosis course and seminar in the
country. I said, `This can't be.'

Please check this out just a few of the offerings:

Marie Mongan's Hypnobirthing, Melissa Roth's Irritible Bowel
Syndrome Seminar, David Quigley's material, the Gorayeb Smoking &
Weight Loss Seminars, Tim Simmerman's Money Seminar, Gerald Kein's
Light Switch technique, Harville Hedrix Relationship seminars, EMDR,
BFTT, EFT, Trim Spa and hypnotist's Randall Churchill, Roy Hunter,
Milton Erickson, James Ramey, Tad James, Gail Wilson, Anne Spencer,
Jay Haley, Don Motton and the list went on and on. I was very
excited. When I asked my friend how the instructor was able to get
permission to teach all these courses under one umbrella, my friend
said the instructor, Ms. Ann Thevenin, in class, put her finger up
to a lips and said `Shhhhhhh… because I took all these courses over
the last 16 years and I paid, you don't have to pay. Well yea,
plagiarism is great, inexpensive way of learning and sharing until
you get caught and then it's a federal crime. The price of
participating in this 100 hour or so course of lifted materials had
cost my friend well over 4 thousand dollars for all the segments. I
asked her, "What did your instructor suggest for an advanced course,
shoplifting at Amazon.com?"


5-PATH HYPNOTHERAPY - http://www.hypnosiscenter.com

Five Path seems to be going through a growth surge, as it comes up
in all the search engines, and I may be my reading into it, but I've
looked at the comprehensive website at hypnosiscenter.com and at the
photos of the main instructor. I do have a problem with hypnotists
or with any 350 lb. Hypnotist who is teaching habit control and do
not walk the walk. If this instructor was an example of his
revolutionary approach, I might have given it more serious
consideration.


ROY HUNTER / Tacoma Community College Hypnosis Training
Mr. Hunter teaches hypnotherapy in the style of his mentor: Mr
Charles Tebbets who wrote the enormously successful: Miracles on
Demand. In lieu of this classic hypnotherapy treatise being out of
print, Mr. Hunter co-authored two of his own books which focus on
beginning hypnosis and advanced hypnotherapy. His books are very
well respected and successful publications.

I have not been able to contact any graduates of Mr. Hunter's
courses but I do highly recommend the purchase of his books.


Mark Cunningham – Trucor Institute
Mr. Cunningham's unique style and attention to self development
techniques have been instrumental in bringing hypnotic and NLP
skills for confidence development to the youth movement. According
to email groups, Mr. Cunningham has a several thousand strong,
extremely devoted ,hard-core group of young men from 18 on up. Mr.
Cunningham is affiliated with a group called the Society of Applied
Hypnosis. – www.trucor.com I have viewed a videotape of Mr.
Cunninghams. Way back when I was attending a film class at UCLA,
I'm sure my professor would have given him an A for the exceptional
content and a D for the meager production values. The video I own
would have made a fine audio recording..

The Alchemy Institute – David Quigley
I've heard exceptional things about their training and I've had the
honor of attending Mr. Quigley's seminars. I personally do not find
him the world's most dynamic presenter. He is an exceptional writer
and his webpages contain many valuable learning articles.

http://alchemyinstitute.com/about.htm


The Achievement Institute – George Bien
George Bien is a master of promotion. One of the most comprehensive
and well designed hypnosis websites I have come across on the
internet. From internet conversations, Mr. Bien is also a master
hypnotherapist. I've received rave emails about Mr. Bien's
hypnotherapy certification course. The biggest complaint in the
emails I have received is, his training seminar is too short. Mr.
Bien professes to teach you to be a master hypnotherapist in a
weekend with another class date reserved for becoming an advanced
master hynotherapist. Mr. Bien has been around a long time and
emails praise him as a motivational speaker, an exceptional teacher.
Mr. Bien reportedly razzles and dazzles his students, but, as I have
mentioned before, not enough time in his classes for students to
achieve even the most mundane hypnosis skills. For the advanced
hypnotist, Mr. Bien's classes are a treat.

N.G.H. – The National Guild of Hypnotists Certification in
Hypnotherapy.

You would think that an organization that bills itself as the
world's biggest hypnosis organization would have the utmost and
comprehensive training. Instead it is the lamest hypnosis material
I have ever seen. Upon enrollment I was given a huge manual which is
repetitious, dull and boring and you wonder how anyone who has any
competency in the English language would allow such an atrocious
piece of rubbish to be published. It is an insult to their
membership. The cost of the certification is as outrageous as the
manual - $1,500. When reading over their materials, I felt like I
was time traveling and perusing a throwback to the correspondence
courses of the early 60's and 70's which appearied on the back of
Matchbooks and contained such advertising as, Become a jet airline
engine mechanic in 24 easy correspondence lesions or make big money,
learn taxidermy through the mail. I am surprised the market is this
gullible.

A.B.H. – American Board of Hypnotherapy - Tad James – The Hypnosis
Institute
The original board I am told was formed by a Mr. Al Krassner. The
ABH offers an unaccredited (at least by the leading U.S. college
organizations) doctorate in hypnosis which is served by their office
in Hawaii.. Since the degree is not recognized by the national or
local college accreditation services, it will not grant you any
additional privileges or licensing and there is the potential for
being arrested if you use their credentials and a legal suit should
arise. On another note, by the time you finish the course, you
could have purchased yourself a used BMW.

Somnambulistic Sleepwalkers Hypnosis
This is not a school by any means, but should be. According to
yahoogroups, new and established hypnotists are flocking to this
free organization. According to their webpage, the group came about
when founding members were caught in the debris of the Twin Towers
in the 9/11 disaster in NYC . The movement has seemingly grown and
the webpages list chapters all around the world dedicated to
teaching hypnotic techniques for self improvement. What is most
unusual, chapter meetings are free. For many beginning hypnotists
like myself whom have attended hypnotic trainings which offer no
hands-on practice, this organization must be a god-send. This
organization is bent on introducing a younger generation to the
benefits of hypnosis.
There is no chapter in my backwoods community, but I have logged
onto their email list as there is a wealth of information –
www.trancecoach.com

Minnesota Institute of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy - Kevin Hogan
I do not know if this is an actual school although Mr. Hogan has
some exceptional books he's written on all aspects of hypnotherapy
and persuasion. Mr. Hogan also has a full complement of video
courses. From the dozens of emails I've received, his books have
been well received an informative. Mr. Hogan's video series is
amateurish, poorly recorded, hard to watch, and way overpriced.

The Washington School of Advanced Hypnosis – Shaun Brookhouse
I had seen a lot of Mr. Brookhouse's opinion's appear on the large
hypnosis and hypnotherapy Yahoo group boards. Last fall I had the
opportunity to view a videotape of Mr. Brookhouse, I was with a
group of friends after work at a small Mexican café in San Diego. We
asked the owner of the café if he would run the video tape for us.
The video tape featured an enormously fat, 400 lb. Mr. Brookhouse
bulging out of a skintight suit standing up at an unidentifiable
hypnosis convention instructing a workshop on habit control and
smoking cessation. The tequila didn't help to calm our apparent
uncontrollable belly laughs. Mr. Brookhouse, stern-faced, in a
effected English accent, bellowed on the videotape, "Smoking is a
vile and disgusting habit that can cause death ! ' Cynthia, a nurse
who is a friend of mine cackled so uncontrollably she sprayed beer
across the table, "Doesn't this man have a mirror in his house or
did he eat that too. So does uncontrollable eating ORCA," she said.
Honestly, how can someone whose life is so totally out of control
teach a seminar on habit control. Cynthia's words said it all.

Albert University - http://www.infaith-inc.com/infaith-
inc/hypnosis.html - Barry Seedman

My friends tell me Mr. Seedman is a marketing genius. He is one of
the pioneers of ilk of the two day hypnosis certification seminars.
I heard Mr. Seedman is exceptional if you want to learn how to make
money in this profession as he also is the head of the mysterious
Albert University somewhere in South Dakota which offers a doctorate
in hypnotherapy. I am extremely leery of his ads and the fact that
there is no mention of Albert University on his site.

Infinity Institute – Anne Spencer – waiting for review

I am still compiling reviews. If you have attended a hypnosis
workshop, I would love to hear from you – sz@…………………