Hypnotherapy is nothing new, in fact it has been around for a very long time (hundreds of years). However, in recent years it has been growing in popularity with the proliferation of search engines, social media and the ability to get information instantly online. So, why might someone want to become a hypnotherapist as opposed to learning a different kind of therapy, or getting a ‘regular’ 9-5 job? Well, there are a number of reasons that someone might choose to become a hypnotherapist. So, if you’re considering taking up a new career as a hypnotherapist, or adding a hypnotherapy to your pre-existing toolbox, then read on…
Why do you want to become a hypnotherapist?
There can be many reasons that hypnotherapy is an attractive career option, however, different people will have their own motivations. Some may want to help others, some may be interested in making money, some may have had hypnotherapy themselves and decided that it would just be a ‘good fit’, others may just ‘want a change’. Some people who are considering becoming hypnotherapists, have absolutely zero previous experience doing hypnosis or therapy whatsoever (which is fine), others already have therapy experience and want to expand their therapy services. In this blog, I’m going to cover a few of the key ‘motivating factors’ for becoming a hypnotherapist, as well as the benefits of a career in hypnotherapy.
Do you want to become a hypnotherapist to help others?
Working within a profession where you are able to help other people, can be highly rewarding. It nourishes the soul to know that you are making a difference and helping people to reach their goals and move past their problems (sometimes life-long problems).
There are many different areas in which a hypnotherapist can help people. When people think of ‘therapy’, they often imagine hypnotherapists spend most of their time working with clients who have issues such as depression and anxiety, and sure, hypnotherapy can be very helpful when working with those conditions. However, as well as that, when you become a hypnotherapist you may see clients who have a range of issues/goals that wouldn’t ordinarily come to mind when thinking about therapy. For example, hypnotherapy can help with sports performance, physical conditions, fertility and the birth process, fears and phobias, developing assertiveness, dentistry and surgeries, improving creativity, skin conditions, building confidence, sexual issues, insomnia, giving best-man speeches, and much more! So, if you’re looking for a career where you can make a serious difference in the lives of others, and where you have the flexibility to work with a plethora of different issues and goals, then hypnotherapy is certainly a great avenue to consider.
A quick point on using hypnotherapy to help people; do keep in mind, that contrary to what you may have seen in the media, hypnotherapy is not about ‘controlling’ others or ‘making’ them change – that’s a common myth! As with any other type of talking therapy, hypnotherapy is a collaborative process, so you won’t learn to wave a ‘magic wand’ and fix people (metaphorically speaking). However, you will learn all of the tools that you need in order to help people change, and to help them learn how to help themselves, and sometimes this change process can happen so quickly that it almost seems magical… but more on that in a bit!
Do you want to become a hypnotherapist to make money?
Hypnotherapy can be a fantastically rewarding career financially, as well as emotionally. There are many hypnotherapists out there that work part-time hours and bring home a decent full-time wage. This is great, because as well as being able to earn really good money, you’re also able to create more ‘free time’ in your life, to do other things that you enjoy, such as hobbies, spending time with your family and going out and having fun whilst other people are working a 40+ hour week!
A key thing to consider if you want to make money as a hypnotherapist, is that you have to have a ‘business mindset’ as well as a ‘helping others mindset’. It’s all well and good charging £250 for a 1.5 hour smoking cessation hypnotherapy session, and yes, that’s an average fee for such a session – some therapists charge a LOT more in fact! However, to earn this kind of money, you need to be able to get clients, which is why you need to learn to run the business side of your hypnotherapy business as well as the therapy side. This is something that we teach on our online hypnotherapy course, as it is an integral part of becoming a successful hypnotherapist. So, when you choose your own training route, ensure that you learn how to run a therapy business as well as learning the hypnotherapy skills that will pay the bills!
Hypnotherapy earnings calculator
As a lot of people wonder about the money side of being a hypnotherapist, we have created a fantastic hypnotherapy income calculator that will show you exactly how much you can expect to earn as a hypnotherapist. It will definitely give you some food for thought!
Do you want to become a hypnotherapist because you had hypnotherapy yourself?
This is actually a very common reason that people become hypnotherapists. They have seen first-hand how life changing hypnotherapy can be. This is an amazing position from which to start your career as a hypnotherapist, because your enthusiasm will be contagious. You will be able to give your clients the benefits of your own knowledge that hypnotherapy works, it has worked for you and it can work for them.
Another benefit, when you become a hypnotherapist, is that most hypnotherapy courses will teach you how to use self-hypnosis. This is a tool that can be applied not just with your clients, but also for your own self-development purposes. Self-hypnosis is a powerful tool, and you’ll be able to use your hypnotherapy skills to improve your own life, whilst improving the lives of others! Definitely a win-win!
Do you want to become a hypnotherapist for a ‘change of scenery’?
Hypnotherapy is quite different to other kinds of therapy, and there aren’t many other jobs out there like it. If you are thinking about becoming a hypnotherapist, but you are unsure due to the fact that you’ve never worked in the therapy world before, and only have experience in a completely unrelated industry, then we say do it anyway! Having no experience is fine, because you can learn. Sure, someone who already knows about other types of therapy may have a little more profession-specific knowledge, but that won’t automatically make them a better hypnotherapist than someone who comes in as a ‘blank canvas’ (in fact sometimes it can work out the other way).
At the Rory Z Hypnosis Academy, we have had people successfully complete our hypnotherapy training courses from a variety of non-therapy backgrounds. I have taught hypnotherapy to lorry drivers, students, accountants, web-designers, nurses, doctors, artists, personal trainers, and many other people who’ve had no previous experience, who’re now out there helping other people, and if they can do it, so can anyone else. Maybe it’s time to swim against the current!
What if you’re already a therapist?
If you’re already working as a therapist or in a medical/complimentary health field, you may be considering branching out into hypnotherapy to offer it alongside your current therapy practice/modality. For example, some of my past students who have incorporated hypnotherapy into their pre-existing therapy practices included massage therapists, reflexologists, reiki and aromatherapy practitioners, and also doctors, nurses and dentists. So, it’s entirely possible to do this, and you can actually create a nice niche for yourself in doing so. Perhaps, for whatever reason, you’d like to become a hypnotherapist and do hypnotherapy full-time, totally replacing your current therapy modality. This is most common with massage therapists and reflexologists, who’re struggling with the physical aspects of their work, as it can be really tough on the hands! Whatever your current therapy role, there are many benefits to learning hypnotherapy, which may be a good fit for you if you’re already practising as a therapist or healthcare professional.
Do you want to become a hypnotherapist for the ‘results’?
Hypnotherapy works really well, that’s a fact. It is a highly effective way of engaging clients and getting them out of their own way in order to make long-lasting changes happen. The key difference between hypnotherapy and other therapy approaches is the hypnosis part of the session. Hypnotherapy, when broken down, is simply hypnosis + therapy approaches. We draw from various different areas of therapy (behavioural, cognitive, analytical and regression) as well as different therapy modalities, including; psychology, CBT, REBT, mindfulness, counselling, NLP, etc. and all of these approaches are used with hypnotherapy clients. When hypnotised, a client is less consciously critical and more open to sharing information. This means their change happens on a deeper level. This openness to change dramatically increases the uptake of ‘change work suggestions’, meaning clients are often able to make changes happen more easily than if they were in a standard talking therapy or counselling session.
Do you want to become a hypnotherapist for the ‘speed’?
Hypnotherapy is a brief, strategic and solution-focused therapy. The idea is to see the client for as few sessions as is required, and to help a client change as quickly as they are able to, whilst ensuring it’s a sustainable long-term change. It is not uncommon for a hypnotherapy client to have a single session and be rid of a life-long habit, a crippling phobia, a long-held negative belief, or any number of other significant issues. Sure, sometimes it can take a little longer, but the majority of hypnotherapy clients only tend to have between 1-4 sessions with a hypnotherapist before achieving their desired goal. This rapid therapeutic process is certainly desirable for clients, as it means they get what they want sooner, and with less time-investment overall. It’s also the reason that the majority of hypnotherapists charge more per session than other talking therapists and counsellors.
Do you want to become a hypnotherapist for the flexibility?
As well as financial flexibility and flexibility of working hours, with hypnotherapy you also have flexibility in terms of your chosen approach. As mentioned above, hypnotherapists are often taught a variety of therapeutic approaches to use within the hypnotherapy session. When you become a hypnotherapist, you’re not limited to sticking to a script or following a specific/linear protocol. In fact, you’ll likely begin to tailor your therapy sessions to your clients individually. For example, at the Rory Z Hypnosis Academy, as well as teaching various behavioural, cognitive, analytical and regression approaches that can be used as appropriate with each client, I also teach a ‘three phase treatment plan’, which involves getting the client prepared for therapy, working on the issue/goal, then giving the client the tools with which to maintain their progress after the therapy session(s).
The RZHA hypnotherapy process, paired with a thorough case-history/intake process, means no two hypnotherapy clients will receive the same session, which is important, because all clients are individuals and their therapy needs to be bespoke to them. This is an area where hypnotherapy often surpasses therapies that rely on clients following ‘linear protocols’, such as CBT, as the hypnotherapy process is a lot more flexible and can easily be adapted to the speed at which the client is progressing. That said, some important elements of CBT/REBT are also included on our online hypnotherapy course, because they work well, and they can be made even more effective when coupled with hypnotherapy!
Become a hypnotherapist with the Rory Z Hypnosis Academy
Whether you’re a therapist already, or you’re coming into the hypnotherapy world with no experience whatsoever, hypnotherapy is definitely a great career option. There are many different resources to help you get started if you seriously want to become a hypnotherapist, or even if you’d like to learn a little more about the subject before you make your decision. We have a vast number of blogs on the topics of becoming a hypnotherapist, types of hypnotherapy, hypnotherapy qualifications, making money as a hypnotherapist, and many more!
When you’re ready to take the next step and become a hypnotherapist, we have a range of hypnotherapy training options. From books, to online training and in-person courses, at the Rory Z Hypnosis Academy, we’ve got your back. Check out our full range of hypnotherapy training options here:
