The Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy (DCH) degree is an unrecognized degree in the United States ^[1]. When such a degree is available, it is often granted by schools offering distance education, usually in conjunction with existing hypnotherapy certification programs.

Because the majority of hypnotherapy degrees are offered through programs that are unaccredited in nature, they do not have to meet any requirements established by national licensing standards.

Contents 1 Consumer Concerns 2 Cat Experiment 3 Hypnotherapy Training 4 See also 5 References

[edit] Consumer Concerns

Accredited doctorate degrees in mental health, such as M.D., Ph.D., Psy.D., and Ed.D., are tightly controlled by state and federal laws. There is a growing concern among these professionals that hypnotists are misleading consumers^[2].

[edit] Cat Experiment

A 2002 experiment conducted by psychologist Dr. Steve Eichel, called "This Cat Is Not a Hypnotist", shows how he was able to obtain a hypnotherapy degree for his cat "Zoe".^[3]

Dr. Eichel applied for and was able to obtain a variety of credentials on Zoe's behalf. In order to get her certified as a hypnotherapist by the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), the International Medical & Dentistry Hypnotherapy Association (IMDHA) and the American Board of Hypnotherapy (ABH), he only had to fill out online applications with made-up information and pay the application fee.

[edit] Hypnotherapy Training

There are several accrediting professional bodies in the United States that require minimum standards in specialized hypnotherapy education to become certified as a hypnotherapist (C.Ht.)^[4]. The two major accrediting bodies in the U.S. are The National Guild of Hypnotists and IMDHA. Both are educational organizations dedicated to standards and practice efforts in understanding and extending applications in hypnotherapy.

[edit] See also

• Hypnotherapy

[edit] References