What does it take to be a clinical hypnotherapist?
Published on: Thursday, July 14, 2022
By:
Sheila Menon, FMT
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It takes a special kind of person to change the world, and therapists do this every day by listening to clients and helping them transform for the better. (Rawpixel pic)
You could also be someone who actively enjoys listening to others, or wants to help people become stronger, healthier, and happier versions of themselves.
Here are four traits that can be found in people who make good therapists.
1. Listening skills
Regardless of whether they are counsellors, clinical hypnotherapists, or psychiatrists, all therapists need to be good listeners. Their role is to hear and validate clients’ experiences while identifying the patterns of how their mind works, and finding solutions to the healing process.
Clinical hypnotherapists are also trained to listen to both the conscious and unconscious mind – that is, the client’s thought process and their emotions, at the same time. Skills such as active listening and creating treatment plans are all part of the learning process.
2. Empathy
Effective therapists forge genuine relationships with the people they help, even if these relationships have therapeutic boundaries designed to ensure safe and ethical practice.
It is very rewarding to see how your clients change and grow during these sessions. People value the opportunity to share their experiences without the fear of critical judgment or disapproval; and research shows that listening with compassion and empathy creates measurable therapeutic benefits for both the client and therapist.
3. Confidentiality
Therapy sessions create the opportunity for people to say, feel, or explore things in a private space. It requires a degree of mental effort to maintain other people’s secrets, as client information may contain painful details and can sometimes include negative information or socially unacceptable thinking.
Part of learning to be a therapist involves acquiring the skills for self-care, recognising red flags, and maintaining regular sessions of clinical supervision no matter your level of experience. Clinical hypnotherapists know how to build a rapport with their clients to engage with their perspectives and bring their issues into focus.
Qualified clinical hypnotherapists help people work through anxiety, depression, and other difficult emotional challenges. (Freepik pic)
4. Handling breakups
People sometimes change their therapist or leave altogether, sometimes without any reason. It is important for therapists to recognise that the client may just have become tired of the process or reached a plateau in their growth. Appropriate training can prepare the therapist to recognise the signs.
There will also be times when you have to recognise that therapy has been successfully concluded. Some clients enjoy their sessions so much that they make them part of their regular weekly routine. In such cases, the therapist should kindly and respectfully guide the client towards activities outside the consultation room, and allow them to establish independent social engagement.
Clinical hypnotherapy should be considered a brief strategic therapy. An effective measure of success is when the client no longer needs the support of a therapist.
Back to school?
Effective training can make a difference in whether or not you establish a successful therapy practice. Courses by the LSCCH-LCCH Asia Group include both classroom learning and clinical training, which means when you complete the course, you will have worked with about 40 different clients and have the confidence to start out on your own as a qualified clinical hypnotherapist.
One of the benefits of being an adult learner is that you already have a wealth of life experience. This knowledge, together with a desire to help others and an openness to learn new things, are some of the most important qualities you can bring when starting a career as a clinical hypnotherapist.
Sheila Menon is the Principal of the London College of Clinical Hypnosis (LCCH) in Asia and Australia, and the CEO of the LSCCH Therapy Centre.
