Shouldn hypnotherapy be done by a licensed psychiatrist, Ph.D or M.D.?
Some sources recommend that hypnotherapy only be practiced by a licensed mental health practitioner. That’s not necessarily bad advice. Because there are no licensing laws regarding hypnotherapists, it is possible to encounter under-trained practitioners. However, hypnotherapy and psychology are two different disciplines, although they do overlap. Most psychiatrists/psychologists have some knowledge of hypnosis; very few are actually trained hypnotherapists. A good hypnotherapist is trained and certified by an accredited school and has received a minimum of 100 hours of training. A good hypnotherapist will not represent him or her self as being able to work in areas in which he or she is not trained. Speaking for myself: I received over 300 hours of training in hypnotherapy at an accredited and respected school (The Palo Alto School of Hypnotherapy); I studied pastoral counseling at a state university extension (UCSC Extension). I do not attempt to diagnose psychological disorders, do
