How to Learn Hypnosis in Your Home

Hypnosis is used successfully by psychiatrists, psychologists, pain management specialists and others to help people quit smoking, lose weight and face fears, among other things. But it also has a burlesque background that's hard to shake off--especially when it is still used as entertainment by magicians/hypnotists on stage and by amateur hypnotists as a party amusement.

Things You'll Need

• CD player
• DVD player

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Instructions

• 1

  Hypnotism has long been popular at parties.

  Know what you want to learn. If you want to become a recreational hypnotist--able to hypnotize friends or relatives at parties--it's pretty easy to learn how. A quick online search for "at-home hypnosis training" will produce hundreds of choices. Try to purchase your materials from a website that has been certified by one of the several hypnotherapy professional organizations--and that has a good reputation as a merchant.

  But don't look for your money back if you can't make Uncle Walter cluck like a chicken. There are many misconceptions about hypnotism. Make sure you know what is fantasy and what is fact.

• 2

  Hypnotherapists can help people quit smoking, lose weight and face fears.

  Find a well-respected school that offers online classes or "distance learning" if you are thinking about becoming a professional hypnotherapist. You do not need a degree in medicine or psychiatry to become a hypnotherapist, but it is extremely important that you understand what your legal limits are. If you go over the line, you are practicing medicine without a license and could end up in jail.

  Recognized schools will help you avoid those errors and often help with post-graduation employment advice and continuing education.

• 3

  Take the time to carefully compare schools.

  Explore the schools' websites and check on their credentials. Only four states require licenses to practice hypnotherapy--Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana and Washington--and some cities and counties across the country have local regulations. Beyond that, hypnotherapy is a self-regulated industry--which means you have to do your homework. If the school says it is "certified," go to the website of the organization that provided the certificate and make sure it is legitimate. As a general rule of thumb, be leery of organizations where the focus of the website seems to be more on selling products than on advocating professional ethics.

• 4

  Online training is available, but many schools offer only face-to-face training.

  Consider a combination of in-person and at-home training. As you explore hypnosis schools and certifying agencies, you'll find a huge range of options. Some schools offer distance learning programs, and some offer only face-to-face training.

• 5

  Do a careful cost-value analysis. Be sure that you're making the best investment. Does the school you're considering offer continuing education? Professional support? Certification through a respected organization? Any or all of those may well be worth the extra investment.

• 6

  Earning a hypnotherapy certificate will help open career doors.

  Select a school and either order your material, if you plan to learn by CD or DVD, or check their training calendar and start registering for online classes.

• 7