These days, with mobility and information dissemination being what they are, many of us have several choices availble to us when we begin to search for hypnosis training. There are many different organizations offering different programs for different lengths of time and varying price schedules. So how does one choose?

This guide assumes that the seeker has limits regarding time and money.

LOCATION
First it is a good idea to locate the options within the area you are willing to travel to. If you live within a major metropolitan area, there are likely to be several choices. In other areas, you might find it necessary to travel or seek out homestudy training.

One way to take the guesswork out of training choices is to contact the major organizations, such as the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), the International Association of Counselors and Therapists (IACT), or American Board of Hypnotherapy (ABH), and find out what trainings they sponsor, approve, or certify.

TIME
Figure out< among the options available to you, how much time you are willing to devote to your training, keeping in mind that certification and membership in major hypnosis organizations, such as the NGH, may require 150 hours of training or more. In the past, weekend intensive trainings have been offered by a number of organizations, to mixed reviews. If such a training is your only option, and you understand that extensive self-study will be necessary afterwards to solidify any acquired skills, you might consider it. Most who take such courses do not go on to practice. For a more thorough hypnotherapy training, you would, of course, be wise to take a 100-hour, or longer, training. Some hypnosis schools require over 500 hours of training prior to certification. Some states have established minimum training requirements for certification and licensure. It might be wise to ask the organization offering the training what the legal requirements are for your area (if you are studying in your area) They should be willing to share such informaiton with you.

COST
Assuming you ahve several options, decide how much you are willing to pay for training. I fyou have more money at your disposal, of course, you can consider traveling to receive your training.

Having worked out the length of training you wish to take, and the price you are willing to pay, assuming, again, that you have choices, how do you choose a teacher? It is a good idea to call the teacher, if possible, and have a short chat about what is included in the training, how this might satisfy your goals, and what you might reasonably expect to be able to do after completion of the training. What you are ultimately looking for, however, is a rapport, a feeling as to whether you trust this person, and whether you feel, while talking to the instructor, that you will, indeed, be able to learn from this person. Trust and confidence in the instructor are extremely important. In a competitive market, many instructors’ advertisements may look virtually the same. In such cases, talking with the instructor can be pivotal to your choice.

Looking at the photo of the instructor is also an option. If the teacher doesn’t appeal to you in some way, or if you get a less-than-positive feeling, that might or might not be an indicator for you. (In my own case, I once made a final choice by the photo method, and found I had made a big mistake. On the other hand, recently, upon seeing the photo of a teacher with whom I was going to study, I received a less than favorable impression, but went to the training anyway, and found that my impression had been correct) This method is not the most scientific, but if you have nothing else to go on, it is worth a try.

Ask around. If you don’t know anyone who has trained with the teacher, you might consider asking the instructor for the names and addresses of a few former students, as references.

If you have a particular field of interest, such as pain management, or past life regression, ask the providers you’re considering if they cover these topics in their trainings. If they don’t, it is not necessarily an indicator that you should not study with them, but, if you have a choice of training programs, and another does cover your topic, it might help you narrow down the choice.

Of course, these are just a few ideas... you already have your own.