Hypnotherapy businesses in the UK operate without a formal governing body or official regulatory framework.
This means that hypnotherapists are responsible for the quality of their services, and there is no set standard for hypnotherapy practitioners to meet in order to be considered safe and responsible.
The lack of a governing body does not mean that hypnotherapy services are unregulated or unsafe. Rather, hypnotherapists must take it upon themselves to ensure they provide a high-quality service and operate in accordance with professional standards, and they do this without an official regulator.
To this end, hypnotherapists may join professional organisations such as the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) which provides hypnotherapists with a comprehensive code of professional conduct and a range of other resources to help them in their practice. The NCH also works to promote hypnotherapy as an effective and safe form of therapy throughout the UK. Many training courses are linked to self-appointed professional associations that share the same kind of code of conduct and complaints procedure.
In addition, hypnotherapists often pursue specific qualifications in hypnotherapy, to ensure they are engaging in continued professional development. Many also engage with professional supervisors, so that they can utilise their experience to best serve their clients, see past personal biases, and adopt self-care strategies.
Overall, hypnotherapy businesses in the UK are able to operate effectively and safely without an official governing body. While hypnotherapists must take it upon themselves to ensure they are providing a quality service, there are still ways for hypnotherapists to demonstrate their commitment to professional standards.
Therefore, hypnotherapy is a self-regulated industry that is still able to meet the highest standards of professionalism without an official governing body.
At Jacquin Hypnosis Academy, we invite our students to join the Jacquin Professional Hypnotherapy Association that provides ongoing professional development, business development and peer-to-peer supervision.