Who and How Do You Choose?
IN SUMMARY - CHOOSE A HYPNOTHERAPIST THAT
* Is A Member of a Professional Association
* A Friend has Referred
* Has Many Years As A Hypnotherapist
* Is A Specialist At What You Need Help With
* Has Proven Success via Customer Testimonials
* Has Clear and Transparent Pricing
* Does Not Mislead
* Will Get Back To You Within a few business hours
I only work with Smokers and from time to time previous clients get in touch and ask me for my recommendation to another Hypnotherapist for non-smoking related issues...so here's the advice I give them.
Firstly, If you've decided to see a Hypnotherapist... Here's some background on Hypnotherapy I think you should know.
In Australia Hypnotherapy is self-regulated and Hypnotherapists are not, by law, required to meet any specific standard of training. Scarey!!!!! This means that anyone can call themselves a Hypnotherapist, whack a sign on their door, build a website and see clients with no training, no insurance.
It is the responsibility of professional associations such as the Institute for Complementary Therapies to set industry standards. Hypnotherapists who are members of professional associations have agreed to abide by industry standards and the code of conduct of the association to which they belong (including ongoing education, business insurance, personal indemnity insurance, etc).
STEP ONE Choose a Hypnotherapist who is a member of a recognised professional association.
They ensure that therapists are professionally qualified, have insurance and abide by a code of conduct.
STEP TWO Ask your friends if they have had success with a particular Hypnotherapist
If you are thinking of utilising the service of a Hypnotherapist, check with your friends if they have had success with the same thing that you are trying to achieve
STEP THREE Do your research
Over 60% of my business is referrals, so when someone says they found me on google, I am always intrigued as to why they booked me compared to another one. Don't take the easy way out and just find the closest to your home/work.
Research
* How Long Have They Been In Business? ( a quick look at their Facebook Page should help).
* Do They Specialise In What You Want Help With? I recently saw that another Hypnotherapist (A Generalist Hypnotherapist) quote that they had helped 200 people stop smoking in the last 10 years (that's really only 20 per year). So they do a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Find yourself an expert.
* Check for Customer Reviews/Testimonials Check prospective Hypnotherapists Website/FaceBook etc for customer experiences
* Look for clear and transparent pricing / Why Don't Some Hypnotherapists Advertise Their Fees? This is a real bug bear of mine. Be weary if there is no pricing on a website. There are businesses out there "training" Hypnotherapists to not be transparent with their pricing, so when a client rings they are quoted an inflated price, then are quickly offered 50% off, if the Hypnotherapist thinks they wont pay the full fee.
* Be extremely weary of Guarantees? Hypnotherapists provide a service and we are legally not allowed to guarantee our services. Our Membership Association does not allow it and the ACCC says that it is illegal...so run a mile from "Lifetime Guarantees" and the like
* Have a conversation with us So many of us, Hypnotherapists, have online booking systems, but for a successful Hypnotherapy session you, the client, must feel comfortable with the Hypnotherapist. So if you need to pick up the phone and call for a chat. Most of us don't have receptionists to take our calls, but you should still expect to have your call returned within a few hours.
IN SUMMARY - CHOOSE A HYPNOTHERAPIST THAT
* Is A Member of a Professional Association
* A Friend has Referred
* Has Many Years As A Hypnotherapist
* Is A Specialist At What You Need Help With
* Has Proven Success via Customer Testimonials
* Has Clear and Transparent Pricing
* Does Not Mislead
* Will Get Back To You Within a few business hours