Hypnosis: How To Avoid Being Ripped Off

I was reading an article about scams and rip-offs, in particular to weight loss systems, and although it didn’t specifically focus on hypnosis, some of the points were worth re-iterating for when choosing a hypnotherapist:

Advertising. Beware of any advertisements that state ‘miraculous’, ‘breakthrough’ or ‘secret’. Often, the products or services haven’t or can’t be scientifically proven. We all know that Hypnotherapy is not science and even in trials where it has proved to have a great success rate, it cannot be understood properly. However, hypnotherapists shouldn’t be using these words in their advertisements.

Qualifications. Find a properly qualified hypnotherapist. We’ve covered this in our previous article How To Choose A Good Hypnotherapist so make sure you follow the guidelines listed

Quoted success rate. It is pretty much impossible to properly quote a success rate or guarantee. In the area of smoking, how can the hypnotherapist know unless they ring every single client every month to check they haven’t started again? The Advertising Standards Association (ASA) says that all ads must be clear and should only quote the success rate of the method, not the therapist. Furthermore, the rate should be proved by research and the ad should state which research they are quoting.

Guarantee. It is difficult for a hypnotherapist to offer a cast-iron guarantee. They should only quote one if the terms and conditions are clear for the client and also for the hypnotist, such as how long the guarantee will last for. Hypnosis cannot make anybody do what they do not want to do and for this reason, many hypnotherapists should try to ensure that the client does really want to stop before they take them on.

Refund. For the reasons above and because of the time involved, most hypnotherapists will not offer a refund although there is the odd one or two who will. It is more common to receive a second free or discounted session if the first one failed to get the desired results, particularly with hypnosis to stop smoking. You may wonder if a second session would work if the first one failed, however, there are different approaches to smoking cessation and the hypnotherapist may try a different method in the second session.

If you follow all of the above recommendations, then you should find yourself a good hypnotherapist. However, if you do have any problems, then get in touch with the organisation the hypnotherapist is registered with. After reading this, you will make sure you choose a registered hypnotherapist, won’t you?

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