Training and Education

I am registered as a certified Consulting Hypnotist (CH) with the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH). I have completed the NGH training, and many more hours of advanced hypnosis training, including instruction in parts therapy, age regression, PTSD, smoking cessation, weight management, sports performance and learning enhancement, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), as well as Neurolinguistics Programming (NLP). As a member of the guild, I must complete annual continuing education to maintain my certification. The NGH is the oldest and largest hypnotism organization in the world, and its certification is the most widely recognized credential for the professional practice of the hypnotism.

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A native of Asheville, N.C., I am a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with undergraduate and master’s degrees in Journalism and Mass Communications. I have 30 years of experience in journalism, public relations and marketing, primarily focusing in health communications.

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Notice

Because the State Of North Carolina has not adopted education and training standards for the practice of hypnotism, this statement of credentials is for informational purposes only.

 

Hypnotism is a self-regulating profession and its practitioners are not licensed by the state of North Carolina. I am neither a physician nor a licensed health care provider, and I may not provide a medical diagnosis nor recommend discontinuance of medically prescribed treatments. If a client desires a diagnosis or any other type of treatment from a different practitioner, the client may seek such services at any time. In the event that a client terminates my services, the client has a right to coordinated transfer of services to another practitioner. A client has a right to refuse hypnotism services at any time. A client has the right to be free of physical, verbal or sexual abuse. A client has a right to know the expected duration of sessions, and may assert any right without retaliation.

 

Redress

I am a certified member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, and I practice in accordance with its Code of Ethics and Standards. If you have a complaint about my services or behavior that I cannot resolve for you personally, you may contact: The National Guild of Hypnotists, P.O. Box 308, Merrimack, NH 03054-0308, (613) 429-9438 to seek redress. Other hypnotism services may be available to you in the community. You may locate such providers in the phone book or via the Internet.

 

Fees

The regular hourly fee for my services is $15 per hour, unless otherwise specified in advance. Payment is expected when services are delivered unless other arrangements are made. Cash, personal check, debit or credit cards are acceptable for payment. For more information on fees, program prices and my refund policy, see Services. Sessions purchased as part of a program are redeemable for up to six months from the date of purchase.

 

Insurance

I suggest you think of my services as something that you pay for personally. That approach will both protect your privacy and help you to value the work you are doing more. In general, insurance companies do not cover hypnotic services, and you should not expect them to do so.

 

Keeping and Changing Appointments

I commit to begin and end sessions on time, unless we agree otherwise. If you wish to change your appointment, please give me at least 24 hours in advance notice by emailing me at ImagineThatHypnosis@gmail.com or calling me at 919-590-9545. Without this prior notice, you will be expected to pay for any missed appointment time. I will not call or send you reminders for sessions.

 

Confidentiality

Client privacy is paramount. You will receive, read and sign a Client Bill of Rights before or during your first session. Your information is confidential, and I will not share it with anyone without your written consent except if I am required by law to do so, or if not doing so would result in harm to either you or someone else. You have a right to be allowed access to your written records.

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My Approach

Non-therapeutic hypnotism is the independent use of the hypnotic arts and sciences to help a client adopt positive thinking and the capacity for self-hypnosis. As a professional hypnotist, my role is to teach, coach, guide, instruct and train everyday people to resolve everyday problems through the use of self-hypnosis. I see my work as a hypnotist as non-therapeutic in nature. Hypnotists do not engage in the independent diagnosis and treatment of medical or mental disease or offer any form of dietary or nutritional guidance or counsel. The services I render are offered to the public as a form of motivational coaching, combined with instruction in self-hypnosis. I do not represent my services as any form of health care or psychotherapy, and despite research findings to the contrary, by law I may make no health benefit claims for my services.

 

Terminology

A hypnotist is a person who is certified in the hypnotic arts and may hold various certifications for different hypnosis issues. They are regulated by an organization that certifies their education and ethical standards but are not licensed by the state. Hypnotism is a legal profession in North Carolina, but the state does not license hypnotists. In North Carolina, to use the title of a “hypno-therapist," you must be a licensed mental-health or medical practitioner who has received training in the hypnotic arts in addition to training in mental health and/or medicine.

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Hypnosis for Health

While consulting hypnotists are not health care providers, hypnosis is a complementary treatment to medical and mental health care. It is meant to be an adjunct to a medical and mental health treatment and to assist treatment goals. It does not replace medical directives. Do not discontinue any prescribed medication or change or disregard directives by your physician or mental health provider without talking with him or her first, even if your symptoms improve.