Ethical guidelines for students undertaking training with Hypnosis Unit UK

These guidelines are based on  the Code of Ethics of the International Society of Hypnosis

 

Guideline 1

A student shall always place first the welfare of the client or the experimental subject when using hypnosis or hypnotic techniques in clinical practice, other applied situations or in experimentation.

(a) The standards of professional relationships which guide the physician, dentist, psychologist, or other defined professional worker, within the appropriate professional or scientific field, shall prevail in his or her use of all hypnotic techniques.

(b) Proper safeguards shall be maintained whenever a client or subject is exposed to unusual stress or other form of risk.  If stress or risk is involved, the person or subject should be informed and give consent.  Estimation of risk is a difficult matter, and when in doubt the practitioner should consult with professional colleagues.

 

Guideline 2

Hypnosis is considered an adjuvant to other forms of scientific, clinical and some non-clinical professional endeavours, so that competence in hypnotic techniques alone is not acceptable as a basis for professional service or research.

(a) In view of the dependence of hypnotic practice upon other qualifications, registration as a student on the programme requires proper standing in the recognised national organisations, appropriate to the field of competence not represented by hypnosis.  That is, a medical doctor is expected to belong to the appropriate medical association, a dentist to the appropriate dental association, a psychologist to the appropriate psychological associations, and so on.

(b) Item 2a requires acceptance of the ethical and scientific standards of a responsible professional organisation.

 

Guideline 3

Students shall limit their use of hypnosis to the area of competence as defined by the professional standards of their field.

 

Guideline 4

Hypnosis should not be used as a form of entertainment.  No student shall offer services for the purposes of public entertainment or collaborate with any person or agency engaged in public entertainment.

 

Guideline 5

A student shall not support the practice of hypnosis by laypersons.

(a) A lay person is defined here as one who is not a member in good standing of a therapeutic or scientific profession; that is, he or she is not a physician, dentist, psychologist, or member of another recognised therapeutic or scientific profession with credentials in addition to competence as a hypnotic practitioner.

(b) A student shall not give courses involving the teaching of hypnotic techniques to lay individuals who lack training in a relevant science or profession.  Lectures informing lay individuals about hypnosis are of course admissible providing they do not include demonstrations or didactic material involving the induction of hypnosis.

(c) Consultations with lay representatives of the press or other media of communication are permitted to minimise distortions or misrepresentations of hypnosis.