Are Hypnotherapists Psychologists
To all things their place is an adage I have lived my life by. A slight alteration of that thought is to all professions their place. I have noticed and indeed I have written on many occasions on the idea of professionals sticking to their professional competencies.
Today I would like to extend that point to saying that professionals need to stick to their own professional titles. Now, the title for today is Are Hypnotherapists Psychologists? The answer is simple, some hypnotherapists are indeed psychologists. Which means that they have at least studied psychology and acquired a first degree in psychology. A more strict interpretation would be a person who appears on the HCPC register as an applied psychologist (This admittedly would be my preferred interpretation). These are professionals who have undertaken years of study at undergraduate and post graduate level.
All too often, I am seeing hypnotherapists referring to themselves as psychologists without even having a first degree in psychology. Now, they are smart enough not to use the proscribed title of “Applied Psychologist”, but the average member of the public do not know the distinction. I, for one, am tired of practitioners playing it fast and loose with professional titles. I believe that bodies which purport to regulate the profession need to take their obligation to the public and profession and start insisting on their members using their proper titles in their professional practice. If practitioners choose not to do this, the profession does not need them, as they are misleading the public by design or by ignorance. Either reason is unacceptable in this day and age.
