Hypnotherapy and DBS Checks
Having spent the weekend discussing good practice, it has focused my mind on things that practitioners do which make them sound more than they are. The most common of these approaches is the use of having a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
A DBS check is for checking the criminal record for people working in certain healthcare and child settings. Now, is it a good idea to know that your therapist does not have a criminal record? Yes of course it is. However, should this be a marketing tool? No.
In reality making a big deal about a DBS check like making a big deal about having a passport or a drivers licence. The DBS check is not meant to be something that a practitioner uses like a qualification, it is a background check. Which currently is not a legal requirement in the practise of hypnotherapy, psychotherapy or counselling.
I can fully understand that in business you look for any advantage you can gain, but a DBS check was not and is not a qualification to be bandied about to imply that a person is a good practitioner. Just one that does not have a criminal record. Oh and before you ask, yes I do have an Advanced DBS check on me and no I have no criminal record. I just would never use it to promote my services, as it only proves that I have no criminal record, not whether or not I am a skilled and competent practitioner.
