As a hypnotherapist, you may have read about this as mentioned by some of the bigger and forward thinking organisations in the field. It is certainly news that shows some steps forward for the hypnotherapy profession and if you are a hypnotherapist, you should really know this stuff.

This is the text of the latest Newsletter (19) released by UKCHO:

PROFESSIONAL REGULATION

“Regulation, whether statutory or voluntary, is about protecting the public. For this reason, the Government through the Department of Health fully supports the work of The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). The Department of Health has stated that the only register of complementary or alternative therapists that they will recognize is the CNHC.” (A Statement by the Department of Health, 2010).

As reported previously in UKCHO News, The Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council has been established and supported by the Department of Health with the aim that its kite-mark ‘CNHC Registered’ will give complementary healthcare practitioners the opportunity to demonstrate that they are bona fide and meet recognised standards of competence and probity, and abide by a rigorous code of conduct, performance and ethics, and, in addition, that they are covered by adequate professional indemnity insurance. The Hypnotherapy Regulatory Forum, with its two constituent bodies, The UK Confederation of Hypnotherapy Organisations and The Working Group on Hypnotherapy Regulation, has now finalised its policy and programme of work for the voluntary regulation of the hypnotherapy profession. Under the independent chairmanship of Dr Jenny Gordon, and with the professional advice and financial support of The Prince’s Foundation, the Hypnotherapy Regulatory Forum has agreed standards for education and training, together with codes of conduct, ethics and performance, and has established registers of accredited hypnotherapists, who are safe and competent to practice.

The target date for the completion of the work leading to the professional regulation of hypnotherapy has always been 30th December 2010, and UKCHO is pleased to report that the Hypnotherapy Regulatory Forum has now agreed with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council that the voluntary regulation of the hypnotherapy profession will begin on 1st December 2010 with the opening of the new CNHC National Register of Hypnotherapists.

The first stage in the regulation process will be for the transfer to the CNHC of the information contained in the UKCHO database of hypnotherapists, so that CNHC may contact individual hypnotherapy practitioners inviting them to register with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council. (For the professional advantages of CNHC Registration, please visit the website at www.cnhc.org.uk). This transfer of information to the CNHC will comply with the Data Protection Acts and those hypnotherapy practitioners who do not wish their details to be passed on to the CNHC should notify UKCHO at ukcho.registrar@btinternet.com by Friday 26th November 2010, giving their name and registration number, together with a clear statement that they do not wish their details to be transferred to CNHC. It is important to note, however, that to be recognized by the Department of Health hypnotherapy practitioners will need to be listed on the CNHC Register.

Within The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council the hypnotherapy profession will have its own ‘Profession Specific Board’ to advise the CNHC on relevant matters of education and training, and standards of ethics, conduct and performance. Initially, the four members of the PSB will be nominated by the Hypnotherapy Regulatory Forum to serve for an initial period of three years, after which nominations for election to the PSB will be sought from all ‘CNHC Registered Hypnotherapists’.

======= Ends.

I shall be watching developments with a keen eye and look forward to seeing what it is like to be CNHC registered…