Brenda J. Titus, BCH

One of my colleagues recently asked me about the Board Certification process with the National Guild of Hypnotists.  It got me thinking back to an article I shared about my journey to board certification in 2015.  I thought I’d share it today, as we are now 6 months away from this year’s Summer Convention, when most people sit for their interview and exam. 

When I learned I had passed my exam and officially achieved my goal back in 2015, family and friends asked what that meant- more money?  More clients? More prestige in the field? While it is technically true that Board Certification can lead to more money, clients, and prestige, the truth is that I did this to gain the faith and confidence of the most important person in my hypnosis practice- myself.  As I took the journey to become a Board Certified Hypnotist, I broadened my range of knowledge, I improved my skills, I challenged myself to push through the process, and through that process, I gained the confidence within my business that has seen my hypnosis practice boom over the last year. Today, I’d like to share “what’s in it for me,” in the hopes that you will consider asking yourself what’s in it for you.    

Going through the process of Board Certification requires the hypnotist to display their knowledge of history, techniques, and ethical practice.  This is done through a variety of channels: an interview, where the Hypnotist is evaluated on how they present themselves in person; an exam, where the hypnotist is evaluated on their ability to answer questions correctly while under pressure; and a written article, where the hypnotist is evaluated on their ability to present themselves in writing.  Through every step of this journey as I studied, prepared, and wrote, I broadened my understanding of the field of hypnosis, from history, to who’s who, to ethics and standards of practice. This immediately impacted my day to day work with my clients, whether through a more thorough understanding of the techniques, clearer ethical practices, or my confidence in the process and how I could help my clients.  This knowledge and confidence immediately impacted sales and sessions in a positive way.

As my knowledge, skills, and confidence improved, something else happened- my bookings improved!  I was more confident in my approach with callers as I had a better understanding of my ability to help them, and I became more aggressive in my approach to filling my session openings.  Throughout the year that I prepared for the Board Certification exam, I often had a fully booked calendar with a several week wait to get in for sessions! Not only were my skills improving, I was using them more often, which continued to lead to greater client success.  This client success led to great Yelp reviews, which again, led to more clients learning of my services.

There is something very powerful in setting a goal, developing a plan to achieve it, taking the steps required, and ultimately achieving the goal.  It challenges you to be better every day. What’s in it for me? In the end, studying and preparing for Board Certification led to more clients and more money.  It also led to more confidence, more peace of mind, and more enthusiasm for this great profession! I got all of those before I ever even ordered new business cards or updated my website, and you can too.

I hope that you have found inspiration in learning about my Board Certification process and how it impacted my hypnosis practice.  I leave you with the question- I’ve shared what’s in it for me…what is in it for you?