Certification Eligibility For Our Graduates

The practice of hypnotherapy is not regulated at the federal level. This means educational institutions and professional certifying boards set their own standards for minimum academic requirements, scope of practice, code of ethics, postgraduate studies and continuing education.

Historical Standards

In the 1950’s the standard was less than 100 hours of training.
In the 1980’s the standard was set at 200 hours.
In 2010 new standards were established which require a minimum of 400 hours of training before certification as a medical support clinical hypnotherapist by the International Board of Hypnotherapy (IBH)

There are many different certifying organizations and levels of certification with varying titles. Usually, fewer training hours (approximately 100) earns the professional title of “Hypnotist.” With more training hours, (200-300) the title of “Hypnotherapist” is awarded.  The title of “Clinical Hypnotherapist” is awarded at 300 training hours and “Medical Support Clinical Hypnotherapist” is awarded after 400 training hours by the International Board of Hypnotherapy.

Hypnotherapy education is classified under the category of human services by the United States Department of Education. Therefore, it is our position, as it is many in the educational system, that brief and superficial training or correspondence and online courses are inappropriate for initial or foundational training for professional practice.

The International Board of Hypnotherapy was established to facilitate hypnotherapists’ access to quality post-graduation support, mentoring and bi-monthly continuing education. It was founded by Robert Sapien, MD, and Tim and Angela Simmerman Sierra. The IBH requires its members to have 400 hours of hypnotherapy education from a school licensed by its state department of higher education and whose curriculum complies with the United State Department of Education requirements for hypnotherapy training programs. IBH requires that members successfully complete both written and practical skills examinations with a score of 80% or better, and provide an actual clinical case history for peer review. Also, because clinical hypnotherapists are classified as members of the humans services field, proof of identity is required.

Certification Eligibility

Hypnotherapy Academy of America graduates are eligible for certification with the International Board of Hypnotherapy and the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners.

Hypnotherapy Academy Directors, Tim and Angela Simmerman Sierra’s leadership in increasing requirements for certification as a clinical hypnotherapist, has earned the respect of many, including serious medical researchers. The Hypnotherapy Academy of America has the unique distinction of providing the National Institutes of Health with hypnotherapy protocols for use in their scientific research of mind-body medicine.

So far, people have traveled from 35 countries and all 50 states to learn Integral Hypnotherapy™ at the Hypnotherapy Academy of America.

The Hypnotherapy Academy of America relocated from Santa Fe to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2013.