The National Guild of Hypnotists, Inc. a not-for-profit, educational corporation in the State of New Hampshire was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1951. The Guild is a professional organization comprised of dedicated individuals committed to advancing the field of hypnotism. We provide an open forum for the free exchange of ideas concerning hypnotism. Our certification is taught in a dozen or more languages and we currently have over 7500 members in 45 countries.

Local chapters were formed and operating in many major cities throughout the United States and other countries. Important resources through the years have been the Journal of Hypnotism and the Hypno-Gram, the very first publications devoted exclusively to the field of hypnotism.

Each year the NGH holds an educational conference and continuing education workshops which are attended by hypnotists from all over the world. Our organization continues to encourage an eclectic exchange of ideas, fellowship, mutual trust and cooperation among members - while promoting and protecting the art, science and philosophy of hypnotism.

When the National Guild of Hypnotists was formed about 10% of our members were hypnotherapists and 90% were students of hypnosis or demonstrational hypnotists. Now, fifty-three years later it is the exact opposite - 90% of our members are hypnotherapists and 10% are demonstrational hypnotists.

The National Guild of Hypnotists has a strict code of ethics and an ethics committee which acts promptly on any complaints. Many of our members are credentialed in other health fields such as medicine, dentistry, education, counseling, nursing, psychology and so forth. With our code of ethics and standards of practice we have taken the lead in establishing standards in the field such as required continuing education credits each year, a standardized core-curriculum taught by certified instructors, and standardized titles for practitioners.

Our members work with recreational, vocational, avocational, educational and self-improvement issues with their clients. In other words, areas of self-improvement that do not qualify as medical disorders and are not severe enough to be considered psychopathologies. These are the little things which the majority of Americans are struggling with every day - such as the person who needs to lose a few pounds to get ready for a special occasion, or the smoker who just needs that extra help to stop, or the person who gets nervous about flying, taking exams or speaking in public.

There are many special applications for hypnosis as a complementary modality to other health fields such as obstetrics, dental, and so forth. Medical or psychological problems are accepted generally through referral by appropriate licensed health professionals.

Some of our members also work with oncology patients to help alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, as well as to improve and maintain the quality of life for the patient who has been declared terminal. A recent ten year study has been published on a program which was conducted by one of our members in an Illinois hospital.

More and more, the American public is becoming interested in non-invasive, mind/body approaches that give them the ability to take charge of their personal problems - hypnosis is one of these modalities.

The National Institutes of Health has been mandated by the government to study the efficacy of various complimentary or alternative therapies among which is hypnotherapy. We are being recognized as a separate and distinct profession which can be complementary to the established health professions and useful to the public at large.

For referrals call 1-888-531-6179 and leave your name, city, state, zip code, and telephone number and you will be called back with a list of NGH Members in your area. This can also be done by e-mail to nghreferrals@ngh.net or fax (603) 424-8066. If you want more information on training please go to our NGH Certified Instructors page for upcoming classes in your area.

National Guild of Hypnotists, Inc.