2009 Best pick for hypnosis certification course:

Academy for Professional Hypnosis Training

Offering classes as an adjunct to one's current profession in California, Wisconsin and Arizona.

Why we like them:

The Academy for Professional Hypnosis Training has been successfully training hypnotists from all over the world for a decade. Their graduates include family counselors, nurses, psychotherapists, MDs, as well as salespeople, massage therapists and energy healers. Some of their graduates are becoming leaders in the field of hypnosis, and even top stage hypnotists who headline in Vegas and on cruise ships.

It is one of the few classes where students must conduct a complete beginning-to-end hypnosis session with a member of the public in order to graduate. Also unlike most other courses, there is no sales pressure. In fact, an interview with the instructor is necessary for admittance to the course. Students say that they receive a suitcase full of materials and books, all of excellent quality.

The director and instructor, Mary Elizabeth Raines, is an adjunct faculty member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, and has an international reputation as an outstanding teacher of hypnosis. She writes articles on hypnosis, and also teaches classes in Past-life Regression Counselor Training and Guided Imagery Certification.

What it's like:

This course is not for people who just want to sit in the back of a classroom, unnoticed. It is a pretty intensive course, and includes lots of direct hands-on experience both hypnotizing and being hypnotized. Class size is usually not above twelve, and the pace of the class is varied, but moves quickly. We are told--and see through pictures and reports--that Ms. Raines prefers to teach in comfortable spaces whenever possible, with couches and recliners, in order to maximize student comfort.

What we hear:

Our understanding is that they are in the process of putting more of the class on DVD, so actual classroom hours will be shorter in the future. We hear that a new Wisconsin classroom has recently been built and is in process of receiving finishing touches.