The purpose of our associations is to provide qualifying training in the therapeutic use of hypnosis and hypnosis-inspired brief therapies.
As misuse of this training could result in endangering the scientific credit of hypnosis and hypnotherapists, member associations are invited to undersign the ethical code of the Confédération Francophone d’Hypnose et de Thérapie Brève (French-speaking Confederation for Hypnosis and Brief Therapy).
- The interest and the well being of the patient are the sole aim of therapy.
- Hypnosis is seen as one helping possibility among other forms of validated scientific or clinical practices. Therefore, a mere knowledge of hypnosis techniques shall not make a sufficient basis for either therapeutic or research activity. The hypnotherapist should possess duly acquired diplomas allowing him/her to fulfil his/her hypnotherapy activity in the fields where he/she is active: doctor, dentist, psychologist, midwife, nurse, physiotherapist, or others healthcare professionals.
- The hypnotherapist shall limit his/her clinical and scientific use of hypnosis to the areas and skills duly recognized by the rules of his/her profession.
- Hypnosis shall not be used as a form of entertainment. Members are specially advised that they should never take part in any public entertainment show.
- The hypnotherapist shall neither facilitate nor support the use of hypnosis by unqualified people (see point 2 above).
- The hypnotherapist shall not pass on any information on training in hypnotic techniques to persons not fully qualified. Exceptions to this rule could be made for students nearing the end of their training in the relevant fields of activity where hypnosis should be practised.
- In any of the above cases, practising hypnotherapy should be subject to full qualification in the relevant field of activity. As for students in paramedical professions, hypnotherapy should take place within an appropriate structure, under supervision of a qualified hypnotherapist in the relevant field of activity (doctor, dentist, psychologist, midwife…) having practised medical hypnosis for at least five years.
- Giving out information on hypnosis to the various media is recommended as long as it lays on accurate knowledge and contributes to alleviate misunderstandings and false representations of hypnosis. On the other hand, hypnotherapists being trained by the association should avoid any action (communications, publications etc.) that could jeopardize the scientific and ethical credit of hypnotherapy and give a fallacious, simplistic and biased view of it (i.e. confusion with magic and pseudo-sciences), thus resulting in promoting unqualified practice of hypnosis. In this matter the two basic rules are refraining from any overactive triumphalism and always quoting one’s sources. As a result, if trainee hypnotherapists are encouraged, under the supervision of their trainers, to publish their research work in the scientific community, they should on the other hand refrain from commenting publicly on hypnosis in non-scientific media (conferences, articles, interviews, contacts with both written and audiovisual press) as long as their training is not fully completed.
Failure to observe the above ethical rules could result in exclusion from the association (or from training programme and/or delivery of accreditations) by the Board of the CFHT.