{"id":73,"date":"2020-05-12T16:45:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-12T16:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hypno-cbt.com\/college\/?p=73"},"modified":"2026-11-03T09:56:02","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T09:56:02","slug":"how-to-succeed-as-a-hypnotherapist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hypno-cbt.com\/college\/insights\/how-to-succeed-as-a-hypnotherapist\/","title":{"rendered":"How to succeed as a hypnotherapist"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You CAN become a successful therapist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This article is a rapid-fire list of the best tips to get started in practice, updated for 2022. All of the points below can be used to develop and market an in-person or online therapy business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

None of these things are difficult to do (providing you aren\u2019t too much of a technophobe). However, they do require some learning and persistence.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They require that you make decisions and get on with implementing them  \u2013 rather than avoiding making those decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KEY POINT: The more decisions and actions you take every day the faster your therapy practice will grow.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I started out as a therapist I trained with the UK College of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy (then owned by Donald Robertson) \u2013 I only took that one training and applied it. In-depth and thoroughly. Deepening my knowledge by reading and studying. Building skills by applying it all to myself at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within 18 months of completing my training I was supporting my family in London (on a single income) \u2013 and had replaced my \u00a340,000\/year salary. Shortly after that I hired my wife (Fabienne, now co-Director) as my secretary because I was so busy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why am I sharing that?
Because I don\u2019t want you to get sucked into the \u201cI just need one more course to be ready\u201d mindset. That\u2019s called avoidance. Get on and get cracking!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Probably my biggest mistake was losing focus on my private practice<\/b> and considering other projects (8 weeks lost to the concept of launching a yoga magazine!). A mentor at the time said \u201cstop running around chasing every latest idea like a headless chicken. Focus. Commit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus, focus, focus.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus is genius.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set goals and focus. Commit. Apply problem-solving constantly.
Define the problem. Define the goal.\u00a0 Get creative in generating ideas and strategies. And address interfering factors like: stress, anxiety, overwhelm, hopelessness, low self-belief, lack of clarity about goals, etc.

[Use the techniques you learn on the Diploma in CBH to address all those issues.]<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your goals are getting you stressed then loosen them up to broader goals (\u201cI want to have a good practice, making reasonable money, helping people\u201d) \u2013 specific goals are juicier but can get us stressed. So, if you are feeling stressed, back off from the specific vision and go back to broader goals (\u201cI would really love to have my own practice, and other people have done that, and I can too.\u201d).

Overwhelm and low self-belief: it\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed with the list of things \u201cthat I must do\u201d \u2013 and then when we don\u2019t feel confident about one item (\u201cI don\u2019t know how to verify my business listing in Google local\u201d) \u2013 suddenly, like a virus (!) that low confidence about one task spreads onto everything on our list and our vision.

One thing at a time.
Remember you are good at some things, other people are good at other things.
Ask yourself \u2013 if someone else figured out how to do that is there ANY reason why, in the end, I couldn\u2019t figure that out too, even if I don\u2019t know how to do that now.
This high self-efficacy problem-solving attitude is the key!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ok \u2013 enough rambling. Here\u2019s the list. There are lots more ideas but this is a good solid start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to build your practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Work at least a full 40 hour week (minimum) every week on your business<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you aren\u2019t seeing clients then get busy marketing or honing your skills. (And don\u2019t use honing your skills as an excuse to avoid marketing!) If you aren\u2019t working 40 hours a week on your therapy business then you\u2019ve retired early, I\u2019m afraid!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the best and most realistic advice I got was from a hypnotherapist called David Botsford: he said that for the first few months he spent 8 hours marketing for every hour he spent doing hypnotherapy with clients. That\u2019s tough news to hear at the beginning. But be prepared for that and you will succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be constantly marketing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coca-cola has never stopped advertising. As a hypnotherapist you will always be marketing. You won\u2019t be seeing the same client for 2 years (unlike a lot of counsellors or psychotherapists). Typically you\u2019ll see a client for 3-6 sessions \u2013 so you need to have a constant stream of new clients. You want to be doing that because you help people change and fulfil their potential!
(In this approach we want our clients independent of us  – rather than dependent on us. ) <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why wouldn\u2019t you be comfortable marketing and letting people know about your services?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer: shyness and failing to value what you offer.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shyness is a key problem that must be overcome. Use what you know to address it strongly and repeatedly. Lifelong habits of shyness will take a while to change but they CAN be changed. Ultimately shyness is a type of avoidance, as if something terrible would happen if we spoke up.

The best book written on becoming free of shyness is Conditioned Reflex Therapy by Andrew Salter. This is the book that blazed the trail which became cognitive behavioural therapy. I just worked with Andrew Salter\u2019s son and Watkins Publishing, in London, to get the new edition published. Get it. Read it. Implement it.
Probably no book will change your life more than CRT (if you actually put it into action).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Value what you offer<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember what you offer is priceless in terms of how it can empower people and improve their quality of life. Never forget that.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Develop a Creative, Resilient, Problem-Solving Mindset<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building a successful therapy business is about solving problems. Building any business is about solving problems. Finding a therapy room. Getting clients. Getting referrals. Improving your website Google ranking. Re-building confidence after a set-back. Working out how to get more clients again.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are all problems to be solved \u2013 and they are all solvable problems.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be determined that you can and will solve these problems \u2013 any problems that arise. It\u2019s not about your innate qualities \u2013 it is about acquirable skills and knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charge the right amount<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out how much your competitors are charging and price yourself in the top 30%.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do not compete on price. Compete on quality, professionalism and service.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Network your contacts when starting out<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offer treatments at nominal rates to get started (a sort of \u201csoft launch\u201d). Message your entire network and tell them you have developed a new treatment approach and want some people to work with, who can also give you some feedback \u2013 and that you are just charging nominal rates for the first two months. Ask them to spread the word.
(This gets the word out and gets you clients \u2013 and reduces pressure on you.)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you rent a room in a yoga or therapy centre then offer free tasters to all staff, therapists and teachers \u2013 and then ask for referrals<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teach a self-hypnosis workshop (or mindfulness or stress management) online or in person<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can teach a client self-hypnosis then you can teach a group. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get a proper website built. Invest to succeed. (see below for some more quick tips on websites)<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you know how to change the content.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invest in learning the technology (it will pay huge dividends).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get a professional designer to do the design.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hire a copy-writer to help with your copy (writing your own copy about yourself is worse than pulling out your fingernails!).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join professional registers<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You get a logo for your website and a valuable link to your website (Google will consider those links as particularly valuable), plus you should get some referrals. Just one client will pay for that registration. You don\u2019t have to join every register.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set up your profile in therapist directories:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk is the most important. If you\u2019ve signed up with a directory, take the time to set up a professional profile with photos, description and other information.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sign up with several business directories.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freeindex, Yell, 192.com, ThomsonLocal, Scoot<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 make sure they have the correct business information (the same details as on the footer of your website)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setup Social Media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ensure they have the correct information and link to your website.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If things are going well then consider offering peak and off-peak prices<\/b> (so that you aren\u2019t working every evening).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get a telephone answering service<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We use Answer4u \u2013 it costs about \u00a31 per call. When my mobile or office number is not answered it rolls over to them and they answer on our behalf and then text  and email me the message and contact details.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact capture and follow-up!<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you capture all your enquiries and add them to your contact management system. Ideally set up a form on your website that captures all the details and saves it in an email marketing system.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then send out an email newsletter once a month to all your contacts!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email Newsletter<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Send out a brief, helpful email newsletter once a month. Make sure it is at least 60% helpful content and no more than 40% promotional.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a series of at least three standard recordings\/CDs\/MP3s<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example<\/span>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n