Hypnotherapist Schools, Certification & Careers - Natural Healers

By: Natural Healers Staff

Updated: February 2, 2026

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Learn About Hypnotherapy Schools and Hypnotherapy Certification

Hypnotism: that’s when a mysterious gentleman puts you in a trance by dangling a watch on a chain and then makes you bark like a dog, right? Not exactly.

That might describe the stereotypical shtick of a stage hypnotist, but the healing discipline of hypnotherapy is better described as a state of focused relaxation in which a person is more responsive to suggestion.

Medical and mental health practitioners with hypnotherapy training help patients enter this relaxed state in order to assist with psychotherapy, promote stress or pain relief, change unhealthy habits, and reduce recovery time for illnesses and injuries.

Career Overview

A wide variety of clinical professionals seek out education in hypnotherapy, from doctors, nurses and dentists to psychotherapists, social workers, and counselors. During a hypnotherapy session, practitioners go over a patient’s medical history, the issue they’d like to address, and, if the patient is new to the procedure, how hypnosis works.

Generally, sessions last about an hour, and begin with a series of relaxation techniques. After the patient is relaxed and focused, the practitioner introduces guided imagery and suggestion designed to provide symptom relief and even behavioral changes.

Some practitioners have their own private practices, while others use hypnotherapy in their already existing acupuncture, massage therapy, psychotherapy or holistic nursing careers.

Training and Education

What You’ll Study in Hypnotherapy School

Usually, hypnotherapy programs include study of the theory and history of hypnosis; the uses of hypnosis in a clinical setting; selecting the right techniques for an individual patient; working with specific issues such as addiction; and ethical concerns.

Average Length of Study

Most approved hypnotherapy certification programs require a minimum of 40 to 100 hours of hypnotherapy training workshops, plus 20 hours of supervised individual training and 2 to 5 years of practical experience using hypnosis as a part of your practice.

Hypnotherapy Certification

Most practitioners who undergo hypnotherapy training are licensed medical, mental health, or health care professionals with a master’s or doctoral degree.

Their education qualifies them to seek hypnotherapy certification from a professional group such as the American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists (AAPH), the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ACSH) and the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH).

Specialty certifications are also available through the American Board of Medical Hypnosis, the American Board of Psychological Hypnosis, the American Board of Hypnosis in Dentistry, and the American Hypnosis Board for Clinical Social Work.

Career Outlook

As awareness of alternative medical treatments continues to rise, hypnotherapy training may grow in demand. In particular, people looking for non-invasive, drug-free ways of losing weight, breaking habits such as smoking, and managing stress may turn to hypnotherapy.

Hypnotherapy Salary

Salaries for graduates of hypnotherapy school vary widely depending on the occupation. You can research salary and job growth information for some of the most common fields hypnotherapists enter, as provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, here:

Recreational Therapists

National data

Median Salary: $60,280

Projected job growth: 3.3%

10th Percentile: $39,520

25th Percentile: $48,230

75th Percentile: $77,680

90th Percentile: $96,600

Projected job growth: 3.3%

State data

State	Median Salary	Bottom 10%	Top 10%
Alabama	$52,050	$41,630	$80,540
Arizona	$61,110	$49,710	$88,400
Arkansas	$45,060	$27,390	$88,460
California	$96,530	$61,270	$112,550
Colorado	$62,630	$42,840	$85,110
Connecticut	$61,030	$46,520	$99,230
Delaware	$42,310	$40,320	$68,540
District of Columbia	$92,010	$58,940	$114,190
Florida	$56,220	$40,070	$88,360
Georgia	$50,010	$28,590	$72,830
Idaho	$50,960	$43,710	$72,300
Illinois	$63,610	$47,150	$94,470
Indiana	$51,930	$44,340	$72,040
Iowa	$50,520	$41,400	$81,880
Kansas	$39,690	$31,130	$57,590
Kentucky	$54,030	$34,090	$73,740
Louisiana	$47,350	$32,540	$65,000
Maine	$54,500	$37,480	$72,930
Maryland	$58,390	$40,210	$82,490
Massachusetts	$57,540	$42,200	$92,870
Michigan	$63,200	$48,540	$73,330
Minnesota	$67,300	$45,000	$86,860
Mississippi	$38,170	$29,950	$67,670
Missouri	$53,620	$36,980	$84,640
Montana	$51,490	$38,650	$89,860
Nebraska	$55,910	$38,830	$75,670
Nevada	$77,450	$50,290	$97,700
New Hampshire	$74,780	$41,900	$92,250
New Jersey	$64,880	$48,550	$97,540
New Mexico	$47,880	$41,830	$120,160
New York	$63,520	$48,140	$85,890
North Carolina	$48,590	$39,770	$78,230
North Dakota	$57,960	$36,210	$73,580
Ohio	$60,210	$44,940	$80,180
Oklahoma	$46,920	$34,290	$75,180
Oregon	$64,000	$45,300	$81,140
Pennsylvania	$56,690	$36,230	$77,010
South Carolina	$49,170	$30,310	$74,960
Tennessee	$50,510	$35,780	$79,790
Texas	$54,190	$33,540	$203,440
Utah	$51,490	$41,370	$81,150
Virginia	$57,330	$42,170	$88,320
Washington	$78,620	$60,920	$104,070
West Virginia	$44,900	$33,930	$84,640
Wisconsin	$55,010	$46,840	$78,370
Wyoming	$61,080	$51,540	$74,960

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median salary; projected job growth through 2034. Actual salaries vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.

Is a Hypnotherapy Career Right for You?

Hypnotherapy training can greatly enhance the careers of practitioners with an interest in holistic health care, whether you choose to focus on medical uses such as easing headaches or asthma, or on counseling applications like breaking addictions or treating eating disorders.

Even massage therapists and acupuncturists can use hypnotherapy to help relax clients and improve healing. Ultimately, though, the hypnotherapist is helping patients to help themselves by harnessing their own minds’ healing abilities.

Sources: American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists, American Psychotherapy and Medical Hypnosis Association, American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis