During my initial hypnotherapy training, my instructor strongly emphasized that we should always inform our subjects that they could not be hypnotized against their will. Yet over the next couple of decades this claim was constantly contradicted by a string of knowledgeable authorities. These hypnotists imparted technique after technique that proved capable of changing a person’s internal representations, emotional states, and behavior completely without the knowledge or pre-approval of a hypnosis subject. After years of active clinical practice, teaching, and writing I have witnessed the power that the hypnotic operator has over others. Even though such an admission may run counter to the dogma that is regularly espoused by the major international organizations, all one has to do is to witness an unintended arm catalepsy during a clinical session or observe a negative hallucination occurring during a stage hypnotist’s performance to fully accept my conclusions.

In this respect hypnotherapists are not much different than attorneys, surgeons, and even sales people who regularly use their skills to influence a person who comes to them resolve a particular situation. However, I am still disturbed when too many people fail to see the ethical implications that are present in such an encounter. The opportunity for a practitioner to manipulate an unwitting individual solely for their personal gain is way too obvious. The realization that this may occur is exactly why peer-review entities and licensure board exists. They attempt to enforce boundaries, legal, and other ethical considerations lest the public begin to distrust members of that trade or profession. Although such groups emphasize limits, consent, and full-disclosure, still the opportunity remains that operators may harm their trusting subjects.

The field, trade, and profession of clinical hypnotherapy is replete with numerous neuroethical debates due to societal concerns about privacy and involuntary control of others. This is significantly more involved than the issues of transformation of quality of life for the patient/subject/client and the potential impact on their families. Yes, there are many fields that have the ability to adversely impact a person’s health, personality, and relationships. Not only is this true of medical doctors and psychologists, many occupations – including teachers, financial advisors, ministers, and coaches – have the ability to use their skills to influence others. However, hypnotherapists are somewhat different in that they regularly deal with a person’s preconscious. This means that they have the ability to communicate and manipulate people intentionally without their awareness. This has all of the science fiction implications of an evil scientist that seeks to control another for their own ill-conceived aims. Many years ago during an advanced hypnotherapy training course we were instructed on how to communicate with others on many different levels simultaneously. This means that we were connecting and leading a person without their consent. Herein lie my concerns.

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Most people, who exercise, do so with the help of a personal trainer or a fitness trainer. It is indeed true that expert guidance can help you get the best results from workouts. But then, is it enough to have a highly qualified trainer? Certainly not, because like every other profession trainers have some ethics to abide by, without which you can never expect to get the best from your trainer.

The aim of a set of professional ethics is to make sure that the trainer knows his limits and duties and that you are never shortchanged by him. Thankfully most trainers abide by their professional ethics but there are always one or two exceptions. In case you are not too sure whether your personal trainer always does what’s right, you should know the ethics he should be following. By knowing them, you can easily spot if anything is wrong.

1. A trainer should display humanity. This means that:

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Henry just arrived home from a long day at work. He is reading the newspaper in his favorite chair waiting for dinner to be served. The phone rings. Henry yells out at the kids and his wife, “If it is for me tell them I not home”. Julie, his oldest, answers the phone. She has been told not to lie and now he is telling her to lie. She is confused, but she does as he says and tells the caller he isn’t in and then takes a message. She didn’t feel good about lying, but she was obedient. There didn’t seem to be any consequences to lying.

Sue observes her parents discussing hiding their assets from the government so as not to pay taxes. Her father is a very successful business man and earns an excellent income. They have everything money can buy, and they have respect from the community. They have all the illusions of success and they want more. If they don’t declare all their income, they can have even more. They argue that it is stealing, but her father prevails. Later that week, Sue steals a candy bar from the store. She worries about getting caught, but nothing happens. There is something to this. Her choices are not resulting in negative consequences and she gets to enjoy the candy.

Bob’s parents drink every night. They like to have a good time. People are over all the time and consume a lot of alcohol. There is laughter and more laughter. They appear happy. One night Bob comes home and he is drunk. He was having a good time with his friends. The parents are angry with him. He doesn’t get it. He yells “You drink what’s wrong with it?”

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