About - Australian Hypnotherapists Association

The Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association (AHA) provides the endorsement of your professional hypnotherapy skills that clients are looking for. As Australia’s largest association representing registered clinical hypnotherapists in various practice settings, the AHA serves its members by offering them the resources they need to make a difference. From webinars, publications, and journals to Conference and workshop education sessions as well as legislative action alerts, the AHA is where hypnotherapy professionals turn for powerful, credible content and support.

Not just another professional body

The AHA has a national register for hypnotherapists and has been a premier association for hypnotherapy and hypnotherapists since 1949, it is the oldest and largest hypnotherapy organisation in Australia. Registration with such a professional body reflects a hypnotherapist’s willingness to demonstrate to the public a strong desire to be accountable. Registration is the only formal process that members of the public can rely on in relation to standards and accountability.

Therefore, if you are looking for a professional hypnotherapy association to join… then this is the one. Not only is the AHA the oldest hypnotherapy association in Australia, it is also the largest independent hypnotherapy association in Australia. The AHA is a strong voice for professional hypnotherapists.

The functions of the Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association national executive committee include:

Overseeing the registration of hypnotherapists;
The development of the hypnotherapy profession standards;
The handling of notifications and complaints in relation to its membership; and
The assessment of overseas trained practitioners who wish to practise in Australia.
Offering strategic leadership. As the governance body of the largest national hypnotherapy association in Australia, the AHA Board has an important strategic leadership role. It is the body that historically, the various federal Government departments and other national bodies have turned to when seeking the collective views of Australia’s professional hypnotherapists.

Voluntary self-regulation

The Department of Health and Aging has actively encouraged the AHA and other associations to continue its work together towards promoting the status of voluntary self-regulation (VSR) for the hypnotherapy profession. In this regard, the AHA has been participating, along with other professional bodies, in establishing a working group for hypnotherapy self-regulation.

The AHA’s primary responsibility is for the ongoing registration of individual practitioners and setting the criteria for the validation of recognised training courses. The AHA is proudly independent and does not have a direct relationship with any one particular teaching institution.

So, what does that mean? It means that we evaluate our members by their academic output and not just because they have done a course by the school that has established an association just to accredit its own students. Therefore, as the oldest and largest independent Hypnosis Association in Australia, if you are an Australian or International hypnotherapist (or a school looking for a professional Association for your students) and wish to become a member please contact the national administration on the AHA Free Advisory line 1300 552 254 or via administrator@ahahypnotherapy.org.au.

AHA members are trained, examined and sworn to maintain the highest standards and ethics. The Australian Hypnotherapists Association’s membership includes: professional hypnotherapists, doctors, psychiatrists, anaesthetists, psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, and many other Health Care Professionals.

The AHA is in complete accord with the medical profession

The Association is in complete agreement with the medical profession in its opposition to the type of ‘hypnotist’ who makes wild and exaggerated claims. A hypnotherapist who is a member of this association is governed by a code of ethics to take the deepest possible interest in every client, to be at all times conscientious, persevering, kind, patient, thorough and trustworthy and to treat all information acquired during the treatment as highly confidential.

AHA members have successfully worked with many tens of thousands of clients

Over the years the Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association members have successfully worked with many thousands of clients who suffered from a multitude of conditions. Most of these clients consulted them only after they had been unable to obtain relief by other means.

The members of this association are specialists and provide a service quite distinct from that of a general medical practitioner or psychiatrist and are highly qualified in this specialised and scientific field.

AHA values continuing professional development education

The AHA encourages continuing professional development by convening four workshops a year, facilitating a collegial and educational setting, with both national and local speakers, that are open to all.

Through professional and personal contacts with other national and international hypnotherapy associations, the AHA encourages cooperative relationships with fellow professionals throughout the world.

AHA recognition

The Australian Hypnotherapists Association has been recognised as an authority on clinical hypnotherapy by both Governmental and private agencies. AHA members are regularly invited to speak at various Community and Service organisations about hypnosis and hypnotherapy. AHA members are recognised as health professionals by most of the Private Health Funds.

The Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association members have been listed as trusted therapy providers for many

Australian Private Health Care Funds since 2006.

What AHA membership indicates

AHA membership provides recognition that the hypnotherapist has met the required training in clinical hypnosis and hypnotherapy. AHA membership has gained national recognition as the standard for the practice of hypnotherapy. Anecdotal evidence suggests that government departments, insurance companies and the public now recognise the importance of such standards and view AHA membership as a basic requirement for hypnotherapy as a treatment modality.

Australian Hypnotherapists Association membership indicates several things that fellow professionals, government departments, insurance companies and the public are all interested in knowing about individuals who offer hypnotherapy in their practices. AHA membership indicates that the hypnotherapist:

Has undergone training to obtain a legitimate qualification from a recognised institution
Is certified to practice in their state
Has had their training in clinical hypnotherapy assessed by qualified assessors and such training has met the minimum requirements set by the AHA

We invite you to explore this site and discover more about the AHA and professional clinical Hypnotherapy.

How much does it cost to visit a qualified therapist?

The cost of consulting a Member of the Association will vary and you should check when you make your appointment. Most private health funds will pay for hypnotherapy services under extras cover, check with the clinician and your private health insurer.