Why isn't Hypnotherapy regulated?

[deafdealer]

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Saw this guy on tv http://heartbreakhypnotist.com/about-sean-wheeler/

He doesn't have any medical/psychological training at all--he has a bachelor's degree in journalism.
But he claims he can help you do things like stop smoking and lose weight?

 

[splik]

hypnosis is regulated depending on which state you are in. most states do not have any specific licensing however. personally, I believe that the excessive regulation of professions (where pretty much everything requires licensure now) has been mostly a nuisance. maybe he can help people with stopping smoking and losing weight?

 

[birchswing]

Probably depends on how specific they are regarding disease titles, and whether they use words like treat or cure.

Also, look at AA. Or OA. They claim to help with alcoholism and overeating.

It probably depends on the type of disease as to whether regulators will go after it. I would bet if he were claiming to treat cancer, there would be more more enforcement.

 

[GUH]

For something like hypnotherapy with smoking, the potential risks are pretty low and even if it doesn't work, it's not like there is some highly-effective smoking cessation treatment that the patient is missing out on by trying the hypnotherapist.

 

[nitemagi]

Lay training in hypnosis is widely available. The biggest issue, as with all non-professionals (or RxP for that matter) is not knowing what they don't know. This is where it causes issues.

I actually did a lay training in hypnosis (200 hours, which is more than more so-called hypnotherapists) when I was just an undergrad. It led to me realizing how little I really knew, and onto medical school and psychiatry (and many hundreds more hours of hypnosis training). If they're really just treading in the area of behavioral changes, it may not the biggest deal. But if they open a can of worms, do they even know it? I'd say no, they don't.

 

[PikminOC]

Good thing we have increasing regulations every year!

 

[Mad Jack]

Saw this guy on tv http://heartbreakhypnotist.com/about-sean-wheeler/

He doesn't have any medical/psychological training at all--he has a bachelor's degree in journalism.
But he claims he can help you do things like stop smoking and lose weight?

Probably because it's mostly nonsense.

 

[birchswing]

I think it's more significant that the majority of compounding pharmacies are not regulated at a federal level. It's not the FDA's fault. They're crippled by federal code written by lobbyists. We have pharmacies in the US that wouldn't meet the standards for sanitation or standardized procedures of some of the world's poorest countries.