Codes of Ethics

Introduction and Purpose:

The Canadian Hypnosis Association is dedicated to providing the highest standard of professional coaching, consulting, assessment and personal empowerment services.

The Code of Ethics serves as a foundation for practitioners of the Art of Hypnosis in all business, moral and professional aaareas. It teaches us how to behave with our fellow artists in a safe and healthy manner. It ensures that all commited participants grow as individuals.

The code of Ethics provides a moral framework within this Art for analyzing and making decisions, when ethical dilemmas arise. Every ethical dilemma can not be anticipated or regulated and more than one alternative decision maybe considered ethical. Therefore, participants need to enhance their professional judgement through the following guidelines as wel consult their peers for implementing ethical decision making and / or consult other senior, trusted and skilled colleagues or other reliable sources.

The defined Code of ethics provides a reference point to work through challenges that may arise with individuals, families or communities. Practitioners in the frequency field of hypnosis, must enhance their professional judgment through the knowledge of these guidelines and the use of ethical decision making processes.

It prevents this organization and it's individual elected Board of Directors from doing activities that may harm the interests of other organizations, individual societies, consumers, the environment or the larger community of the public as a whole.

This framework of a Code of Ethics does not replace any authority legal advice. Such guidelines are designed to support practitioners in providing professional, ethical and competent practical guidelines, however, they are not binding beyond the existing law.

Canadian Hypnosis Association Ethical Principles

Preserve dignity.

Above all, respect and recognize the inherent value of every human being.
- Use language in all communications that conveys respect for all beings.
- Abstain from any form of harassment.
- Respect the rights of others.
- Assume primary responsibility for the client. Do no harm.
Obtain free and informed consent for all services.
- Inform clients of their rights as consumers of Hypnosis and/or Trance work.
- Where the client is not capable of providing consent, speak to and interact with the legally designated substitute decision maker to obtain that consent.
Inform the participant that their privacy will be respected and that confidentiality will be abided by in accordance with legal principles and ethical standards. The participant is responsible for securing the participants personal files and information while providing access to a trustee person in the events of unexpected illness or death.
- Respect the participants cultural customs and beliefs.
- If there is a conflict of interest between involved parties, that may prove harmful to the individual or group.

Provide safe, competent, compassionate, ethical care.

The participants responsibility is to everyone's welfare and safety. He/she is to respect other particpangs mental, emotional and physical state at all times.
Discrimination on the basis of any of the following is prohibited: race, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation, religion, marital status, political belief, physical handicap or any bias of other conditions or characteristics.
A professional relationship with everyone partaking must be upheld. Any kind of intimate relationship between the client and a possible lead in guided imagery is strictly prohibited. Physical abuse, inappropriate touching or sexual activities and verbal abuse are not tolerated and the reported practitioner will be penalized by CHA Ethics Committee.

Promote Personal Groth and Well Being

Maintain a quality work environment that is safe and comfortable for the participant.
Advocate and act, both within the workplace and in public, in a way to promote hypnosis as an art and a science and to elevate the public image of hypnosis.
Promote and maintain mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health by personal example.
Advocate education of the participant through your explanations of the process with the implementation of patience, empathy and direct information.
Examine and become clear regarding your own beliefs and biases so they can be altered if necessary for safe and conscientious care. Seek assistance and advice of your peers or senior level Art colleagues when needed.

Be accountable

Read, support and maintain information within the Code of Ethics.
Maintain regular contact with your peers for continuous support and guidelines for an ethical practice.
Maintain contact with Canadian Hypnosis Associations Ethic’s Committee so that up to date information can be available to you. Attend workshops, seminars, webinars and education days to keep your level of knowledge current and your interest keen.
Take responsibility to boost ethical research and scientific knowledge within the Art and Science of Hypnosis.
Maintain a healthy emotional and psychological well being. If emotional burn out is experienced, do not practice any type of trance work.
Protecting any practitioner's emotional health is to be taken seriously by any practitioner.

Ethical Endeavours

CHA promotes the Art and Science of Hypnosis as a tool for bettering all areas of persons lives.
CHA supports, recognizes and addresses organizational, social and political factors that influence the Art and Science of Hypnosis and our society as a whole.
CHA condemns the misuse of Trance work for monetary, policital, personal and or corporate interests
CHA advocates for change of unethical policies, legislation, or regulations that may affect Practitioners and/or Society as a whole.
CHA's mandate is to be able to assess the individual pratctitioner's personal ethical issues, operating their practice on an ongoing basis.
CHA stimulates membership discussions which bring consequently questions to the attention of The Canadian Hypnosis Association.
CHA addresses perceived unethical behavior of colleagues in an appropriate manner.
Accept and consider feedback to one’s own behavior and actions.
CHA cooperates with committees and Government agancies, who address and are concerned with ethics and / or ethical conduct.
CHA requests criminal record checks

Why is it so important to work with CHA connected Hypnosis practitioners?

As in all professions in this world, there is the skilled and trained professional and there is the backyard pretender. With something so sensitive and essential as ones soul, brain and individual stored emotions, all participants deserve only the best with quality measurement and assurance.

It is way too easy to fall for someone pretending to practice hypnosis, but then that person studied only off a book and is simply good at reading of the phrases, not really knowing what they are doing. Or to be at the mercy of a stage hypnotist, where perception and memory can be altered and there is no return to be your original self.

A competent and CHA connected Art of hypnosis practitionerr learned all the ethics and legal aspects and is eeducated to respect all individual boundaries and free will. All of the approaches are non-invasive and pain-free, uplifting and with utmost diligence performed. Upon request, records can be created and be kept in professional manner. Teamwork capacity is part of the good ethics.

Within a member application process, the individual CHA membership applicant has to proof and provide information about aquired skill sets