A prospective client telephoned me a few weeks ago and asked an interesting question. Her first question, however, was "what do you charge per session?" Now, this is not usually the best query to start with. From my perspective, as a therapist, I want to ensure that my clients make an informed choice about their therapy. Surely a question about how the therapy works, how I would approach her issues, or what is my experience of her type of issues should be rather more important than cost? A person seeking therapy needs to be committed to the therapy and you cannot be committed if you do not know about it. It is important to understand how the therapy works and to believe that this type of therapy is right for you AND that the therapist himself is right for you...or the therapy is unlikely to be successful.

Returning to the issue of fees, once I had given a brief overview of costs, the lady in question then asked how she was meant to decide who to see when one therapist had told her she would need three sessions each costing £70, another had said she needed one session at £30, and another had recommended two sessions at £80 each, etc, etc. Good question!! This is not an unusual scenario these days. There are a lot of complementary therapists to choose from, not just hypnotherapists, but energy workers, reiki practitioners, massage therapists, reflexologists, and so on; The list of different therapies alone is huge and the number of therapists far greater. Choosing a therapist can be like finding your way through a mine field. For the purpose of this article we are assuming that you have researched which therapy you are interested in and are now just seeking the best therapist for you.

It is a fact that many practitioners have only completed an extremely brief training course and then, hey presto, they are a therapist, whilst others have spent many years studying their profession and related topics. It is also true that some hypnotherapists are new to the profession whilst others have far greater experience. Common sense tells us which is likely to be the best hypnotherapist to seek. Who would you prefer to trust your innermost secrets, vulnerabilities, dreams or fears with?

There are several criteria which you should consider when seeking a hypnotherapist, and I will list these below. They are in no particular order as each and every one is important.

1. Look for someone who has a lot of experience. A hypnotherapist who has treated thousands of patients is almost certainly going to be better than someone who is new to the job.

2. Check out their qualifications. Have they got a degree? And is that degree one which is relevant? What other initials do they have after their name and what do they mean? A lot of initials after a name only means something if they are worth something!!

3. What professional indemnity insurance does the hypnotherapist have? Is it current and up to date?

4. Ask other people you trust for recommendations; your doctor, your head of human resources at work are good people to ask. It's also amazing how many friends can make a good recommendation.

5. Check online for your country/state hypnotherapy association and see who is listed in your area. I.e. make sure your chosen hypnotherapist has an up to date certification/license to practice.

6. Hypnotherapists can have specific orientations to therapy. Are you seeking pure suggestion therapy? Or perhaps analytical therapy? Or hypnotherapy which encompasses NLP or time line therapy? Ask the therapist HOW they work and to explain how it can benefit YOU. What is their specialization? Seek a hypnotherapist who specializes in the area which you are looking for.

7. Check out their web site and their office address. Do both look professional? Can you access a free download on their website? This can be really helpful as you can see what you think of their voice and approach to therapy.

8. Don't email the therapist. Speak with them on the phone, or in person; listen to their voice and the way in which they communicate. Do you feel comfortable talking with this person?

9. Does this hypnotherapist feel "right" for you?

10. And finally, how much do sessions cost? How and when do you make payments?

At the end of the day, if you really want or need the therapy, you owe it to yourself to research the right therapy for you, and then the right hypnotherapist...and then book your hypnotherapy sessions when you can afford them.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis mp3 downloads and hypnosis recordings