In-Person, Small-Group Hypnosis Training in Toronto, Canada

Our next professional hypnosis certification program will start in early 2025. It typically runs for twelve consecutive Sundays (except for long weekends), from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. This results in nearly 100 in-class hours, with additional homework hours as assigned. It’s in-person training, and our permanent classroom at 49 Elm Street in downtown Toronto is shown below.

Your instructor is Luke Chao, a well-known hypnotherapist who has been practising in Toronto since 2006 and teaching since 2008. You can hear him speak on our YouTube channel: in particular, we bring your attention to our Hypnosis Made Simple mini-course as a representation of how he teaches from first principles. You can also read his booklet, The Skeptic’s Guide to Hypnosis, for an introduction to his background and approach to hypnosis.

The course fee is $3900 (plus HST). A $500 deposit is required to confirm your seat. If you are unable to pay the entire course fee at the start of the course, we offer 12-month payment terms at a reasonable interest rate.

There are limited seats remaining. To register or learn more, please call us at 416-556-4068 or click here to request a meeting with Luke.

What Do We Teach?

This twelve-week course teaches you how to perform hypnosis in a hands-on, small-group setting, with a solid grounding in the fundamentals of hypnotism. You’ll learn a variety of hypnotic inductions, how to structure hypnotic suggestions, and protocols for working with issues like smoking, stress and overeating. Richly informed by 17 years of clinical experience, it’s distinguished by its principles-driven, mysticism-free approach (see our philosophy of practice). The course content goes far beyond the NGH’s required material and includes advanced inductions, theory and techniques. We teach you to practice in a way that takes into consideration the laws of Ontario. Gain a solid practical understanding of hypnosis, allowing you to begin or advance your career as a confident practitioner.

Here’s a high-level overview of each week’s topics (subject to change):

Week 1: Introductions, frameworks and models, how to give a pre-talk
Week 2: How to do intakes, how to phrase suggestions, risks to be aware of
Week 3: Inductions, deepeners and emergence, depth testing
Week 4: Supervised practice
Week 5: Basic NLP for hypnotherapists, conversational reframing
Week 6: How to work with common issues, a universal philosophy of life
Week 7: Supervised practice
Week 8: Treatment planning with examples
Week 9: Supplemental techniques, technological tools
Week 10: Supervised practice
Week 11: Business, marketing and ethics, certification exam
Week 12: Review, final questions, book recommendations

We do not focus too closely on step-by-step techniques that you can learn in other courses, although these techniques will be included as part of the training. In our view, the right order of priorities would be to learn applied philosophy first, word choice second and techniques last. Although we are not aware of other schools of hypnosis that focus as much on philosophical principles as we do, if we are to teach you what we actually do with our clients to give them happiness and peace of mind, we have to go deeper than techniques and provide the reasoning behind why hypnotists say the things we do. The words or techniques we use are packaging for the ideas we deliver, and once our client understands the ideas, they can discard the words we’ve used to deliver them.

This course leads to a Certified Consulting Hypnotist certificate with the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), and once-weekly training makes it easy to fit into a busy work schedule.

Speak with Our Instructor

To schedule a time to speak with our instructor about how this emerging profession can fit with your career and life goals, with an optional tour of our classroom in downtown Toronto, please call us at 416-556-4068 or complete the form below. Other prospective students may be in attendance. There is no cost for this first step.

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    What makes your training different from other training?

    The NGH certification course is usually taught over nine full-length days, but we’ve extended the training by one-third in order to incorporate the insights we’ve gained from our practice of writing treatment plans and following up to determine outcomes. Your instructor is primarily a practitioner, not primarily an instructor, which means that our class material improves every year based on the latest knowledge that we’ve gained. The longer timeline allows you more time for practice and review between classes. Finally, we train you to avoid script-reading by teaching from foundational principles.

    What kind of students do you have in your class?

    Most of our students do not have any prior training in hypnosis and come from all walks of life, but usually want to help others.

    When there is sufficient interest, we try to teach healthcare workers (including social workers and psychotherapists) as a single group, which allows us to focus on more advanced or hypnosis-specific topics for this group.

    Why join the National Guild of Hypnotists?

    The National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) is an American-based organization with a strong Canadian presence, and they are the largest and one of the oldest hypnosis associations active today. Hypnotherapy is an unregulated profession in Canada, but there are a number of associations that set standards for hypnotherapists.

    What is the difference between a Consulting Hypnotist and a hypnotherapist?

    Consulting Hypnotist is the title used by the NGH, while hypnotherapist is a generic title. Both titles refer to hypnotists who use hypnosis for behavioural change, as opposed to entertainment, and neither is regulated in Ontario.

    Where are the classes?

    Classes are at The Morpheus Clinic for Hypnosis at 49 Elm Street in downtown Toronto.

    What will I get from your course?

    The course fee includes the NGH’s training materials (manuals, scripts, pendulum, CDs and DVDs). The lectures will be based primarily on the instructor’s experience, with the course material providing a framework for the course, and covers the basics of how to perform direct-suggestion hypnosis. Most classes include time for demonstrations, supervised practice and discussion. After completing the exam, you will receive an NGH certificate and a one-year membership in the NGH.

    What do I do after getting certification?

    Most hypnotists work in their own practices, which means that your success will depend mainly on your business skills. This is an unfortunate reality that is not of our making, but which we must acknowledge so that we do not mislead our potential students. We occasionally develop new talent within our own clinic, but a placement is not guaranteed. In Toronto, independent practitioners with this kind of certification typically charge $200 to $250 per session.

    Based on interest (i.e., a four-student minimum), we may occasionally offer an advanced course as well as shorter, non-certification courses for specific topics available for students who have completed our NGH course. These courses are not normally available to the public, since our basic course lays the foundations for future courses.

    How often are classes?

    We set class dates once we have at least four students who are committed. This usually happens once a year, but sometimes it happens twice. If you are able to bring friends who are interested in the course, it will shorten the waiting period. To register your interest, please contact us.

    What’s the next step?

    To schedule a time to visit our classroom or speak to our instructor, please use the form above or phone us at 416-556-4068.

    Student Testimonials

    Hands-on and interactive
    I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to broaden my horizons in Psychology through learning about Hypnotherapy. After completing my undergraduate degree in Psychology I was searching for a deeper education into practical therapies; which is what I found studying with Luke at the Morpheus Clinic. The world of Hypnotherapy has opened my mind to alternative therapy where people from all walks of life with a variety of personal difficulties can benefit and become better versions of themselves without pharmaceutical intervention. Being able to help someone by aiding them in understanding themselves through the power of the subconscious is a wonderful feeling. It lets you show people that they have the power within to help themselves. Luke provides a beneficial hands-on and interactive learning environment where everyone is welcomed and motivated to succeed and learn not only about Hypnotherapy but also about themselves. Luke is a great instructor who brings experience, open-mindedness and a highly responsive teaching style to the course.*
    — Amy MacKay (Toronto)
    One of the most enlightening and hands-on experiences I've ever had
    Learning hypnosis at Morpheus was one of the most enlightening and hands-on experiences I've ever had. I decided to study hypnotherapy after I have finished my undergraduate degree in psychology. After my degree program ended it felt that I have spent years being bombarded by psychological theories and no practical helping skills. Learning how to hypnotize has not only taught me how to approach clients in a therapeutic way, but it has also given me a much deeper perspective, the power of the subconscious mind. Looking back at the course, Luke did a magnificent job in laying out the basic concepts, the main beliefs and therapeutic practices in hypnotism. His straightforward and matter-of-fact teaching style has made the course easy to follow and it has provided me with the backbone of my current approach to hypnosis. His interactive exercises has provided me with the practical knowledge and confidence to continue to pursue my dream in making a difference in people's lives.*
    — Adina N. (Scarborough)
    I really enjoyed the course
    Luke's teaching style was great! I appreciated his patience, his positive reinforcement, and his sense of humour. I really enjoyed the course and have recommended him to friends without hesitation. Many laughs throughout the course which made it enjoyable. My dad greatly benefitted from my help!! Thank you Luke!!*
    — Shelley Walker (Pickering)

    Disclaimer

    * Our services do not constitute medical care, psychotherapy or psychological advice. The results described on this site, including testimonials, represent the ideal outcome and might not be achieved by every student. Your ability to learn hypnosis will depend on your eagerness to learn, willingness to do homework, verbal facility and other factors.