*** WARNING: DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST INSIDE A VEHICLE.***
Thank you Radford McGrath, Melanie Casaulo, for reminding me that since i moved across State Lines, as you stated Raffy: “Now, You Are Nothing But a Certified Hypnotist! Who thinks he’s more than he is!” So, going forward:
TRANSPARENCY DISCLAIMER: According to Florida’s regulated-health statutes (Chapter 485 § 003), “Hypnosis” is defined as:
“Hypnosis, hypnotism, mesmerism, posthypnotic suggestion, or any similar act or process which produces or is intended to produce in any person any form of induced sleep or trance in which the susceptibility of the person’s mind to suggestion or direction is increased or is intended to be increased, where such a condition is used or intended to be used in the treatment of any human ill, disease, injury, or for any other therapeutic purpose.”
Yes. Florida has an explicit hypnosis law (Chapter 485, F.S.) that regulates its therapeutic use. Under this statute, only licensed medical or mental-health practitioners may “produce… any form of induced sleep or trance… used in the treatment of any human ill, disease, injury, or for any other therapeutic purpose.” Furthermore, only those same categories of licensed professionals may refer clients for therapeutic hypnosis.
At the same time, Florida law (Chapter 491, F.S.) and Department of Health Rule 64B4-7.002 carve out an exemption for non-therapeutic hypnosis. In practice this means lay hypnotists may offer stress management, self-hypnosis training, guided imagery, and relaxation—so long as they avoid framing their services in medical or psychological terms (e.g., “treating anxiety” or “curing phobias”). Crossing into “therapeutic” claims without a medical or mental-health license is prohibited.
Here’s how Florida law carves out “non-therapeutic” hypnosis and what a lay hypnotist must say (and not say) when marketing services:
1. Exempted Uses (Rule 64B4-7.002 & Ch. 491, F.S.)
• Stress management
• Self-hypnosis training
• Guided imagery
• Relaxation techniques
These four applications are expressly deemed non-therapeutic, so long as you don’t claim to “treat,” “diagnose” or “cure” any medical or psychological condition[^1^].
2. Prohibited Language
• No healthcare-style labels: depression, anxiety, compulsion, phobia, PTSD, etc.
• No promises of “treatment,” “therapy,” or “cure.”
• No protected titles: don’t call yourself a psychologist, counselor, therapist, MD, etc.
3. Required Descriptors
• Use everyday terms: stress, worry, fears, unwanted habits, confidence, motivation.
• Frame it as “for stress relief,” “to build confidence,” “to break habits,” “to enhance focus.”
• Emphasize it’s “educational,” “coaching,” or “personal-development” work, not clinical care.
4. Title & Credentials
• You may use “Certified Hypnotist” (if you’ve earned that credential), but not “Clinical Hypnotherapist.”
• Always include a disclaimer: “Services are educational and non-therapeutic. Not a substitute for medical or mental-health treatment.”
Sticking to those four exempted categories and swapping out clinical jargon for plain-English equivalents keeps you squarely in Florida’s unregulated, non-therapeutic hypnosis zone.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
