What Is the NGH? Understanding the National Guild of Hypnotists
The National Guild of Hypnotists is the most widely held credential in hypnotherapy worldwide — yet many people researching training have never heard of it before. This article explains exactly what NGH is and why it matters — from Dr. Rashhi Sharma, NGH (USA) Official Certified Instructor.
Direct Answer
The National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) is the world's largest and oldest hypnotherapy professional organisation, founded in the United States in 1950. It sets training standards, certifies hypnotherapists and instructors globally, and maintains a public, independently verifiable directory of certified members. NGH certification is widely regarded as the most internationally recognised standard in the hypnotherapy field.
NGH at a Glance
1950
Year founded
80+
Countries with certified members
USA
Headquartered
Largest
Hypnotherapy body globally
What NGH Actually Does
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1
Sets Training Standards
NGH defines the curriculum and competency standards that approved training providers must meet to issue NGH-recognised certification.
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2
Certifies Individual Practitioners
Students who complete an approved training programme receive NGH certification, listed in NGH's public member directory.
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3
Certifies Instructors
A smaller number of practitioners go on to become NGH Official Certified Instructors — authorised to train and certify new students under NGH's standards.
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4
Maintains Professional Standards
NGH membership involves agreement to a professional code of ethics, supporting accountability across its global community of certified practitioners.
Why NGH Specifically, Among Several Accrediting Bodies
Several hypnotherapy accrediting bodies exist worldwide. NGH's particular significance comes from its scale and history — being both the oldest and largest means it has the most established public recognition, the most extensive global network, and the most widely searched verification directory. For practitioners planning to work with international or online clients, this breadth of recognition carries real practical weight.
How to Verify NGH Certification
NGH maintains a public, searchable member directory at ngh.net. Any certified member — whether a practitioner or an instructor — can be verified there in under a minute. This transparency is one of NGH's most valuable features for anyone evaluating a trainer or their own future certification.
NGH and Soul Consciousness Lab
Dr. Rashhi Sharma is an NGH (USA) Official Certified Instructor, independently verifiable on NGH's directory. Soul Consciousness Lab's Clinical Hypnotherapy Training is built to NGH's standards, with students receiving full NGH certification upon completion of the 160-hour programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the National Guild of Hypnotists.
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No. NGH is a professional, non-governmental organisation — similar in structure to professional guilds in other unregulated fields. It is not a government licensing authority, since hypnotherapy itself is not a government-regulated profession in most countries.
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By completing training with an NGH-approved training provider or instructor, meeting the required training hours and practical competencies. Read our complete guide on becoming certified →
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An NGH member is a certified practitioner who has completed approved training. An NGH Official Certified Instructor has gone further — qualified specifically to train and certify new students under NGH's standards. This is a distinct, additional credential.
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NGH's core focus is clinical hypnotherapy within the current lifetime. Past life regression is a separate, transpersonal discipline typically certified through different bodies, such as the Michael Newton Institute (MNI). Read our comparison of clinical hypnotherapy and PLR →
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Yes — given its scale and history, NGH certification is widely recognised and respected within the global hypnotherapy community, including by practitioners certified through other reputable bodies.
Written by Dr. Rashhi Sharma, PhD — MNI Career Partner, Only in India · NGH Official Certified Instructor · Monroe Institute Outreach Trainer · IPHM Executive Trainer, UK. 8,500+ professional sessions · View MNI Profile ↗
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