Watch our Video FAQS Page.
What is the age of the institute?
Is our school registered with the appropriate government bodies?
What are the qualifications and experience of the teachers?
Is there an independent association with high standards that will accept the certification that is being offered?
Are evaluations comprehensive, or is a Certificate a forgone conclusion?
Does The Orca Institute upon request provide names and phone numbers of some of their former students for reference purposes?
Is there an appropriate support and mentorship program available after the training is completed?
Is advanced training available?
Does The Orca Institute cover appropriate counseling training as part of its overall program?
Does the institute teach hypnotherapy from a wide and diversified perspective covering many different approaches and related fields?
What prerequisites are required to take the hypnotherapy courses?
I would like to know if your course is recognized for certification in the United States?
Would I be accredited to open a practice as a Hypnotherapist in Canada when I complete your certification course?
I am curious as to your financing plan. What are your prerequisites for financing and is there any funding available for students.
Is there a time frame for completing the distant learning training #32 tape complete training?
Do you also have any NLP training? I am very interested in certification in that area as well.
How do I register for the distance-learning course?
What designation does your Counseling Hypnotherapy course give one?
Is "on-site" training a whole course on its' own or does one also do "distant" training in order to complete the Counseling Hypnotherapy course?
I was looking for a credible course on Hypnotherapy and I came across one in the in Toronto. Apparently after this weekend course one can display the characters C.H. after their name. Does your Hypnotherapy course allow one to display C.H. after completion?
Where and what courses do you have to take, in addition to your certification, to upgrade from a "Resident" so you don't have to have a mentor in the room?
Is the counseling segment done after the hypnotherapy component?
Do you recommend previous training or experience before taking the hypnotherapy certification?
Does my current MA ABS provide me with any credits to your Hypnotherapy training and what level of practice would I qualify for after your training (also taking into account my MA ABS)?
What are the pros and cons of your organization's on site vs distance learning?
Is there a payment plan for the distance learning certification course?
How many hours a day do I need to devote to the class, not including client studies of course, I can probably devote 1 hour a day and more on days off - should that be sufficient to complete the course in 6 months?
Do you mail out information on your courses?
I was wondering how old one must be in order to attend the Orca Institute.
Is the Hypnotherapy accreditation offered recognized across Canada?
How do I locate a suitable mentor to oversee the sessions as well as the practicum?
What does this certificate give me in terms of career opportunities?
What will I receive after registering and paying for the Distance Learning Certification course?
What is required to obtain the higher levels, to work with abuse, anorexia, emotional trauma, etc., and how do you classify depression?
"You cannot work with groups using hypnosis unless your mentor is on the premises." What is meant by "groups"?
I do know from my other distance education courses that duration of course varies from student to student, but do you have an approximate completion time as a guideline?
Once I have completed the initial course, may I then progress to more advanced courses through correspondence?
In which countries will I be permitted to practice as a hypnotherapist with this course?
How does the Canadian Hypnosis association handle hypnotherapists who have qualified in Britain for example, who now want to live and practice in Canada?
Why would students repeat the onsite course when they have already completed the distance education course?
Is it feasible for me to take the counseling course first then move onto the hypnotherapy course?
What is the age of the institute?
Established in 1986, The Orca Institute is Canada's oldest and British Columbia's only PCTIA Accredited Hypnotherapy school.
Is our school registered with the appropriate government bodies?
The Orca Institute is accredited with the Private Career Training Institutions Agency of British Columbia.
What are the qualifications and experience of the teachers?
Orca Institute founder and Director, Sheldon Bilsker, HT, RCC, has been in private practice for thirty years. He is President of the International Association of Counseling Hypnotherapists, past President of The Canadian Hypnotherapy Association, a member of and on the Legislative Committee of the BC Association of Clinical Counselors and has testified as an expert witness on hypnosis for the BC Human Rights Commission setting a legal precedent in BC. Since establishing Orca Hypnosis Seminars, now The Orca Institute in 1986, he has trained many of the Hypnotherapists practicing in BC and increasingly worldwide through his Distance Learning Programs. Orca Associate and Trainer, Dr. Joe Solanto is a psychotherapist with over 30 years experience in the fields of Counseling and Education. The former Director at the Center for Therapeutic Arts in New York, he has been both a school psychologist and private therapist. He currently teaches at the Justice Institute.
Is there an independent association with high standards that will accept the certification that is being offered?
Orca Institute students who have successfully completed our basic certification course will attain the level of Resident Hypnotherapist in the International Association of Counseling Hypnotherapists. According to Association standards, attaining this level allows the practitioner to practice and charge for services. The IACH is a totally independent body with no direct connection to any particular school.The Orca Institute is an approved school registered with the IACH.
Are evaluations comprehensive, or is a Certificate a forgone conclusion?
The Orca Institute's evaluation requirements include conducting 25 sessions with clients, videotaping of an actual session for review, completing an extensive multiple choice and open book exam, Counseling Course assignments as well as receiving feedback throughout the course. Certification is contingent upon successful completion of all review processes. Please see the Hypnotherapy Diploma section for requirements for that course.
Does The Orca Institute upon request provide names and phone numbers of some of their former students for reference purposes?
The Orca Institute has a policy of keeping in contact with past students whenever possible. Many of them have offered their assistance in giving feedback to potential students about their experience at Orca.
Is there an appropriate support and mentorship program available after the training is completed?
We offer support in a variety of areas and enjoy keeping in touch with our past students whenever possible.
Is advanced training available?
At this time we are offering courses in PTSD, distance Diploma Course Programs which combines our Basic and Advanced Hypnotherapy Training plus extra assignments.
Does The Orca Institute cover appropriate counseling training as part of its overall program?
Each Orca Institute student is required to complete 60 hours of counseling training as a requisite for certification. This is provided through "The Skilled Helper" by Egan, text and workbook. Our Diploma Course includes 90 hours of Counselling training. Counseling skills are also an important part of all of our hypnotherapy training. Orca believes that possessing good counseling skills are an essential component of being a good Hypnotherapist.
Does the institute teach hypnotherapy from a wide and diversified perspective covering many different approaches and related fields?
The Orca Institute believes that very rarely is there only one right answer to anything. This is especially true in the area of counseling and hypnotherapy. Therefore, the Orca course is taught in an all-inclusive experiential fashion, considering views from therapists and healers from a wide range of backgrounds. Each student is encouraged to develop their own theories and draw his or her own conclusions. Some of the therapists covered are ,Milton Erickson, M.D., Serge King, Ph.D., Fritz Perls, M.D., Ram Das, Stephen Levine, Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D., Ernest Rossi, Ph.D., Paul Carter, Ph.D., and even a guy named Wavy Gravy (no Ph.D.).
What prerequisites are required to take the basic hypnotherapy course?
The basic certification course has no prerequisites other than emotional stability. For example if someone is dealing with a major issue such as an addiction then this course would not be the best for them.
I would like to know if your course is recognized for certification in the United States?
We are an Approved school with The American Board of Hypnotherapy. Each state either has no legislation or its own unique legislation relating to hypnotherapy.
As of this writing, the Safe Practice States where you may freely practice are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Our course certification would qualify in California and Washington also. It might very well be possible to practice in the states not on the above list depending on what they require.Would I be accredited to open a practice as a Hypnotherapist in Canada when I complete your certification course?
There is no legislation in Canada relating to hypnotherapy or counseling at this time. This is an area we are concerned about and we support the work being done to establish a College of Counselors in BC.
I am curious as to your financing plan. What are your prerequisites for financing and is there any funding available for students?
Applicants can apply for Canada Student Loans and other government programs. We have a comprehensive interest free payment plan which you can find at our Payment plan Page Fees are tax deductible in Canada. Please see our Student Loan page.
Is there a time frame for completing the distant learning training certification training.
The recommended time frame to complete the basic distance learning course is 6 to 12 months and the the Diploma course is 5-12 months.
Do you also have any NLP training? I am very interested in certification in that area as well.
Our Basic Certification course has a strong focus on the works of Milton Erickson,M.D. NLP was based in a large part part on his work.
How do I register for the distance-learning course?
Please go to our Registration Page.
What designation does your Counseling Hypnotherapy course give one?
Our Basic Hypnotherapy Certification course offers a designation of "Resident Hypnotherapist". Our Diploma course, "Counseling Hypnotherapist (Cand.)" Diploma.
Is the Basic Hypnotherapy "on-site" training a whole course on its' own or does one also do "distant" training in order to complete the Counseling Hypnotherapy course?
The on-site training that we offer also includes distance learning. Click Here to learn more.
I was looking for a credible course on Hypnotherapy and I came across one in Toronto. Apparently after this weekend course one can display the characters C.H. after their name. Does your Hypnotherapy course allow one to display C.H. after completion?
There is a lot of confusion among the general public around certification in the field of hypnotherapy. There are many associations in the U.S. each with their own certification requirements and designated letters. Each association and each school also has different criteria in which the student must meet to attain their particular certification. In our opinion a one-weekend course would not qualify anyone to practice hypnotherapy competently.
Where and what courses do you have to take, in addition to your certification, to upgrade from a "Resident" so you don't have to have a mentor in the room?
The IACH does not have a formal mentorship program. However we do offer support to our practicing current and former students. There is no requirement to have a mentor.
Is the counseling segment done after the hypnotherapy component?
The counseling course is done by correspondence as part of the complete Basic hypnotherapy course.
Do you recommend previous training or experience before taking the hypnotherapy certification?
This course starts from basic counseling skills and basic hypnosis skills.
Does my current MA ABS provide me with any credits to your Hypnotherapy training and what level of practice would I qualify for after your training (also taking into account my MA ABS)?
You would be able to challenge our counseling requirement. If successful the cost would be pro-rated accordingly. As far as the particular level you could practice at that would depend on the association you were applying to.
What are the pros and cons of your organization's on site vs distance learning?
Onsite is always better because of the personal attention. However we have set up the Distance learning training to be as close as possible to our onsite training.We have recently introduced our virtual classroom.
Is there a payment plan for the distance learning certification course?
Please go to:
http://www.orcainstitute.com/PaymentPlan.html
How many hours a day do I need to devote to the Basic Hypnotherapy class, not including client studies of course, I can probably devote 1 hour a day and more on days off - should that be sufficient to complete the course in 6 months?
That would be enough, especially at the beginning. The practicum will require some time because of the open book exam that is required and 25 client sessions. The exam and counseling assignments will be about 50 pages when completed.
Do you mail out information on your courses?
We do not mail out information. We believe that brochures, newsletters etc. in hard copy create a waste of our natural resources. Everything that we can be put in a detailed brochure is on our web site with more current information.
I was wondering how old one must be in order to attend the Orca Institute.
19.
Is the Hypnotherapy accreditation offered recognized across Canada?
There is no legislation relating to Hypnotherapy or counselng in Canada. Our graduate students can practice anywhere in Canada and most States.
How do I locate a suitable mentor to oversee the sessions as well as the practicum?
Supervision is included in the cost. We would provide that service through e-mail and phone.
What does this certificate give me in terms of career opportunities?
The main focus of our basic course is to have the student to set up a private practice as a Resident Hypnotherapist or Counselling HYpnotherapist, or use it as an adjunct to their specific area of practice in the health care field.
What will I receive after registering and paying for the Basic Distance Learning Certification course?
As soon as we receive payment for the full course you will receive 4 video DVD's, one Hypnotherapy course manual, and one Video companion manual. We will also send you an ID and password for our student information page and forum.
What is required to obtain the higher levels, to work with abuse, anorexia, emotional trauma, etc., and how do you classify depression?
Typically you should be at the Counseling Hypnotherapist level in the International Association of Counseling Hypnotherapists or equivalent. One should also have specific counseling training beyond our advanced and/or Diploma hypnotherapy course to work in areas such as Anorexia or Bulimia. To view the requirements in detail please go to http://www.hypnotherapyassociation.org/IACHStandards.html
"You cannot work with groups using hypnosis". What is meant by "groups"?
This refers to doing hypnosis with a group of five or more when you are a beginning practitioner having for example 3 months at a Resident level. Teaching a group how to do self-hypnosis would be treated differently than taking a group through a guided imagery.
I do know from my other distance education courses that duration of the basic course varies from student to student, but do you have an approximate completion time as a guideline?
Six to twelve months.
Once I have completed the initial course, may I then progress to more advanced courses through correspondence?
Yes. Please see our, Diploma and PTSD course.
In which countries will I be permitted to practice as a hypnotherapist with this course?
Most of North America except some states. I'm not sure about the other countries. Each one has it's own laws relating to this field. Many do not have any legislation.
How does the International Association of Counseling Hypnotherapists handle hypnotherapists who have qualified in Britain for example, who now want to live and practice in Canada?
The International Association of Counseling Hypnotherapists is an independent body and takes each application on it's own merits. In other words, each applicant must meet the criteria for the specific level they are applying to. This allows for anyone to apply.
Why would students repeat the onsite course when they have already completed the distance education course?
As a refresher and to get more personal attention and feedback. I tend to teach each course a little differently depending on the particular group although the core information is always covered.
Is it feasible for me to take the counseling courses first then move onto the hypnotherapy course?
Yes.
