Our Profession Should Reach Out to Non-Whites

Great observation Cal. I don’t think it’s just you. I definitely get the feeling that hypnosis is currently thought of as a “white people” thing, at least in the US. Talk about self-limiting beliefs! This is a shame since something so powerful should be shared with as many people as possible. I think if a hypnotist of a certain ethnicity could market their services to their own group, this could be a good niche strategy in certain markets.

Maybe a group like the NGH could send out a voluntary survey to find out the ethnic backgrounds of not only the hypnotists themselves, but estimates of their client makeup. Once this is measured, then it can be improved through some sort of outreach.

I agree with your perception Cal. In more than forty years of teaching hypnotherapy, less than 1/10th of one percent of more than 7,000 students have been Afro-American. I have frequently stated that the Black Nation in the USA
has been brainwashed (hypnotized)by politicans and black “leaders” to accept beliefs that perpetuate their underdog status. These “leaders” have hijacked and distorted the liberating messages of Dr. Martin Luther King to maintain their influence.
I believe that a few hundred black hypnotherapists in the USA could create a new and transforming self-image that would spawn a new generation of leaders.
With Respect to those who have earned it! Gil Boyne

This is a wonderful topic of discussion. I am fairly new to the hypnosis industry, but racial inequality has always been a subject of interest for me. I am wondering if you notice the same ratio difference in the clients you see as well? I have been planning to contact the Chicago Abused Woman’s Coalition to see if I can give a class on Self Hypnosis for Self Esteem. I have worked in the non-profit industry in Metro Chicago for the last seven years and am expecting the class will be mostly non-whites. (Thank you for not using the word ‘minorities’) I don’t expect to get an influx of client referrals from this class, but I think it would be great to help these women and their children to build their self esteem and to spread the word about hypnosis. Who knows, maybe they will decide to become hypnotists themselves. Thank you Cal for such an interesting topic.

Hi, I ran across this study published on a US Dept of Education website and thought I would pass it along, it’s regarding hypnotizability among black college students:

http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_Descriptor=%22Hypnosis%22&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&objectId=0900000b80176ff2&accno=ED470013&_nfls=false

To be honest with you I don’t understand much of it (aside from the general point of the abstract) as I do not grok statistical stuff too well, but I’m sure you can understand what they’re talking about.

PS. I ran across this govt site (which has a ton of other interesting material on hypnosis) because I was trying to find the source of something I read elsewhere regarding a University of Northern Arizona study showing hypnosis improving test scores. Have not been able to find this study online; I think in general it’d be better to link to the published study or at least name the authors and publication when mentioning studies like that. Many clients will be saavy enough to ask to see the source of facts that are cited. Oh well that is just a pet peeve of mine, sorry for the off-topic tangent.

Thanks again for raising this important issue about making hypnosis a more diverse (and more marketable!) field.

Im so sorry, I wrecked the layout of this HTML page by pasting that huge URL, and i cant figure out how to edit the post!

Here is the TinyURL version: http://tinyurl.com/39cdkn

Hi Cal,you have touched on a sensitive topic which
most people would just avoid.You mentioned that there
is a right mix of races when you teach the certification
class in Singapore. However as a practising hypnotherapist
and trainer in Singapore, I find that almost all my clients
happen to belong to one particular race-Chinese, althouogh I
am an Indian Singaporean. One would have thought that I would
attract more Indians or maybe Malays as I am also a Muslim but
no, I keep attracting the Chinese. So I believe there must be
something else going on like cultural and religious beliefs of
some racial groups. I know you are more concerned about what’s
happening in USA but more people in Singapore needs to be
educated about hypnosis too so that they will come forward.

Hi Cal,

As a ‘non-white’ hypnotist I agree with your observation and I applaud you for touching on the subject. Reaching out to a broader spectrum of races & cultures is something that would only benefit our profession.

At the same time, beyond the sometimes ridiculous constraints of ‘Political Correctness’, as a hypnotist (like you) who understands the power of the nuances of language, I might suggest the term ‘non-white’ isn’t the best when referring to people of other ethnic or racial backgrounds.

Perhaps Eldridge Cleaver isn’t the bastion of tolerance and understanding we should look up to but I think he may have a point when he said of the term “non-white”:

“The very words that we use indicate that we have set a premium on the Caucasian ideal… When discussing interracial relations, we speak of ‘white people’ and ‘non-white people.’ Notice that that particular choice of words gives precedence to ‘white people’…making them a center–a standard– to which “non-white” bears a negative relation. Notice the different connotation when we turn around and say “colored’ and ‘non-colored’ or ‘black’ or non-black’.”

As UW Professor Haig Bosmajian, author of “The Language of Oppression” noted “It’s more than etiquette, it’s power.”

Language… it’s a funny thing.

All the Best

J.B.
I think perhaps you misunderstood Cal’s use of the word “non-white”. Even the quote you provided is of a different context. If Cal were speaking of simply “blacks” and “whites” then it would be entirely different. Instead though, he was referring to ALL races.

Your right, using the term “non-black” would have a different connotation; in fact, it would completely change the meaning.

The point Cal was making is that the OVERWHELMING majority of hypnotists are in fact white. You can’t use the term “non-black” or “non-colored” to refer to them, because that would simply leave out the many other races. However, in reverse, since the bulk are in fact white, you can use the term “non-white” which encapsulates all other races… Hopefully you can understand the point I’m making here?

What term would you determine better to refer to the rest of the entire population that is not “white” or “caucasian” ???

Well, most of the hypnotists I meet on a regular basis are not white . . . but I live in Asia. However, as far as the US goes, I strongly agree that more outreach needs to be made . . . in hypnosis and in all helping professions. I would also agree that the most accurate term to use is non-white in the context of your post.

I’ve noticed that for a long time. Thank you for giving us a way to help. How can we do it other than support it and be aware?

Cal:

This has been a long time concern of mine, especially as I speak from the “deep south” where segregation held fast for so long. My concern is across the board, churches, civic clubs and organizations, etc. etc. I was one of those “white” who spoke out when it was unpopular to do so, sometimes even scary. In the pre-1960s my profession could not have meetings in public places, except federal facilities, because we social workers were always an integrated group. I well remember one occasion when Governor Lurleen Wallace, wife of the infamous George Wallace, called a meeting of mental health professionals, presidents of mental health professional organizations, and civic leaders who supported mental health. She asked that we give ideas on improving mental health programs, and especially in getting well trained staff for the clinics and in-patient programs.

Wonderful high flung ideal suggestions for more adequate funding, etc were presented. As the president of the Alabama Chapter of Social Work I presented the dilemma of of denying many competent and well trained professional social workers who had departed Alabama and the South to get jobs on the west coast and in the North because they were Black and denied employment by the respective state merit systems. Afterwards the then president of the State Psychological Association commended me for my “courage” to broach such an idea.

Well, at least my professional organization is well represented by minority groups. the state conferences and conventions I now attend are almost equally represented by Black and White. However, I do not see this with respect to the hypnosis groups, the energy psychology groups,etc. It is not taking place in our churches, community performance groups etc.

Yes, we have a problem and I do support the suggestion that we reach out in the giving of programs to minority churches, colleges, civic groups, etc.

As a hypnosis trainer (NBCCH), I gave a scholarship (6o hours of hypnosis training) to a black graduate student and recently a black social worker/Baptist preacher wrote me of his appreciation for my being in his life and of his desire to enroll in future training. We must remember that after years of exclusion, legally and otherwise, we have years of segregation history to overcome.

It behooves all of us to reach out and to begin the long overdue healing.

Clint