Hypnotists often buy insurance. And those who haven’t yet bought insurance often ask if they need to buy liability insurance for their hypnosis business.
Any of our students know we often say “Ecology first” when talking about client work. That’s because it is our duty to look out for our clients’ safety. We need to make sure whoever walks into our office is totally secure, and neither the environment nor the work we do pose any threat to their physical and mental well being.
Insurance is the other end of that spectrum. It’s about looking after yourself, and your business.
To make hypnosis a sustainable business, you must safeguard against injury, defamation and potential lawsuits. That’s why many hypnotists look for liability insurance as a way to prevent unexpected problems coming their way.
At Hypnothoughts LIVE, Las Vegas, I had the pleasure of interviewing our friend and colleague Scott Sandland. He is the consummate professional. He’s seen thousands of clients over decades of practice, and HT Live is a great place to meet awesome hypnotists like him. He offered great insights that I’ll share with you here.
Hypnosis Practice Insurance for Medical Referrals
Scott’s career was largely built from referrals. Specifically, doctors would refer clients to him. If you intend to create a business with a similar model, insurance is, as Scott puts it, mission critical. Physicians and mental health practitioners just won’t refer to you unless you have insurance.
With insurance in hand, these medical professionals will feel safe to refer their patients to you, because they’ll know if anything happens, liability falls on you, not them.
Simply put - if you ever hope to have doctors refer clients your way, you better get liability insurance.
Insurance for Hypnotists is Cheap
The second reason you should get insurance, according to Scott, is the policies are quite low cost. He says the coverage states that as long as you don't do anything wrong (use common sense), you're good to go. That’s because, at least in California, the legal precedent is all hypnosis is self hypnosis.
What that means is there are no legal claims against hypnotists, so we don’t get sued very often. So as long as you know your scope of practice and act ethically, it’s really easy to stay out of trouble.
Be warned though, the laws that regulate the practice of hypnosis likely vary depending on where you are. So seek out reliable sources from your region and become informed about your legal scope of practice and the kind of liability insurance you need.
If you don’t know what exactly you’re allowed to do as a hypnotist, click here to read the article we wrote explaining how it usually works.
An Alternative: Protection by Corporation
If instead of a solo practitioner, you’re a member of a larger organization that provides other kinds of services, their insurance might suit your purposes. Consult with your associates and assess what kind of legal protection the company can offer you, then evaluate if individual insurance is really worth getting.
Liability Insurance for Physical Premises
If you operate a brick and mortar office, it’s smart to have a liability insurance policy for obvious reasons. Simply put - you want to be protected against a lawsuit for any of the random events that might hurt someone at your facility.
Even something as simple as a slip and fall could result in a serious injury. If you are sued for damages, you want to be protected. Given the low cost of such insurance, it’s smart to protect yourself from financial ruin in the event of bad luck striking.
Insurance for Online Hypnosis
As a rule of thumb, if you’re working online, the law of YOUR location is the one that counts. So if you’re in Europe or North America, there’s no need to stress about researching the legal requirements to work with someone from India or the United Arab Emirates. Just become informed about the local laws that regulate your business practice, and you’ll be good to go.
We’re not lawyers, so seek proper legal advice if you have any questions, and speak to colleagues who may have already figured this out (or spoken to a lawyer). This can shortcut your way to a proper answer. Generally speaking it’s a good idea to carry an insurance policy even if you maintain no physical office.
Where To Get Insurance as a Hypnotist
Here’s a small list we were able to gather with the help of friends from a variety of places. Please contact them if you need further information.
USA & CANADA
Lockton Medical Liability Insurance.
Holman - They have a package called 'Canadian Therapy Professional and General Liability Insurance. They do not cover video sessions with clients living outside Canada.
Hiscox/Simply Business - They offer both both general and professional liability.
EUROPE
(In the UK, you have public liability insurance).
Lloyds of London - For stage shows. Mike was once a client.
Holistic Insurance Services - They also give a GHR discount if you are a member.
