This is a question that many people on Quora have asked over the years and this is my answer:
This is a very good question and one that I would hope counselors (therapists) would answer honestly.
First, many people who enter the world of healthcare do so because they or someone close to them has been adversely affected by some disease process be it physiological or emotional. These folks want to learn more about the problem so they go to school to learn about it and then end up specializing in that area of medicine.
For those who are providing mental health services, most master’s and Ph.D. programs for clinicians are made to go through some therapy so they understand what it is like and get an understanding of the dynamics between the patient and the clinician. However, too many of them never really get to the heart of their emotional issues and end up projecting their issues onto their patients falsely believing that this is a supportive thing to do. It is one thing to empathize with a client’s challenges, it is quite another to tell them that it is okay to be (fill in the box because they have every right to be angry or whatever) when the healing comes from being able to take responsibility for their part in the dynamic whatever it was even if it was just staying with the other person and learning how to forgive and let go of the issues surrounding the negative emotional events so they can get on with their lives.
Second, as I used to tell those folks who would be at the hypnosis conventions I used to attend frequently, “If you are not using hypnosis yourself you have no business in selling it as a service.” This is simply because few people will follow the guidance given by a person who is not using the healing modality being sold. This is not only true about hypnotism, it is true of any healthcare provider who is not following the guidance that they are giving to their patients themselves. This means using common sense approaches to remain strong and healthy, body, mind, and spirit.
I also guide potential clients of hypnotist and neuro-linguistic programming to make sure that the person that they are employing to do this work has used hypnotism and neuro-linguistic programming themselves to improve their life and is continuing to use self-hypnosis. We need to be in integrity and congruence with what we are doing with our clients and patients for them to receive the benefit of what we are doing with them. Otherwise, they will most likely not follow through on what we are telling them because there is not enough trust in the healthcare provider.
So, yes, mental health professionals need to have had therapy and work with therapists to take care of whatever ongoing issues may occur in life. This does not mean that one is in therapy for life, that is also ridiculous. However, to believe in what one is selling, one needs to be a consumer who has received a benefit from that which they are selling.
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About Suzanne
Suzanne Kellner-Zinck founded Dawning Visions Hypnosis in 2002, She has become an innovator in the use of hypnotism and neuro-linguistic programming in the areas of obsessive compulsive disorders such as: eating disorders, sexual addiction and substance abuse as well as working with those with anxiety and mood disorders.
Her clients have come to work with her from across the United States and as far away as Africa to help them to finally be freed from these emotional issues that once ruled their lives. Today she is in the process of bringing her work to many more in the form of ebooks and other downloadable formats.
She is a member of American Holistic Medical Association and the American College for Advancement in Medicine.
Prior to founding Dawning Visions Hypnosis, Kellner-Zinck worked within vendor programs for the mentally ill working to help them to live up to their fullest potential. Many of her previous clients were able to move out on their own and find fulfilling work.
Kellner-Zinck is a Certified Trainer of Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic programing through Tad James Company, Inc. and a Master Hypnotist and Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming through Advanced Neuro Dynamics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education and political studies from Curry College.
Dawning Visions Hypnosis is teaching people that they can indeed leave their unwanted behaviors behind as they move forward to living fulfilling and joy filled lives.