National School of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy

National School of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (N-SHAP)

N-SHAP was established in 1980 in order to introduce and carry forward in the U.K. the ideas and work of the late Dr. Milton Erickson, American psychiatrist and psychotherapist, since which time the importance of Ericksonian hypno- psychotherapeutic approaches and neurolinguistic methods for effective clinical work has become widely recognised.

At that time the need was perceived for the teaching of hypnosis skills and hypnotherapy to progress beyond the standardised 'Command and Relaxation' induction - the "You are feeling sleepy" routine - still popularly portrayed in the media and elsewhere. The standardised induction is not designed to take into account the individuality and difficulties of each client, and misses the important point that trance is a subjective internal experience which varies greatly, according to the client. Not surprisingly, many people fail to respond productively to the standardised induction routines which frequently evoke the comment "I didn't feel hypnotised".

The Ericksonian Approach recognises and utilises the resources and capabilities of the individual and assumes that unconscious processes can operate in an intelligent and creative way. It is an approach that enables the client's identification with limiting processes to be set aside, thus enabling trance to facilitate utilisation of unconscious processes for therapeutic gain.

The school also believed that students should have a knowledge of other perspectives, so analytical and other schools of thought/methods are introduced. Students were taught:

- to develop their own skills in the clinical art of observation, hypnotic inductions and the formulation of indirect suggestion, to enable them to become practising hypno-psychotherapists; - an understanding of the dynamics of unconscious processes in behaviour; - to have a high regard for the unique life experiences of each individual and to treat the whole person - not merely the symptoms; - an awareness of the theoretical positions of other schools of psychological thought;; - to attain personal development through enhanced awareness of their own psychological and emotional functioning.

The training was originally designed to give post-qualification training to doctors, nurses, social workers and teachers.

The National School of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy was incorporated into the National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy on the 1st of January 2010. N-SHAP was a founder member of UKCP and Shaun Brookhouse and Fiona Biddle did not wish to see the name disappear from the history of psychotherapy in Europe. N-SHAP has been passed to professional and caring hands. This means that the National College can progress those people on the pathway (or who wish to be on the pathway) to UKCP registration much more easily and offer a full and integrated service. 

From March 2010, the Continuing Professional Development Programmes in Ericksonian Hypno-Psychotherapy (CEHP(NC) and DEHP(NC)) will be branded as CEHP(N-SHAP) and DEHP(N-SHAP), as a homage to the Founder of N-SHAP and one of the true Ericksonian Pioneers in the UK, T. Raymond Keedy-Lilley.