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In April 2008, we changed our name so it parallels the Canadian Federation name. After 25 years the change in our name is official and we are now Canadian Federation of Clinical Hypnosis - Alberta Society. We are proud of our contribution in helping to start and support the CFCH parent group and are pleased with the increased communication and collegiality seen among Canadian hypnotherapists.
We are the largest clinical hypnosis organization in Canada and one of the largest in North America with about 160 members but we want (and need to attract) more members. We have adopted membership and training eligibility changes that are intended to allow us to draw more members and train more people.
Our eligibility criteria for attendance at conferences differs from our membership criteria in that only licensed health care professionals may be admitted as members but those with appropriate educational qualifications who are not registered as health care professionals may attend our workshops. Our belief is that hypnosis is a good "product" and that the more people who know how to properly use it the more popular it will become as an adjunctive treatment.
The Society has long sanctioned workshops offered by our members that meet the Society's educational standards but not officially sponsored by our organization. We are excited that Mr. Len McEwen has now offered an Introductory workshop sponsored by his company and the Professional Social Workers organization, and that this workshop was considerably over subscribed.
Our membership drive occupies the better part of two to three months and each of our conference requires three or more months of advance preparation time and about a month of response time after each conference. This means that the people who do our administrative and clerical work are busy for almost 8 months with just routine functions (they are only part-time and don't work full weeks for us).
Our 800 phone number is busy much of the year with requests for referrals to our members (over 500 in 2007). We also field questions about the conferences we hold at Banff in the Spring, and in Calgary or Edmonton in Autumn.
Dr. Assen Alladin has been guest editor of the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis and has written a new textbook; Hypnotherapy Explained that is drawing high critical acclaim.
CFCH-AS is also pleased to be the first host Member Society to offer distance education opportunities for all Federation members. Two of our intermediate/advanced workshops will be webcast at a modest cost this year from Banff.
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