Review: Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy

Online Training; well considered or money spinner?

Many online hypnosis training platforms fall woefully short of where they need to be. I've been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to experience several over the years and while there are some nuggets of gold, it can often feel more like a passive revenue generator over a well considered and executed training program.

With that in mind, I have to admit that it has become harder for me over the years to give a real endorsement unless I can genuinely see how there is the value being given for the asking price.

With that rather dramatic opening out of the way, let me tell you about how I came to stumble across the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy.

I had said 'no more training programs' last year...

I've been on Mike's mailing list for some time now and I've also enjoyed tuning in to his Brain Software Hypnosis podcast that he produces with his business partner Chris Thompson. Mike is certainly one of those industry figures who has been around for some time and built a solid reputation out there as a result of his gifted work. I've been raised to 'respect your elders' and it is the same when you step into a new industry; know who those people are that have been doing it for a while and if they're offering something of value, be wise, listen and learn. Mike falls into that category.

I received an email just prior to Christmas to let me know that I could try out Mike's online training platform for a week for only $1. They knew that this campaign was going to resonate with a sucker like me who can't help but take a look. I had actually spent most of last year completely resistant to signing up for any more training as I had done so many and spent so much in the past and, after a while, it all kind of felt same same. For $1 though... well, that is a different story. Credit card in hand, I paid my $1 and delved in to see what the program has to offer.

Immediately, I could recognise that Mike had taken a different and very considered approach to how to do this online training program.

The platform elements

The program has been broken down into modules and each module, while often having an over-arching theme, would often bring in various different elements into that mix. It felt like each module was going to offer something different but still manage to logically build on the previous.

A great example of this is Lesson 10 – Building Your Toolbox Part 1 which features discussion on suggestibility tests, an introduction to the James Braid induction and deepener, the Walter B Gibson induction and deepener, and sections on the information gathering part of your session under titles like 'The Power of Silence and When', 'How To Ask Empowering Questions', and 'Three Things Never To Do As a Hypnotherapists'. Each video is generally ranging from a couple of minutes up to around 10 minutes, so just enough to keep your interest and focus peaked. There is also a PDF at the end of each lesson covering key points and there are often demonstrations included as a bonus. In all, it can feel like a very satisfying way to learn.

The beauty of this set up is quite clear; if you're a beginner, you're going to be able to go through things in a bite-size manner and piece together your stance and approach as a hypnotherapist. If you're more advanced, then the platform becomes a bit like a Netflix for hypnotherapists (as they're promotional material states) where you can pick and choose what topics you wish to watch without having to work your way through hour-long presentations. I'm sure there would be many seasoned hypnotherapists reading this review and are curious as to what those 'three things never to do as a hypnotherapist' might just be!

How soon is now?

Upon joining, there were 24 modules available for me to work through with titles such as The Foundations, Ericksonian Principals, Power Language, Metaphors, Phobias and Anxiety, Entertainment Hypnosis, Pain Management, Weight Management and Smoking, Addictions and Cravings. There are an additional 8 modules labelled as 'coming soon' and featuring titles such as Introduction to MINDSCAPING, A Crash Course In NLP and Personal Charisma. Unfortunately, I have no idea how soon that soon may be now. I'd love to see that soon now be now but I guess that soon may just have to be soon. (NOTE: I've seen online since that the remaining modules are staggered out over a period of a few months after joining.)

But wait... there's more!

In addition to this, there are a handful of other areas to explore. The Bonuses section includes a hilariously funny full recording of a stage hypnosis performance by Mike along with an interview with Igor Ledochowski and various presentations that he has recently done at conferences. I need to point out the excellent Deepeners That Work presentations from Hypnothoughts Live 2017 here; Mike is, once again, extremely funny and engaging to watch and the content is top notch.

This is one point that I feel is worth raising here; Mike is very funny, very witty and very engaging. While I think too many people might get caught up in the seriousness of their work, Mike has mastered that fine balance between being insightful and informative when he needs to be and putting a smile on your face when that might help too. When he and Chris do work together as well, they're a great match and they bounce off each other in a truly engaging way. There is a definite charisma going on here and, combined with the shorter length videos, you can find yourself working through a module at a rapid pace while still giving it 100% of your focus. It's clever and it makes it fun.

There is a Business Resources section that has a couple of useful forms, including a new client intake form. There is a Supplemental Videos and Demonstrations section which almost feels like it could've been titled, 'You Really Should See This Video But We're Not Sure What To Put It Under For Now'. Within this section are examples of various inductions and Mike doing work with issues such as migraines and allergies.

Lastly, and I've intentionally left talking about this until last, is the Open Frame Q&A webinars. These monthly webinars have been going on for years, each about an hour and they're all here. We're talking hour upon hour of webinar tutorials covering a range of topics from ego states and parts through to timelines and back via NLP anchoring. This, in itself, is of tremendous value.

All up, this is a really well thought out and executed online training platform. It can often feel quite loose in parts but then the realisation hits later that this is all about building on each technique without overwhelming or getting bogged down in techniques specifically for certain issues. That higher level approach means that you're learning techniques first and then considering the range of issues that the technique could be applied towards. Mike is very much a non-scripts hypnotherapist. His attitude throughout is about learning techniques, understanding your client so that you don't have to rely upon scripts.

I'm guessing you can tell that I would definitely recommend Mike Mandel's Hypnosis Academy, regardless of if you're a newbie or a seasoned pro. Even if you were to subscribe for a month or two (it is a subscription-based model with a monthly fee), you would still stand to benefit from the many nuggets of gold that Mike casually drops throughout the training. If Erickson could get to the 40-year mark in his career and feel that he was only just getting the hang of hypnosis, then we can take on board that this is something that we will never stop learning about and, as the wonderful Rob McNeilly would say, let the learning continue.

For more information on Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy, click here.

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