Dr. John Butler, Executive Director
Dr. John Butler brings more than three decades of clinical, academic, and professional leadership to his role as Executive Director of the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners (ACHE). A highly respected clinical hypnotherapist, educator, researcher, and standards-setter, Dr. Butler has been instrumental in shaping the modern practice and professional recognition of hypnotherapy both in the UK and internationally. In recognition of his lifetime contributions to hypnotherapy education and professional standards, Dr. Butler was awarded the ACHE Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
Dr. Butler’s academic background is firmly rooted in medical science. He trained in experimental neuroanatomy, neurosurgery, and neuroscience methodologies, and conducted medical research specializing in neuroendocrinology. He holds a doctoral degree in medical science from the University of London and has taught medical psychology, neurology, neuroanatomy, and medical neuroscience in medical education for over 30 years. His work bridges rigorous scientific inquiry with applied clinical hypnosis, grounding therapeutic practice in a deep understanding of brain and body processes.
With over 45 years of clinical experience, Dr. Butler has worked extensively as a practitioner with clients across a wide range of settings, including high-level performers in the performing arts, media, business, and healthcare. Alongside his clinical work, he has spent more than 35 years as a teacher and trainer of clinical hypnotherapy.
Dr. Butler is the principal instructor for Hypnotherapy Training International, which delivers accredited training programs worldwide. He is also an approved hypnotherapy instructor for the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners and several other accrediting bodies. He trained in several schools of hypnotherapy and psychotherapy and undertook extensive training with Gil Boyne in Gil’s pioneering method of Transforming TherapyTM and co-taught training courses with him in the last decade of Gil’s life. Together they continued the development of this powerful and effective method of therapy, and John has continued this development since Gil’s death. Dr. Butler holds the copyright and licensing for the Transforming TherapyTM concepts and materials.
A pioneer in hypnotherapy education, Dr. Butler wrote and tutored the first official clinical hypnotherapy training program within the UK’s National Health Service in 1992, delivered at the Royal College of Nursing in London. He has since taught clinical hypnosis internationally, including specialized applications for surgeons and anesthetists in courses accredited by the Royal College of Anaesthetists. His instruction in the surgical applications of hypnosis has helped establish hypnosis as a credible adjunct in pain management and medical procedures.
Beyond education and clinical practice, Dr. Butler has played a defining role in professional standards, regulation, and public recognition of hypnotherapy. Since the early 1980s, he has been deeply involved in developing training standards, occupational frameworks, and self-regulatory structures for psychological therapies in the UK. He organized the first national conference in the UK of hypnotherapy school leaders and professional registers in 1986, formally initiating collaborative standards-setting for the profession.
His work has significantly influenced public and professional perceptions of hypnotherapy. Dr. Butler has made more than 30 television appearances as an expert in hypnosis, including landmark broadcasts such as the BBC series Mysteries and Channel 4’s HypnoSurgery Live, in which hypnosis was used as the sole anesthetic during surgery. His clinical work has been featured in Time and Science magazines, and he has been widely quoted in the media as an authoritative voice on hypnosis. His expertise has been sought by major corporations, including Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, BUPA, and Ernst & Young, and he has served as an expert witness and police advisor in legal cases involving hypnosis.
An accomplished author, Dr. Butler is the clinical author of Secrets of Hypnotherapy (Dorling Kindersley) and has contributed to numerous books, peer-reviewed journals, and professional publications in both neuroscience and clinical hypnotherapy. His research publications span medical science and applied clinical practice, reflecting his unique integration of science, education, and therapeutic work. He has taken over the specialist hypnotherapy and mind power publishing company founded by Gil Boyne, Westwood Publishing Company, and has edited and published the renowned teachings of Gil Boyne on self-hypnosis, in the book, “Self-Hypnosis: Key to your Inner Power”.
As Executive Director of ACHE, Dr. John Butler continues his long-standing commitment to advancing excellence, ethical practice, and high standards in hypnotherapy education and professional certification worldwide.
Interested in Joining a Committee or Becoming a Board Member?
Serving on an ACHE committee is an opportunity to contribute your experience, help shape professional standards, and support the future of hypnotherapy. Committee participation offers a meaningful way to engage with ACHE’s work, collaborate with peers, and gain insight into organizational leadership.
For many members, committee involvement becomes a natural first step toward deeper leadership, including future Board service.