CODE OF ETHICS
Tim Biden, Board Certified Hypnotherapist
Neural Pain Resolution Practice
Foundational Principle
I am a hypnotherapist, not a physician. My role is to work with the neurological and emotional aspects of chronic pain, not to diagnose medical conditions, prescribe medications, or replace medical care. Everything I do operates within this fundamental boundary.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. MEDICAL SCOPE OF PRACTICE
What I Require
Physician Referral for All Pain Cases
Before using Neural Pain Resolution techniques for chronic pain, I require written referral from your physician or pain specialist. This referral must include:
- Your diagnosis
- Current pain medications
- Physician's acknowledgment that they recommend you try hypnotherapy
- Physician's plan regarding pain medications during our work together
Why this matters: Pain medications can mask your true baseline, making it impossible to accurately assess whether the neural retraining is working. This must be discussed with your prescribing physician, not determined by me.
What I Will Not Do
I will never:
- Diagnose medical or psychological conditions
- Tell you to stop taking medications
- Tell you to refuse recommended medical procedures
- Claim I can "cure" your medical condition
- Work on chronic pain without physician involvement
The Gray Area: Mental Health
If you reveal severe depression, suicidal thoughts, or psychological crisis during a session, I will:
- Address immediate safety (you must seek emergency help if you're in crisis)
- Continue working on pain-related emotional factors within my scope
- Make it clear that I am not an emergency mental health service
- Recommend you work with a licensed mental health professional alongside our pain work
Important: Depression and suicidal thoughts often accompany chronic pain. I can help with pain-related emotional patterns, but not as a substitute for mental health treatment.
II. MEDICAL COLLABORATION, NOT COMPETITION
When Doctors Recommend Procedures
If your doctor recommends a medical procedure (injection, surgery, nerve block) and you want to "try hypnosis first," I will:
- Support your desire to explore non-invasive options
- Work with you using Neural Pain Resolution
- Encourage you to return to your doctor for re-evaluation before the procedure
- Never tell you not to do the procedure
My hope: That you won't need the procedure. My position: If you still need it after our work, you should absolutely get it.
When I Cannot Help (Usually)
Post-surgical hardware (fusions, screws, plates): If you've had bones fused or hardware implanted to stabilize your body in a specific position, I generally cannot work with you without your surgeon's explicit approval.
Why this matters: Successful hypnotherapy could relax your body out of that stabilized position, potentially undoing the surgeon's work and causing more pain. Your surgeon will not want to redo their work because your body became less stressed and more limber.
Case-by-case consideration: In some situations, I may work with post-surgical clients if:
- Your surgeon approves and understands what we're doing
- We have clear communication about goals and limitations
- The benefits outweigh the potential risks
This requires surgeon consultation and careful assessment—it's not an automatic refusal, but it's not automatic acceptance either.
III. HONESTY ABOUT OUTCOMES
No Guarantees
I cannot guarantee results. Anyone who promises to fix your pain is lying to you.
What I can guarantee:
- I will give you my full effort and attention
- I will use every technique I know
- If after 3 sessions you haven't gotten meaningful results, I will stop accepting your money
Why this matters: If my approach isn't working for you, continuing to take your money would be unethical. I want you to get relief, not to be my ATM.
When to Stop
I will tell you honestly if:
- My approach isn't producing results for you
- Your condition is outside my experience or expertise
- I believe someone else could help you better
- Continuing would be taking your money without delivering value
Bottom line: I would rather refer you elsewhere and have you succeed than keep you as a client and have you fail.
IV. FINANCIAL ETHICS
Pricing & Packages
Overselling: If you ask about a 12-session package but I believe you could benefit from 4 sessions, I will tell you that. I will not sell you more sessions than I think you need just to increase my revenue.
Why my sessions cost what they do: I do 3-hour intensive sessions (most hypnotherapists do 60 minutes). This means I accomplish in one session what might take 2-3 traditional sessions. I'm not asking you to spend more—I'm asking you to get deeper results faster.
Refunds
I offer no refunds. You are trying this approach at your own discretion with full knowledge that results vary by individual.
However: If you're not getting results, I will stop the work and stop taking your money. That's my guarantee—honesty, not a refund policy.
Financial Hardship
My rates are firm. I do not offer discounts or sliding scale pricing.
Why: Discounting cheapens the service and creates inconsistency ("Why did she pay less than me?"). My pricing reflects the depth and intensity of this work—3-hour sessions that accomplish what might take multiple traditional sessions.
If cost is prohibitive: I can refer you to practitioners who offer shorter, less expensive sessions. They may not provide the same depth of work, but they're quality professionals who can help.
V. SESSION RECORDING POLICY
I do not record sessions.
Why:
- My telehealth platform is HIPAA-compliant and does not allow recording
- Hearing your own voice from before the session can nullify the suggestions I've given
- If you experience an abreaction (intense emotional release) while listening alone, I'm not there to help you through it
- What helps more: Learning self-hypnosis techniques you can use anytime
What you will receive: Instruction in self-hypnosis so you can continue the work on your own.
VI. PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES
Client Relationships
Social media: I do not connect with clients on social media during or after our professional relationship. I am your therapist, not your friend.
Pre-existing relationships: I'm comfortable working with friends, family, and church members. However, I prefer the relationship to exist before the therapy work, not develop after it. The second direction feels ethically awkward to me.
Romantic/sexual boundaries: If a client expresses romantic interest, I will immediately terminate the therapeutic relationship and refer them to another qualified hypnotherapist (I know a female colleague with similar expertise).
Confidentiality
What I will never share:
- What we discuss in sessions
- Your progress or lack thereof
- Any personal information you've shared with me
This applies even when:
- Your spouse is paying for sessions
- Family members ask about your progress
- Friends inquire how you're doing
Your privacy is absolute, except in these circumstances:
- You give me both verbal and written permission to share specific information with a specific person
- I receive a court order requiring disclosure
- You are an immediate danger to yourself or others (mandatory reporting)
VII. WHO I WILL NOT WORK WITH
Minors (Under 18)
I do not work with anyone under 18 for any reason.
Why:
- I am not trained in child/adolescent hypnotherapy
- Working with minors without specialized training would be irresponsible
- If anything went wrong, legal liability is significantly higher
- There are qualified practitioners who specialize in working with children—I will refer you to them
Cognitive Impairment
I will not work with clients who have dementia or significant cognitive impairment.
Why: If you cannot follow a story, maintain focus, or retain information between sessions, hypnotherapy cannot help you. Taking your money knowing this would be unethical.
My position: I truly wish I could help everyone, but I cannot. I will not accept your money if I don't believe I can deliver results.
Malicious Intent
I will absolutely refuse anyone seeking to use hypnotherapy to:
- Hurt another person
- Manipulate or take advantage of someone
- Do anything I consider unethical or harmful
Bottom line: I help people who want relief for themselves. I will not participate in anything malicious.
Hostile Clients
If you are openly hostile toward me, my methods, or my faith, I will not work with you. I will refer you to someone who's a better fit.
Why: The therapeutic relationship requires mutual respect. If you don't respect me, the work won't be effective anyway.
VIII. HONESTY ABOUT MY LIMITATIONS
Not My Specialty
If you contact me about a condition I have limited experience with, I will:
- Be honest about my level of expertise
- Tell you if I believe I can help
- Refer you to someone more experienced if I don't think I'm the right fit
- Let you make the informed decision
I branch out from my chronic pain specialty when appropriate, but I will never claim expertise I don't have.
When I Make Mistakes
I am human. I make mistakes.
I address this in my pre-talk with every client: If during a session I say something wrong, upset you, or give incorrect information, you have the responsibility to speak up and redirect me.
Hypnosis is not mind control. You remain aware and in control. We work together.
If I realize after a session that I made an error, I will contact you, acknowledge it, and correct it.
IX. PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
Continuing Education
I stay current through:
- Weekly meetings with fellow hypnotherapists to discuss techniques and ethics
- Reading current research and books on pain management
- Taking professional development courses
- Testing new methods against proven ones
When new research emerges that contradicts my previous approach:
- I test the new method against the old (A/B testing when possible)
- If the new way is genuinely better, I implement it immediately
- If it's not, I continue with what works
- I cannot go back and redo previous clients' work, but I will use the best available techniques going forward
Insurance & Liability
I carry professional liability insurance and maintain HIPAA-compliant systems for client information and telehealth sessions.
X. FAITH & PRACTICE
My Christian Faith
I am a Christian hypnotherapist. This informs my values and ethics, but it does not dictate how I work with clients.
With non-Christian clients:
- I respect your beliefs even if they differ from mine
- I do not bring up God or faith unless you initiate
- I operate as a secular hypnotherapist toward a secular client
- I was not always Christian—I understand where you're coming from
With Christian clients:
- I'm happy to incorporate prayer if you wish
- You set the roadmap: you pray, I pray, or we both pray
- I ask permission before praying during a session
- I've seen powerful results from faith-integrated work
With clients hostile to religion:
- I'm willing to work with you, but are you willing to work with me?
- If you're openly hostile toward my faith, we're not a good fit
- I'll refer you to someone who doesn't trigger that reaction
With Christians who believe hypnosis is demonic:
- I will briefly explain my position on hypnosis and faith
- If you understand, we can work together
- If you don't, I won't work with you—I will not intentionally violate your moral beliefs
Bottom line: I honor all beliefs so people can get the relief they desire. Faith is incorporated only when welcome, never imposed.
XI. MARKETING & TRUTH IN ADVERTISING
Statistics & Success Rates
I believe in honesty in marketing.
If I can truthfully say "93% of my clients experience X," I will say that—along with acknowledging that 7% do not.
I will never claim 100% success because nothing in hypnotherapy is 100%.
I will never make false statements to attract clients.
Testimonials
If a client gives me a glowing testimonial claiming I "cured" their pain:
- I will use the testimonial (it's their genuine experience)
- I may add a disclaimer: "I thank [client] for this review. 'Cured' is a medical term I do not endorse or encourage. I work with pain management and neural retraining, not cures."
Why: I want to honor their experience without making medical claims I cannot legally or ethically make.
XII. VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
Desperate Clients
When someone comes to me crying, saying "you're my last hope," putting all their emotional eggs in my basket:
What I do:
- Acknowledge their desperation with compassion
- Commit to doing everything in my power to help
- Manage expectations realistically
- Help them believe in their own ability to heal (not just in me)
- Make it clear I am not perfect and methods don't work universally
The paradox: The more desperate someone is for pain relief, the better my methods tend to work. But I don't want them to crash emotionally if I'm not able to help.
XIII. SUMMARY: MY COMMITMENT TO YOU
As your hypnotherapist, I commit to:
- ✅ Require physician involvement for all chronic pain cases
- ✅ Stay within my scope as a hypnotherapist, not a doctor
- ✅ Be honest about what I can and cannot do
- ✅ Stop taking your money if my approach isn't working
- ✅ Respect your autonomy, beliefs, and boundaries
- ✅ Maintain strict confidentiality except when legally required to break it
- ✅ Continue learning and improving my methods
- ✅ Acknowledge my mistakes and correct them
- ✅ Refer you elsewhere when appropriate
- ✅ Treat you with dignity and respect regardless of our differences
I will never:
- ❌ Diagnose medical conditions
- ❌ Tell you to stop medications or refuse medical procedures
- ❌ Guarantee outcomes I cannot control
- ❌ Work with you without physician referral for chronic pain
- ❌ Continue taking your money when my approach isn't working
- ❌ Breach your confidentiality without legal cause or your permission
- ❌ Accept clients I don't believe I can help
- ❌ Impose my faith on non-Christian clients
- ❌ Cross professional boundaries into friendship or romance
- ❌ Claim expertise I don't have
XIV. QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS?
If you believe I have violated any part of this Code of Ethics, or if you have questions about my ethical standards, please contact me directly.
My integrity is non-negotiable. If I've failed to uphold these standards, I want to know and make it right.
This Code of Ethics guides every decision I make in my practice. It exists to protect you, maintain professional standards, and ensure that the work we do together is ethical, effective, and honors your wellbeing above all else.
Last Updated: February 6, 2026
Tim Biden, Board Certified Hypnotherapist
Omni Hypnosis Training
Neural Pain Resolution Specialist
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