Ethics--the royal road to legitimacy.

The mission statement of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis states: "The [Society] is dedicated to encouraging and promoting excellence in the use of hypnosis by qualified health care professionals by advancing scientific research, education, and standards of practice in hypnosis, by educating others about the value, applications, and ethical use of hypnosis." This presidential address discusses some of the current ethical issues in the domain of hypnosis and offers guidelines for the ethical practice of hypnosis. Acceptance of hypnosis as a legitimate tool in health care delivery requires careful adherence to appropriate ethical principles.