The Institute of Thought was founded by Dr. Joseph Costa and Joni Wilson in 1980. The Institute of Thought Mastery Program is a system of classes and courses designed to serve individuals who desire to accelerate their soul's self-growth and to balance their lives.

In the beginning of the 1990's Gisela Sommer joined the Institute of Thought and their training program, and went on to assist Dr. Costa in refining the Basic and Advanced transpersonal hypnotherapy certification program and mastery classes. Gisela has been involved in publications of IOT books, booklets and tapes.

The Institute of Thought branched out to Berkeley, CA in the mid 1990's. Maggie van Staveren, LCSW, CHT became the Bay Area IOT extension director from 1996-1999.

In 1999 Christine Bartlett PT, CHT joined Maggie and Katherine Dresser to form a clinic called the Better Life Teaching and Counseling Center, designed as a teaching and counseling clinic based on the principles of the Institute of Thought in San Diego. The BLTCC offers Basic and Advanced hypnotherapy certification through the lOT, ongoing self mastery courses, and one-on-one counseling.

Headquarters for the hypnotherapy certification and training program is the Institute of Thought (IOT) in San DiegO, CA. The director of IOT is Joseph Costa, Ph.D.

The mission of the Institute of Thought and the Better Life Teaching and Counseling Center is to offer facilities and therapists that provide the highest level of teaching and counseling based on aspects of transpersonal psychology and mastery training.