Hypnotherapy for children

Hypnotherapy for children? Or should I say Hypnotherapy with children, because this is very much done with, not to a child.

Hypnotherapy engages our creative, powerful unconscious mind in finding solutions to things we are are struggling with. Working with adults, a therapist needs to get past years of habit, and sometimes quite a bit of resistance to change. Because hypnotherapy works by engaging the imagination, children are already ‘ahead of the game’ and have an advantage. Generally the older we get, the more we lose touch with our fantasy worlds. We are taught to apply logic to things, and ‘stop day dreaming’ to pay attention in order to get things done. Adults usually have become quit detached from a sense of wonder, an instinctive belief in magic.

But what if children were right all along, what if we could slip between the cracks and find the solutions to our problems, as if by magic? By looking in unlikely places, and trusting the wisdom of stories, games and a magical guide?

Because children are far more accepting and open to alternative ways of thinking, they respond very well to Hypnotherapy. Now to be honest, it may not look much like therapy to adults, but play, purposeful chatting and story weaving are actually very powerful and sophisticated therapeutic tools.It’s play therapy. What’s even more powerful is that by working in this way, I’m modelling a methodology that a child has the potential to use themselves as they grow, how empowering is that.

So if just for a moment you could suspend your critical adult thinking and believe you had the choice to make real changes in you life, just by changing your mind, and that this was easy and enjoyable, how would that feel. Would you choose to hold onto that and use that to make those choices and changes.

Depending on what the child needs, and how old they are, also on what the parent needs to do to support the child. I might have group sessions with the child and their parents. A parent may sit in on a session and just observe. If the child prefers and it seems appropriate, the parent may sit in the ‘parent nest’ outside my office door. Sometimes I may have sessions separately with the parent, to work on their ability to support their child, and themselves through a process of chance.

I treat children aged 7 to 107. Under 7, I would work through and with the parent. Empowering them to work with their child and creating a calm, supportive environment. This can be very useful for the parents of fractious toddlers and grumpy sleepless babies. Because if we are honest sometimes the best therapy is a good nights sleep.

Hypnotherapy for children can cover so much,

Bedwetting, nail biting hair pulling skin scratching or picking
family issues, including parental divorce and separation
picky eating (see my blog on this)
disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder behaviours
Fears and phobias
Trauma
stress, anxiety and grief
addictions, such as to their mobile phone or devices
exam nerves
confidence
School reluctance or refusal
low self-esteem
anger issues

Be aware that I am a Hypnotherapist not a medical practitioners and cannot diagnose physical health conditions or mental health conditions. And so, A family doctor is the first point of call for health factors that may be causing the problem. This will also help to put both your own and the child’s mind at ease. Unfortunately due to ongoing cuts to funding for the NHS (my magic wand can’t fix that) waiting lists for therapy on the NHS are long. I will be very happy, should you wish to write to your GP and keep them informed of the treatment and progress.

Some issues would require to be treated under the supervision of a medical practitioner, such as severe eating disorder, self harm or suicide attempts. In these cases please see your GP, and if they can’t help or the waiting lists are to long I can refer you to a private child psychology service.