Debbie Waller, Yorkshire Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis and Children

Hypnosis of children was first described in 1779 by Anton Mesmer, who claimed to have used hypnotherapy to treat a child with visual problems, although it was not widely used until the 1970s.

Most children are good hypnotic subjects because their they use their imaginations so powerfully on a daily basis. If a child is playing with an imaginary friend, for example, they see that friend and respond to them as if they were real.

Hypnosis uses these same skills to find and put in place solutions to many different behavioural and emotional problems. Hypnosis can be used to solve a wide variety of problems for children. These include

• bedwetting
• anxiety
• unwanted habits
• stress
• lack of confidence
• low self esteem
• exam nerves
• school or other phobias

and many more.

 

Hypnotherapy for Children and Teenagers

Hypnotic techniques used for younger children tend to revolve around play and story telling, using their own interests, or favourite TV characters and books. Older children and teenagers may work with their problems more directly as adults do. There may be some 'homework' - tasks to carry out at home, or a CD to listen to.

The number of sessions varies depending on the nature and history of the problem,  the age of the child, and many other factors. But it's usually around four to six.

There are some special considerations when working with young people, such as whether Mum, Dad, or another adult, is going to be in the room when hypnotherapy takes place. It's usual for young children to have an adult present, but older teenagers especially may prefer parents to remain in the waiting room. We always aim for a balance between confidentiality, safety, supervision and the child's freedom to express any thought or feeling.

It's also important to explain clearly about confidentiality. Even if you pay the bills(!) your child is my client and is entitled to the same respect as any other client. He/she needs to be confident that whatever is said in a therapy session stays in the therapy room.

Any kind of therapy is a co-operative relationship between the client and therapist. If a child is afraid of, or resistant to, the idea of hypnosis it is likely to affect my ability to help them. Many children's TV programmes, comedies and cartoons show hypnosis giving the hypnotist total, 100% control over the thoughts and actions of the hypnotised person (or animal!). Not unreasonably, this can lead to children having fears about coming for hypnotherapy.

Because of these considerations, I would always book a free information session for children and their parents to come to together as a first step. This does not commit you to going ahead with hypnotherapy, but it does help your family find out more about hypnosis, and for us to meet and decide if we can usefully work together.

Please contact me if you want more information.