How can hypnotherapy help children?

Hypnotherapy for children can help them to change. For children today, life can be stressful.

• There may be anxieties related to school.
• They might lack confidence or experience bullying
• Test and exam nerves are becoming common
• Children may have recurrent problems such as bed wetting, or habits such as nail biting

These are all things that I can help with. I use the most effective therapies such as hypnotherapy and mindfulness to help children and teens, aged from about 6 to 17, to overcome their problems and guide them towards a happier future.

A major advantage of using hypnotherapy is that there are no side effects. Whereas some medicinal drugs that might be used to treat these problems can have a negative effect.

What will the child hypnotherapy session be like?

Young children enjoy stories, imaginary activities and games. Children’s hypnotherapy involves the use of all of these so they would usually find it extremely enjoyable. There is no question of being ‘put under’ or losing control in any way.

• For children below the age of 12, it is more like listening to a relaxing story, pretending or playing ‘make believe’.
• With older teenagers, the process is more similar to hypnotherapy for an adult. This is an enjoyable process, which involves going into a relaxed state – one which they will already be familiar with, as one they go into many times during the day. It is similar to daydreaming, or being absorbed in a good story, a film, or music.

Since children have such active imaginations, they are also very good at getting into the story and so are usually good ‘hypnotic subjects’.
The whole process is very informal and usually takes about 30-45 minutes. You can either come to see me at one of my clinics, or we can sometimes work via Zoom. Home visits are also possible in some cases.

I also record a relaxation session, for home use, to reinforce the work done. This allows your child to listen every day, usually before bed, to continue the positive change, and reduce the number of sessions required.

I work according to CNHC guidelines and for children below the age of 16 I would request that a parent or guardian stays with the child for the duration of the visit.

Hypnotherapy for children and teens is available at my clinics in Queens Park or Angel (Islington).