Terence McKenna
Many children find it difficult to express themselves when they have a problem. Often it manifests itself in inappropriate behaviour or a change in behaviour.
Trying to resolve the problem can become very distressing for parents/carers as the child cannot put into words or cannot explain what the problem is or how they are feeling.
This is where hypnotherapy can help – firstly by finding out what the child does not like about the situation they are in and then asking how they would like to be feeling, thinking and behaving and helping to boost a child’s self confidence.
Sessions are personally tailored around the child’s specific issue and look at a solution-focused approach. I use very light hypnotic relaxation,using the child’s own imagination. I use different techniques which can include story telling, role play, drawing and teach the child strategies to manage/overcome their issue and to help them feel more in control.
Sessions are child focused so any discussions about the child are done by e-mail or telephone before and after the session and I offer follow up e-mails to check on progress.
The majority of children respond so well to hypnotherapy that only 1 or 2 sessions are sufficient but obviously this depends on the child and the problem. More deep-rooted problems may require subsequent sessions.
Things like, sleeping difficulties, bullying, anxiety, self esteem, bed wetting, behaviour problems, learning and exam anxiety respond well to hypnotherapy, as do selective “fussy” eating and selective mutism, tourettes and tics.
In academic applications Hypnotherapy has been shown to help with learning; participating in the classroom, concentrating, studying, extending attention span, improving memory and helping remove mental blocks about particular subjects.