Hypnosis for Children
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Bed Wetting
- Hair Twirling, Hair Pulling, Trichotillomania
- Head Banging, Head Rolling, Body Rocking
- Nose Picking
- Nail Biting
- Sleep Terrors, Nightmares
- Thumb-sucking, Finger-sucking
- Tics
See below for explanations of each issue.
Hypnosis has been used successfully to treat hundreds of different behavior disorders, chronic diseases, and even pain in children. Children are often the best clients because they are generally more in touch with their imagination. Hypnotism is very powerful for children and often a choice among parents since there are no negative side effects unlike many medications. Children of all ages can be hypnotized but it is believed that kids 3 and over respond best to this kind of treatment.
Anxiety
A child who is anxious may have an array of different problems stemming from the stress of anxiety.
Asthma
When children who suffer from asthma feel their breathing becoming labored and their throat constrict, they begin to feel afraid and panic which causes them to breathe more heavily. This begins the downward spiral which ends in an asthma attack. When children learn how to remain calm and relax themselves they can actually reverse the signs and symptoms of asthma and become back in control.
Bed Wetting
Many children suffer from bed wetting. This is embarrassing for children and even cause social isolation. Kids feel alone and often avoid social situations. Bed wetting even leads to loss of self esteem. Hypnosis has a very positive result on bed wetting. Since bladder function is controlled by the brain when we can access that portion of the mind, change the beliefs and learned behaviors that are leading to bed wetting. Part of the reason hypnosis works so well on the bed wetting issue is because the children play an active roll in their treatment and their own success.
Hair Twirling, Hair Pulling, Trichotillomania
The problem with hair pulling or hair twirling is it can result in minimal to significant hair loss. This is generally a self calming behavior. Many times young children do this and grow out of it. If it becomes a chronic problem or the child is loosing a lot of their hair it is time to come see a hypnotherapist. We can remove the desire to pull and or twirl the hair. Sometimes this is just a calming behavior and sometimes it is a symptom of a deeper underlying problem. Either way, hypnosis can help to alleviate the problem and the symptom.
Head Banging, Head Rolling, Body Rocking
Many parents are concerned with these kind of behaviors for fear of injury to the child. The child is using these behaviors to self soothing and calming. Hypnosis can help with these issues. Generally these issues will disappear around two years of age. If they do not we can help to give the child inner safety and security and the ability to calm and soothe themselves without these potentially dangerous behaviors. Many parents worry about developmental delays because to these behaviors. These can be legitimate concerns so talk to your pediatrician.
Nail Biting
The concern with this issue is infection, pain, disease and lack of control. Nail biting is a response to stress, tension and anxiety. Children can bite their nails and cuticles until they are sore, bleeding and infected. Hypnosis helps to eliminate the desire to bite, and helps you to be in control.
Nose Picking
Many times the main issue with nose picking is that it is socially not accepted. Children may be cast out of social groups, have trouble making friends etc. Also some children will pick their noses until they bleed. Either way no matter how severe or mild this issue is it is something both the parents and the children want to be free of. This is often a vicious cycle. Nose picking causes irritation which causes more nose picking. Stop the behavior with hypnosis by eliminating the desire to pick.
Sleep Terrors, Nightmares
This can lead to many sleepless nights for the child as well as the parents. Night mares can be a symptom of stress, fears and even anxiety. Hypnosis can help eliminate night terrors by removing fears, anxiety and instilling peace calmness and security with in the child.
Thumb-sucking, Finger-sucking
Many children start this behavior as young children. Typically children stop this behavior at anywhere from 1 – 5 years. When children continue this behavior beyond those years parents start to worry about the child’s teeth and inability to soothe themselves without sucking. Hypnosis can help give the children or even teens the ability to soothe themselves and remove the habit of sucking. Many times it is a response to stress or anxiety. Hypnosis can help eliminate the stressors that cause the need to self soothe or self medicate with sucking.
Tics
Tics are defined as a twitch or a sudden movement and can take place in any area of the body or even in the voice. The tics get worse as stress gets worse. This is the body’s reaction to being overly stressed. Hypnosis can help by eliminating the stress and removing the tic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What role does the parent play during a hypnosis session?
It is important that the parent be supportive to the hypnotherapist in order to help the child gain comfort and trust in the therapist. The parent is the one who gives the initial information about the issue and the history of the issue. It is also very important to address the wonderful qualities of the child aside from the issue so the child can see themselves as accepted and separate from their issue. As far as the actual session goes the parent will be in a different room and the therapist will be one on one with the child. Parents it is also important to understand your child is the most important one in these sessions. So we spend majority of our time with the child and in hypnosis, where the actual changes are made.
How many sessions will it take?
Depending on the issue. Most children will take 4 – 6 sessions in order to completely remove the issue/behavior. This includes uncovering the reason for the issue, removing it, and replacing it with better behaviors, beliefs and control.