Children and Hypnosis

Hypnotherapy for children is very effective, non invasive and fun. We have had many years experience in dealing with children of all ages from 7 years with all sorts of issues. (see below for some of the more common issues). Much of the success with children depends on the ability of the Hypnotherapist to relate to the child and their issue.  Steve has 4 children of his own and hence lots of experience in dealing with children of all ages.

The power of rapport

During our sessions with kids we always speak to a child at their level. We never use language that is out of their grasp nor do we speak down to the child. It is important that they are able to trust us; even the most shy child is able to find their tongue and speak about what happens in their reality, why the issue is stopping them and what they would prefer to be happening.

Imagination and hypnosis

The doorway between the conscious and the unconscious mind is the imagination. For children, it’s relatively easy to reach at the deepest levels, in a much quicker time than required by a good many adults. Stories, adventures, visualization, imaginative games, role-playing, magic, puppets, and costumes work most effectively with children. Any tools that stimulate the imagination are at the Hypnotherapist’s disposal.

What might be included in the session?

· Playing a game

· Using the child’s imagination

· Use of favourite TV program

· Story telling

· Going on a magical trip in a rocket ship to mars or taking a trip to a magical forest

What will be included in a session?

· Spending the first part of the session with parent and child

· Allowing the child to get used to the environment whilst the Hypnotherapist talks to the child

· Any questions the parent may have can be addressed in the beginning of the session

· Allowing the child to explain why they are at the session

Some of the more common issues for children that we have successfully dealt with are;

· Bed wetting
· Anxiety
· Sleep issues
· Learning and study
· Weight management
· Thumb sucking
· Creating positive relationships to school, fitness, teachers, siblings etc
· Self esteem and self confidence

Homework

Sometimes we find that it is useful to set the child homework. This is part of creating a new behaviour and with repetition the new behavior becomes the norm.

What Parents Need to Know to Make Hypnotherapy Work?

The only effective way we can work with children is for the parent to remain outside the room during the session. This is for 2 reasons. The first is that the quality of information is always better without the parent in the room (no matter how great a parent you are) and secondly the child won’t be tempted to refer to the parent for answers or use the parent to hide behind.

It is also very important that the parent doesn’t ‘re install’ the old behaviour by reminding the child of their old issue by being overly caring or thinking that mentioning the old issue might somehow help. It is more useful to keep talking about the new behaviour. For example a parent might say “Now remember you don’t wet your bed anymore” This creates the mental image of bed wetting (the unconscious mind cannot delete a negative such as no, not don’t etc), what might be useful is creating a image such as how excited do you think you will be when you wake up in a dry bed tomorrow morning? This creates 2 positive images, the dry bed and the excitement or discovering the dry bed.

It is advisable that you stay in contact with your hypnotherapist after the session to find out how best to language your communication around the issue.

How many hypnotherapy sessions are required?

Typically 2 sessions are needed. The first to create the new direction and eliminate the old negative emotions and or behaviours and the second to check in to see how it is all going and to make sure the new changes continue.

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Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are a common occurrence.  In fact, according to Beyond Blue, one in four people are likely to suffer from an anxiety disorder at some stage of their lives.  An anxiety disorder is very different from stress.  Stress is regarded as a normal response to the stresses of life.  For example the stresses of having to meet deadlines at work, or manage a number of activities in daily life.  An anxiety disorder on the other hand is ongoing and frequent.  It can make it difficult to cope with day to day living.

Types of anxiety disorders (click any of the conditions below for more information)
• Phobias
• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Post natal depression
• A general feeling of anxiety
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Panic Attacks

Anger

Anger

Anger is a very powerful emotion.  Its high energy can leave us feeling tired, guilty or often depressed.  For this reason it may sometimes not be obvious that the root emotion is anger since what may often coincide is depression or anxiety.  This type of anger is often referred to as repressed anger.

As with all negative emotions people experience there is 2 elements to watch out for when self diagnosing.  The first element is that anger has you versus you have the anger.  If a negative emotion becomes an issue where you have little control over the feeling or you don’t know why you are experiencing the emotion then you are a candidate for Hypnosis.

All negative emotions (anger, sadness, fear and guilt) can be useful and valid in the right context.
For example if someone runs over your cat it’s OK to get angry (particularly if the cat was sitting on your lap at the time!)
The second reason is that all emotions are controlled in the subconscious (or as we refer to it; the unconscious) part of the mind.  People come to see us because the negative emotion they are experiencing is happening automatically and they can’t stop.
The physical effects of anger

Anger triggers the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response. Other emotions that trigger this response include fear, excitement and anxiety.  The adrenal glands flood the body with stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. The brain shunts blood away from the stomach towards the muscles, in preparation for physical exertion.  Heart rate, blood pressure and respiration increase, the body temperature rises and the skin perspires. The mind is sharpened and focused.

Health problems
The constant flood of stress chemicals and associated metabolic changes that accompany recurrent unmanaged anger can eventually cause harm to many different systems of the body. Some of the short and long term health problems that have been linked to unmanaged anger include:
• Headache
• Digestion problems, such as abdominal pain
• Insomnia
• Increased anxiety
• Depression
• High blood pressure
• Skin problems, such as eczema
• Heart attack
• Stroke.

 

IBS

Irritable bowel Syndrome (IBS)

It is widely understood that Hypnosis can successfully deal with IBS related symptoms.  At HTH you will normally only require the ONE session for a significant improvement with IBS issues, and often a complete resolution.  We have some of the leading Melbourne gastroenterologists refer their more difficult clients to us because of the results we reliably produce.

The following excerpt is from the Australian Hypnotherapists Association’s website (January 2009).

Regular sessions of hypnotherapy can markedly ease discomfort and improve the quality of life for most people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). These were the findings of a 2002 audit carried out at a British hypnotherapy unit devoted solely to the treatment of this common bowel disorder; they were published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

How it was done…
The research was done at a new IBS Hypnotherapy Unit at the University of South Manchester. The first 250 people treated at the Unit filled out a questionnaire before starting the program and again after three months so that comparisons could be made.
Participants scored themselves on such items as presence and severity of IBS symptoms, quality of life, and level of anxiety and depression. All had suffered from the painful bowel disorder for two years or more and had failed to get real relief from other treatments.
Every week, each participant met with a Hypnotherapist.  In all, 232 participants continued hypnotherapy and filled out a final set of questionnaires at the end of three months.
The researchers found that bowel habit (such as stool frequency and consistency) improved in 78% of patients. (It did not change in 13%, and it deteriorated slightly in 9%.) Many indicated that their sense of overall well-being soared. Anxiety and depression eased considerably. The only subgroup of participants that did not respond to hypnotherapy were males with diarrhoea. The reviewers could not explain why they improved far less than other patients.

Why it’s important…
The university’s specialised Hypnotherapy Unit was established in response to indications that hypnosis could make a big difference in the lives of people with IBS, a bowel disorder that causes millions abdominal pain, bloating, and other problems. Many miss weeks of work and are depressed as a result of their illness, and consider their quality of life quite poor.
This large-scale review confirms the wisdom of treating IBS with hypnotherapy. In just three months, symptoms such as pain and bloating, as well as the level of so-called “disease interference” with life, changed profoundly for most participants.
The findings also indicate that a mind-body technique such as hypnotherapy can be very cost-effective (especially compared to pricey medications and surgical interventions), and that relief from this notoriously hard-to-treat condition can be sustainable (improvements are long-lasting).
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Source: Gonsalkorale WM, Houghton LA, Whorwell PJ. Hypnotherapy in irritable bowel syndrome: a large-scale audit of a clinical service with examination of factors influencing responsiveness. Am J Gastroenterol, 2002; 97:954-961