Hypnotherapy for Children Denver CO
A Time for Change Hypnotherapy
If you have a child, you know that when they have a problem whether physical or emotional, it can cause a feeling of helplessness when you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to solve the problem.
Hypnotherapy works in the same way for children as it does for adults. (See Hypnosis FAQ’s)
There are some minor differences in that children usually are less analytical and can be guided into that state of relaxation called hypnosis more easily than adults. Children also usually don’t need as much time in that state to receive the information being suggested by the therapist.
Some important things to consider if you are a parent looking for a therapy to help your child with an issue they are having is that just like an adult, if the child doesn’t perceive a problem, therapy is not likely to change the issue. For example, if a 7 year old wets their bed on a consistent basis and the parent is very bothered by it but the child doesn’t really care about it, (it’s not affecting them to the degree where they feel like they need to do something about it), then therapy of any kind is not likely to make a difference for that issue. The child needs to care about the problem/issue and want to change it in order for the therapy to be effective. Often and understandably, parents will want to help their child with a problem because the parent is bothered or upset about the problem more than the child is.
The process for seeing children at ATFC is a bit different than the process for adults. A free in person consultation with the parent(s) and child together is offered for children 12 and under. Together we discuss the problem they are having and any questions the parent or child has about hypnotherapy. This is typically a 30 minute consultation and no therapy is done at this consultation. If the family decides to go ahead with sessions, the child’s session is typically shorter than the adult session because children tend to not talk as much about the issue or their progress and the hypnosis part of the session isn’t as long either.
The parent and child are encouraged to take some time to discuss what the child thinks about the therapy and whether or not they’d like to do it. It’s very important for the child to feel like they have a choice. Ultimately they do have a choice because no one can be hypnotized against their will and if the child didn’t want the therapy, it wouldn’t work to try to make them do it.
Children typically really enjoy hypnotherapy because it’s very relaxing and can be fun and interesting.
Below are some of the things hypnotherapy is commonly used for with children
- School behavior
- Studying and test taking
- Responsibility
- Fears/Anxiety
- Bedwetting
- Thumb sucking
- Fear of School
- Self Esteem
- Irrational thoughts
- Stress
- Anger & Worry
- Fears & Phobias
- Frustration
- Athletic Performance
- Nail Biting
- Change habits
- Procrastination
- Social discomfort
- Panic Attacks
- Trauma (effects of traumatic events)
- Nightmares
- Negativity
- Grief (loss of loved one including pets)
- Encopresis
Most issues can be treated with hypnosis, if there is a problem your child is experiencing that isn’t on the list, feel free to call and ask about it.