Children & Teens
Like their elders, children can experience periods of difficulty at various stages of their development. Whether through rocking, touching or humming, hypnosis guides children from an early age to cultivate and transmit a sense of calm and security in their family cocoon. In this way, they become familiar with this state of well-being. Each age group requires a specific approach to hypnosis. The expectations of a 5-year-old suffering from enuresis will differ from those of an anxious pre-adolescent. Adaptation is the fundamental principle guiding the hypnotherapist during a hypnosis session for children, enabling him/her to choose the tools and techniques most appropriate for each individual.
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Hypnosis for children and adolescents
With toddlers, the therapist is more likely to work in aplayful way, which is important not only to build trust, but also to make iteasier for the child toexpress what he or she is thinking. Children sometimes find it more difficult to express their feelings or the problem that's blocking them. Play can serve as an entry point for discussion. Another important point to bear in mind is that children can't concentrate as long as adults, which is why it's important to offer concrete activities.
Pre-teens and teenagers often show a keen interest in new physical and psychological experiences. At this age, the therapist will work with the classic formats used for adults, bearing in mind that adolescents are often receptive to daydreams that prevent them from taking action.
The most common themes
Hyperactivity
Sleep disorders & night terrors
Attention disorders
Learning disabilities
Enuresis
School phobia, social phobia & other phobias
Adaptation & Integration
Stress
Anxiety and blockage
Etc.
The specifics of hypnosis for children
Children are often more receptive to hypnotherapy than adults, and work faster thanks to their great capacity for imagination and visualization. Also, when they are put at ease, they generally offer less resistance to the therapist's suggestions. As a result, changes are quicker to integrate, compared to an older person who will already have habits and behaviors ingrained in their life.
The altered state of consciousness achieved during a hypnosis session remains more difficult for children, who tend to move around a lot and concentrate less well. During a session with a child, the therapist must constantly adapt to the child's needs and listen to what makes him or her comfortable, choosing a method that seems appropriate to his or her needs and abilities.
How does a hypnosis session with a child work?
The parents, or at least one of them, must be present for the discussion at the start of the session.
Sessions are generally shorter than for adults, with the first session lasting around 1.5 hours, and 1 hour for follow-up sessions (if required). At the beginning of the session, the therapist will always take a moment to talk with the parent present (or both). It's important for the child that the family setting is included, and if the child sees that the parents are confident with the therapist, this will increase his or her own confidence and thus the effect of the therapist's suggestions. In particular, the information provided by the parents is a good indicator when choosing the hypnosis method to adopt. If the therapist sees the need, he or she will sometimes show them reproducible exercises to do with their child at home.
As with adults, during a hypnosis session, the child enters a state of consciousness guided by the therapist's voice and responds only to stimuli corresponding to his or her needs. The child takes what is good for him/her, and finds him/herself in a state of deep relaxation, with a mind that is highly alert to mental images.
