Hypnotherapy for Children

Welcome to KidsMatters™ – hypnotherapy especially designed for children. If you’ve reached this page it’s likely that your child has an issue which you feel may be helped by hypnotherapy. It’s very difficult when our kids face difficulties of any kind –but hypnotherapy can really help, in a short space of time. Not only that – a KidsMatters™ session is fun, engaging and will provide your child with skills which they will have for the rest of their life. KidsMatters™ uses techniques including therapeutic drawing and play to help your child reach their potential – and every child leaves a session with their own ‘secret superhero’ power! If you’d like more information about training as a KidsMatters™ therapist, click here.

What is hypnotherapy for children?

Hypnosis is a state of mind similar to daydreaming, or being so engrossed in a movie or book you don’t notice what’s going on around you. As adults, we slip in and out of this state regularly during the day – perhaps staring out of the window or ‘zoning out’ during a meeting. Your child will regularly enter in and out of this state of imaginative flow, when they are playing or focused on a task. In this creative, highly focused state your child will be more receptive to positive suggestions and will be able to access their imagination and resources to fulfil their potential and overcome problems.

Because children are used to accessing their creative, imaginative minds – and lack some of the inhibitions and limitations that adults often place on themselves – they are very open and receptive to hypnotherapy. Many leading psychiatrists and psychologists regularly use hypnotherapy with children.

‘I’m like a superhero!’; ‘I feel calm’; ‘I can see what I need to do’ – these statements are how some of my younger clients describe the process of hypnosis. Encouraging a child to access his or her state of hypnosis is a very empowering experience. A child begins to develop the skills to look inwards to reach his or her potential, to trust in his or her own judgement and to have access to a range of skills which can help in situations which may have caused him or her problems in the past. The best thing? They can carry these skills with them throughout their lives!

Q & A

Is hypnotherapy for children different to adults?

Hypnotherapy for children is very different to hypnotherapy for adults, and you should find a therapist who is trained to work with children. Many traditional hypnotherapy approaches are ineffective with children, and are sometimes rejected outright by children. KidsMatters™ therapists have received comprehensive training in child hypnosis.

What happens during a session?

Following an initial consultation with you, the hypnotherapist will find out about your child’s hobbies, favourite books and television programmes which not only helps to put your child at ease, but allows the hypnotherapist to identify the best tools to work with your child in their imaginative flow. Based on what you and your child have said you would like to work on, the hypnotherapist will use a range of techniques – including talking to the child to help them access their imaginative mind, using storytelling, giving them positive suggestions and providing them with a secret superpower – to empower your child to overcome their issue. You are encouraged to stay with your child and, depending on the age and preference of the child, you may wear headphones during the session to allow the child some privacy to talk to the therapist.

Is hypnosis mind control?

Absolutely not – in fact, it’s one of the most empowering experiences you can have, whether you’re an adult or child. The hypnotherapist helps your child to access their inner resources, to draw on their best experiences and to work towards what they want to. This is as far from stage hypnosis as you can imagine. Your child will feel comfortable, supported and in control during their session.

Might my child stay ‘locked in’ to hypnosis?

It would be as impossible for a child to stay locked into their state of hypnosis as it would for them to stay locked into a daydream or sleep. Hypnosis is a completely natural state.

What age does my child have to be?

Some hypnotherapists work with children as young as three, but the best results are achievable with children aged five or older. KidsMatters™ approaches suit children up to about the age of 16, and the ways in which the therapist works reflects the age and emotional and cognitive capacity of the child.

What can hypnotherapy for children help with?

If there is a psychological element to a child’s issues, hypnotherapy can help. It has been used to treat a range of issues including lack of confidence, exam nerves, phobias, low self-esteem, anger management, bed-wetting, thumb-sucking, concentration issues, sleep problems and pain relief.

I like to have a good chat with you, the parent or guardian, before seeing your child to ensure that hypnotherapy is the best way forward. I work from a comfortable, welcoming location in Prestwick, on the West Coast of Scotland. To arrange a free phone consultation, click here.

Some more information about how hypnotherapy can help your child, what will happen during a KidsMatters™ session and how to explain hypnotherapy to your child is available here:

What is hypnotherapy?

What to expect during a hypnotherapy session

How to explain hypnotherapy to your kids