How can children benefit from hypnotherapy? In more ways than you might imagine. Hypnotherapy can help to eliminate childish habits such as bed-wetting and nose-picking. It can help develop good study habits, improve concentration and learning ability, develop motivation, creativity and self-esteem. It can help with grief or loss. Most importantly, it can head-off potential psychological damage that might be caused by misunderstanding the words of an adult.
Hypnotherapists have file cabinets filled with case histories of adults who have sought help understanding childhood memories. It is really amazing how much damage can be done by a well-meaning, but misunderstood remark. Especially when it comes from a trusted source like a parent or teacher.
Children all have individual personalities, just as adults do. They each respond to comments by authority figures in their own way. For instance, a parent might see a poor report card and try to use reverse psychology to motivate the child. The parent might say something like: “I can’t believe any kid of mine is this dumb.” If the child has enough self-confidence, it might provoke them into trying harder; but if the child is insecure, a statement like that could make them believe that they really are dumb or worse, that their father or mother does not love them.
Hypnotherapy can help children to understand what was really meant, and prevent the misunderstanding from becoming an emotional scar that would limit their personal growth or performance throughout life.
Children are actually the best subjects for hypnotherapy. Prior to beginning any program, a Hypnotherapist should take the time to interview the child; to find out what the child likes and dislikes. This will ensure that the best imagery is used, and the child will have a positive response to hypnotherapy.
Once they develop an adequate attention span, children are easily hypnotized. Children spend most of their waking hours playing games and indulging in fantasies or pretend experiences; in which they become totally absorbed. For this reason, play can become an excellent method for implementing therapeutic suggestions. Hand puppets and stuffed animals easily capture a child’s attention and therefore make excellent tools for implementing therapeutic suggestions.
Children may not realize the potential power of visualization. Yet they have this natural talent for dreaming and for picturing things in their minds. They respond beautifully to fairy tales and bedtime stories. They like to imagine that they have a part in the story being told, and they slip into hypnosis easily.
Teenagers can also benefit from hypnotherapy. It can be effective in improving concentration and learning ability. It can also be helpful in dealing with behavior problems such as delinquency and drug addiction. With teenagers, however, motivation plays a much larger roll. It is essential that they understand and want the change.
