How Children And Teens Can Benefit From Hypnosis
Hypnosis is often an effective technique to help children and teens who experience health issues as a result of worry and anxiety. When anxious thoughts and worries are constant companions, it’s not unusual for children and teens to experience frequent headaches or stomach pains.
Helping children and teens to overcome fears, stop unwanted habits and develop more confidence is what we do at The Center of Success.
How Imagery Leads To Success
By using imagery combined with thought training, children and teens are empowered to help themselves create new beneficial thoughts that eliminate their headaches or stomach pains.
Because children have very active imaginations they can quickly enter into a state of daydreaming. A hypnotherapist can weave positive suggestions into the imagery to help the child achieve a goal, such as reducing pain or stopping a habit such as nail biting.
For many children, hypnosis may often take the form of a story. For example, a young child might be asked to imagine that he or she has a magical object or even a favorite toy that will help her feel safe and secure.
The hypnotherapist might then recommend that when the child experiences worry, or anxiety, he or she can use that magical stone or toy to help her to feel more comfortable.
For teenagers with stomach pains or headaches, a hypnotist might use imagery combined with positive reinforcement to help alleviate worry or anxiety.
One area where research has found hypnosis in children to be effective is its use in reducing the pain, stress and anxiety that accompany scary medical procedures, even getting shots.
A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics in 1987 found that children ages 6 to 12 who had migraines, and who were taught a self-hypnosis technique had fewer migraines after three months than did children who were given medication or a placebo.
First, See A Physician
Hypnotherapy can be very helpful in children and teenagers when stress and anxiety are the major cause of stomach pains and headaches. And hypnosis is also effective to help stop habits such as nail biting or trichotillomania.
Before we help a child or teenager with hypnosis, we request written approval from the primary physician so that all biological and physical issues are ruled out.
If you have a question or are curious if hypnosis is a solution that can help your child or teen, please schedule a time to talk with Wendy Merron.