A child’s life is full of discoveries and of learning. But that can also be stressful for children. While  parents are busy, it’s easy to lose sight of the effect that these events can have on children until an issue arises.

Children have to deal with change, loss, bullying, violence, criticism, low self-esteem, and their own bodies as they move through rapid growth periods over short periods of time. There are many tasks they have to face like making new friends, unfamiliar schools, sports and all this time trying to “belong”. Sometimes the comparison to others can make feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem or even depression rise to the surface.

Children, just like adults, show their reaction to stress, change, low self-esteem, grief and loss in many different ways. Their marks in school may begin to drop. The child may become forgetful, distracted, angry, or irritable. They might become accident-prone or have headaches or an upset stomach. They might start to bite nails or pull hair. Bed-wetting may start happening. Stammering may become more prominent.

A child may start to dislike school or having trouble with other pupils or teachers. They might become overly shy or worried about talking in front of the class, be unable to understand a subject or other things that cause them to have difficulties with their education. Other fears that rise to the surface can be fear of the dark or going to sleep, fear of animals or insects, fear of travelling, a phobia of needles, doctors or dentists, etc. The parents can offer support but sometimes it’s not enough to change the situation.

In most children, the imagination of a child is very vivid and strong. By using the active imagination of the child during hypnotherapy, it is relatively easy to reach the subconscious level of the mind of most children and promote change.

Just as with adults, it is important that the child wants to grow beyond an issues or problem and is willing to work with the hypnotherapist. Browning Clinical Hypnotherapy typically works with children age 8 and older and a parent must always be present. Most children, but not all, are good candidates for hypnotherapy. A no-charge consultation at our office is necessary to determine if a particular child is a good candidate for hypnotherapy.