Working with Children
Hypnosis of children was first described in 1779 by Mesmer, who reportedly used hypnotherapy to treat a child with visual problems. Historically, hypnotherapy was rarely practiced with children, because people thought that children could not be hypnotized. In the 1970's, however, observations suggested that children were easier to hypnotize than adults, and that hypnosis could be used in the treatment of behavioral and physical problems in children. Hypnotherapy with children most often involves teaching the child to use relaxation techniques and mental images—similar to a daydream or fantasy—to enter in a deep relaxation or “altered mental state” (in other words, to induce hypnosis). Once in this deep relaxation, the therapist makes suggestions aimed at producing the desired change in behavior, anxiety level, or symptom. These may range from recalling times of feeling happy and well in a child with chronic pain, to thinking of the body as a “computer game” that the child can “program” with his or her mind. Reasons for child hypnotherapy include improving study habits, learning and taking exams, developing healthy eating habits, improving confidence and self-esteem, letting go of thumb-sucking and nocturnal enuresis (bed-wetting), reducing anxiety with nightmares, reducing aggressiveness and fears, helping with asthma symptoms and headaches. Improvement with sports and musical/artistic talents. |