Pediatrics

Approaches to hypnotherapy with children are not much different than with adults. The primary difference is within that of the child’s understandings due to limited life experiences. The child’s age will be a factor in deciding the type of hypnotic induction for one. Infants will often do well will hypnotic touch, motions, puppet animations, and song. For a variety of examples see our page on child hypnosis. Small children will fathom well with imaginary games, such as imagining a favorite show, and young teenagers will do well with almost any hypnotic technique.
Other consideration, to be aware of, would be the utter respect of the child which means speaking to the child, rather than using language that might seem infantile, or far beyond the child's understanding.

Studies have indicated that suggestibility factors are greatest for children between the ages of six and twelve. Reasons for this are due to the ability of a child’s imagination, and the desire to learn new things and understandings. Unlike many adults, children are very open to new learnings provided reasons are given in a logical manner. Young children have a short attention span, and the best hypnotic induction procedures are those which continually involve them in the expereince of fantasy.

Hypnotherapy has proven itself to be an effective and flexible tool for selective cases of enuresis, nail-biting, stuttering and or stammering, asthma, epilepsy, tics, and behavior problems associated with chronic tensions, stress, and environmental difficulties. Hypnotherapy is also useful for attacking the psychogenic components of minimal brain damage, mental retardation, neuromuscular involvements, and chronic debilitating ailments requiring prolonged bed rest. Hypnosis can help those with learning troubles and, according to Laquarte, can aid in correcting vocal difficulties. Hyponoanesthesia also can be used for children as well as for adults to minimize fear reactions prior to surgery.

Below is are example's of the many uses of hypnosis with children.

Nocturnal Enuresis (bed wetting) – Therapy is facilitated in some instances by establishing a time limit for when the bed will be dry. Most effective are post hypnotic suggestions such as “Johnny, you can set a time when you will be able to have full bladder control.” If he names a date, this goal can be strengthened by saying, “You can be very proud if you, reach your goal beforehand.” This implies that bladder control will be developed. A child can be hypnotically conditioned to derive pride in the achievement of establishing bladder control. Hypnotic suggestions may be repeated as necessary to effect a conditioned response. Any reason for failure should be analyzed.

In Jeffrey Zeig's "A teaching seminar with Milton H. Erickson" pg. 109 - 112 is a wonderful story of how Milton Erickson interrelated the fine muscle co-ordination used to play baseball, to a boy named Jerry, in turn releasing the boy of his bed-wetting. The teaching was provided simply by reminding the boy of previous learnings he already had, and re-incorporating them in the most useful manner.

Nail biting, is generally indicative of insecurity and anxiety. Therefore, hypnotherapy must be directed at the causes of the child’s tensions, which usually involve the parents. Hypnotherapy can be employed for direct symptom removal, at least, the conditioned pattern can be interrupted until the emotional needs are elicited.

Tics or habit spasms may involve all sorts of facial or bodily movements. Symptom transformation is usually successful because it is much easier to remove a recently acquired conditioned reflex than a long-standing one.

Stuttering is a resistant symptom which may be challenging to remove by simple post hypnotic suggestion. Hypnosis is an excellent method for investigating the particular situations and stimulus patterns that produced the stuttering. Exploration through hypnotic age regression in subjects often helps to pinpoint specific episodes which brought about these inhibitory patterns. Critical periods are when speech and writing were first learned.

With dyslexia, a child can be helped via direct hypnotherapy. During the initial sessions, the child pronounces new words very carefully, with attention to each syllable. Following hypnotherapy which includes positive hypnotic suggestion for improving performance, and pronunciation, recognition seems to become much more rapid and automatic.

McCord found that mentally handicapped children are readily hypnotized; good intelligence is not an important requisite for hypnotizability. Rather, these children are “uneducated” and really have never been taught how to learn. Hypnosis, is used to increase motivation, which convinces the child that he or she can learn more than was anticipated, thus the child’s self-concept is altered and healthier attitudes are developed.

Several investigators have demonstrated that hypnosis improved performance in cases of examination anxiety. Motor capacity, attention and perception, association, learning and memory, speed of reading, and comprehension.

Hypnotherapy can also be very helpful with thumb-sucking and is employed in a fashion similar to that used for nail-biting.

Ambrose employed hypnotherapy within a child guidance clinic and reported cures, and improvements in school phobias, nightmares, chronic anxiety states, along with other psychosomatic disorders. Hypnotherapy was utilized primarily to relieve tension, and positive hypnotic suggestions were stressed along with re-education and supportive hypnotherapy for both parents and children.

Hypnosis can also counter condition the anxiety resulting from drug withdrawal, and it can also enhance motivation to “kick the habit”.

Hypnotherapy has been employed effectively in juvenile delinquency. Relaxation alone, under hypnosis, relieved significant tensions. Behavioral problems such as stealing, truancy, sex offenses, and lying were helped in patients who were followed for 1 to 6 years. Hypnosis was used to allow children to vent their fears and, together with re-education, helped a high percentage of delinquents. Parents were also treated to correct aggravating factors.

Numerous investigators have found hypnosis valuable for relieving asthma in children. La Scola developed an ingenious hypnotic technique involving imagery, double-bind techniques, and fantasy evocation. He states: "The asthmatic child responds most dramatically to the hypnotic approach, and the cure is so gratifying that it seems incredible for any other method of treatment ever to be considered."

Those with further interest in bettering their child's development, can have a look through this link at our child hypnosis products page. If what you are looking for isn't in the table, please enquire via email.

email: dr_frank@hypnoticadvancements.com

Mailing address:
Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)
Hypnotic Advancements
3126 McCarthy Court
Mississauga , ON
Canada L4Y-3Z5

© 2004, Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)

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