For children an integral part of play is imagining and pretending, and so for most children an altered hypnotic state of consciousness is familiar, comfortable and easy to achieve. Children respond well to hypnosis, because the Subconscious part of the mind understands stories and imaginings.
In therapy the child is encouraged to feel comfortable and safe, and is Ok for the parent to be in the room if that is what the child wants. The child is encouraged to feel safe to speak about feelings and what he wants to change or feel better about.
The subconscious mind is generally very obliging once it knows what is needed.
Hypnosis is not something that is done to a child, it is something that the child does to and for himself, or allows to happen when he has set the goal he wants to achieve.
The therapist using stories (metaphors) related to the child’s issue, and allowing the child to use imaginings to resolve their problem, is successful in dealing with: anxiety, fears, phobias, bed wetting, nail biting, thumb sucking to name a few.
Once the child is seven years old and is able to sit still and listen and participate in stories…then he/she is able to benefit from Hypnosis. A younger child will benefit from “Sleep Talk”, a simple method that the parent learns and uses at home.