Children experience the world very differently to adults, and because of this, hypnotherapy for children looks very different too.
Unlike us adults, who under hypnosis can address old, outdated behaviours and thoughts and rewire our brains for success; a child’s brain is still developing, growing and building new neural pathways every single day.
Research in neuroscience tells us that children’s brains are highly neuroplastic, meaning they are extremely adaptable and impressionable. They are constantly creating and strengthening new neural connections through experience, imagination, play and repetition. Because of this, working with children is often less about “digging up the past” or deep trance states, and more about helping them reframe beliefs that aren’t serving them, creating new emotional experiences, new feelings of safety, and new pathways forward.
Sessions with children tend to focus on helping the child experience themselves differently. Safe. Capable. Calm. Connected. Heard. Sometimes that shift happens through imaginative storytelling, playful metaphor, movement, visualisation, or gentle hypnosis that allows their nervous system to settle enough for new patterns to emerge naturally. Most sessions will include a blend of all of these strategies to consolidate the new learnings.
All children’s sessions have parental or care-giver involvement and in most sessions, I provide additional activities or strategies that can be implemented at home to reinforce what we’ve done in the session.
Every child is wonderfully different, so sessions are always adapted to suit their personality, developmental stage and emotional needs. Some children want to create magical worlds. Some prefer movement and sensory play. Some talk openly, while others communicate entirely through imagination, games, drawings or exploring their emotional journeys using figurines.
Sometimes we may journey to a safe place in the child’s mind where they can connect with their inner guidance and imagination. Sometimes we create stories together that help externalise fears or worries in a way that feels manageable and empowering. Sometimes the work is beautifully subtle; helping a child’s nervous system finally feel safe enough to soften, regulate and reconnect.
I may work with children experiencing anxiety, separation difficulties, emotional overwhelm, behavioural challenges, school worries, sleep issues, low confidence, trauma, eating difficulties, bed wetting, fears, or habits such as thumb sucking or nail biting. Sessions are always approached gently, collaboratively and at the child’s pace, with parents included as an important part of the process.
Above all, I want children to feel emotionally safe, deeply supported and connected to the quiet wisdom already within them. Because children do not need to become someone else to heal. Often, they simply need the right environment for their own nervous system, imagination and inner guidance to show them the way forward.
And occasionally… a dragon named Kevin. For reasons known only to the subconscious mind.
Sessions may support children experiencing:
- General anxiety and excessive worry
- Separation anxiety
- Sleep difficulties and nightmares
- Bed wetting
- Thumb sucking, nail biting or other comfort habits
- Behavioural challenges and emotional regulation difficulties
- Confidence and self-esteem issues
- School anxiety or school refusal
- Overwhelming experiences
- Food fears, picky eating or ARFID-related concerns
- Big feelings that seem difficult for them to explain or manage