Hypnotherapy for Children

When parents contact me about bringing their child for hypnotherapy, the first question is almost always the same: is it safe? The second is: does it actually work with children? The answers are yes and yes — but with some important caveats and considerations worth understanding.

Is It Safe?

Clinical hypnotherapy is safe for children. There are no known risks or adverse effects specific to paediatric use. The hypnotic state is a natural phenomenon that children experience regularly — when they're absorbed in imaginative play, engrossed in a story, or daydreaming in the back of the car. Clinical hypnotherapy simply uses this natural capacity in a structured, therapeutic way.

A parent or guardian is always present during sessions with anyone under 16. The child is never left alone with me, and I explain everything to both the child and the parent before we begin.

What Age Can Children Start?

Generally, hypnotherapy is effective from around age seven upwards. Younger children can sometimes benefit, but the techniques need to be adapted significantly. By seven, most children have sufficient language skills, attention span and ability to follow guided imagery for the techniques to work well.

Teenagers respond to hypnotherapy in much the same way as adults, though the language and approach are adjusted to be age-appropriate.

Why Children Often Respond Well

There are good reasons why children can be excellent hypnotic subjects:

• Vivid imagination. Hypnotherapy relies heavily on guided imagery, and children's imaginations are naturally vivid and flexible.
• Less analytical resistance. Adults sometimes overthink the process ("Am I doing it right? Is this actually working?"). Children tend to simply engage with the experience.
• Neural plasticity. Children's brains are still developing, making them particularly responsive to the kind of neuroplastic changes that hypnotherapy facilitates.
• Pattern formation. Unhelpful patterns (fears, habits, anxieties) tend to be less deeply embedded in children, making them easier to shift.

Common Conditions in Children

The most common reasons parents bring their children to see me include:

Anxiety

School anxiety, separation anxiety, social anxiety, health anxiety. Children can experience anxiety as intensely as adults, though they may express it differently — through physical symptoms (stomach aches, headaches), behavioural changes (clinginess, tantrums) or avoidance. Hypnotherapy helps children develop coping strategies and reduces the automatic anxiety response. See anxiety treatment for more.

Phobias

Specific phobias are very common in children — dogs, the dark, insects, needles, water. Children respond particularly well to gentle desensitisation under hypnosis, and phobias can often be resolved in two to three sessions.

Bedwetting (Nocturnal Enuresis)

For children over seven where medical causes have been ruled out, hypnotherapy can be remarkably effective for bedwetting. The approach typically involves teaching the child's subconscious to recognise bladder signals during sleep and either wake up or hold on until morning.

Exam and Test Nerves

Particularly common in the years approaching SATs, 11+ or GCSEs. Hypnotherapy can reduce exam anxiety significantly, helping the child access what they know without panic interfering.

Nail Biting and Habits

Habits like nail biting, hair pulling (trichotillomania) and thumb sucking respond well to hypnotherapy because they're subconscious behaviours. The child often isn't even aware they're doing it until afterwards.

Sleep Difficulties

Difficulty falling asleep, night fears, nightmares. Sleep treatment for children often involves teaching them a simple self-hypnosis technique they can use at bedtime.

Confidence and Self-Esteem

Bullying, academic pressure, social difficulties and family changes can all affect a child's confidence. Hypnotherapy can help rebuild self-belief and resilience.

What a Session Looks Like

Sessions with children are shorter than adult sessions — typically 45 minutes rather than 60. The approach is adapted to be age-appropriate:

• The language is simpler and more playful
• Imagery is often drawn from the child's interests (favourite places, characters, activities)
• The induction is more informal — sometimes using storytelling rather than formal relaxation techniques
• The child may keep their eyes open if they prefer
• A parent is present throughout

I always spend time at the beginning explaining what hypnotherapy is (and isn't) in terms the child can understand. Many children are surprisingly receptive once they realise it's nothing scary.

The Parent's Role

Parents play an important role in the success of treatment. This includes:

• Explaining to the child beforehand that they're going to see someone who will help them with [specific issue]
• Being positive but not pressuring ("Let's see if this can help" rather than "This has to work")
• Supporting any between-session exercises the child is given
• Not asking the child to "perform" their improvement for relatives or friends

When It's Not Appropriate

Hypnotherapy is not appropriate for all childhood issues. I would not work with a child who is actively resistant to being there (it only works with willing participation), where there are safeguarding concerns that need specialist intervention, or where the issue requires assessment by a child psychologist or psychiatrist. In these cases, I would refer to the appropriate professional.

If you're considering hypnotherapy for your child, book a free telephone consultation. We can discuss your child's specific situation and whether hypnotherapy is likely to help.