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Hypnotherapy for ChildrenHypnotherapy is becoming mainstream in western medicine. It is the most widely studied of the complementary/alternative therapies and is often prescribed as the primary treatment for a variety of childhood problems. Nurses can use hypno-therapeutic language to promote self-efficacy in their patients. Children entering a health care environment are often fearful and nurses can induced them into a more relaxed state by speaking quietly, as well as asking children to focus on their breathing and to imagine something pleasant—the ingredients of hypnotic induction.Children have a great capacity to use their imaginations and fantasy worlds for therapeutic gain and are actually more successful than adults in attaining a hypnotic state. Hypnotherapy has been used successfully in children to treat pain, bed wetting, asthma, stool-withholding, habit disorders, anxiety and fears, migraine headaches, nausea associated with chemotherapy, needle phobias, warts, insomnia, tics and other problems (Anbar, 2001; Sugarman, 1996; Olness, Kohen, 1996). Hypnotherapy is not a sleep state. Rather, hypnosis is an altered state of awareness within which the individual experiences heightened concentration, a decreased awareness of external stimuli, increased relaxation and increased suggestibility. Hypnotherapy can be as simple as teaching a child to blow on a pinwheel while getting an injection. This simple form re-focuses the child’s heightened attention with the goal to diminish the pain and fear of the needle. Hypnotherapy may also be done in a more formal way, where a therapist specially trained in pediatric hypno-therapeutic techniques uses the images and language of the child to induce relaxation and give post-hypnotic suggestions. Often young children have their eyes open during a session. Language such as, "You are the boss of your body and can help make this headache not bother you anymore" is used to help children gain mastery over their physical symptoms. Therapists working with children understand that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis and teach children how to practice the technique on their own. Often several sessions are required. In the initial medical hypnosis encounter a thorough history and physical exam is conducted, rapport with the child is established and hypnosis is explained. Hypnotherapy is often not done in the first session. In the subsequent encounter, a hypnotic induction technique is done with the child. Post-hypnotic suggestions are given and self-hypnosis is taught. In recurrent encounters progress is assessed and hypnosis sessions occur to strengthen the hypnotic images and suggestions. Often 4-6 half-hour sessions are required, each highly individualized to the child and his problem. The therapist acts as a coach and guides the child in relaxation and imagery creation. The child and therapist often talk during a session in order for the therapist to work with the child’s images to direct them towards re-framing the child’s problem in a self-regulatory way. The focus is on creating a solution to a problem instead of on the problem itself. Training programs are available for pediatric medical hypnotherapy through the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Trained individuals can seek certification through the American Board of Medical Hypnosis, the only board conferring competency in medical hypnosis. When used properly by trained individuals, hypnotherapy is not harmful. However, it should not be used unless a rigorous history and physical exam have ruled out any underlying serious medical problem. Hypnotherapy lends itself well as an integrative therapy in children who may also require medications or surgeries to correct their underlying problem. It enhances a child’s natural drive towards self-mastery and self-regulation while playfully engaging the creative imaginative abilities of the child.
References Olness, K., Kohen, D. (1996). Hypnosis and hypnotherapy with children. 3rd ed. New York, Guilford Press. Sugarman, L. (1996). Hypnosis: Teaching children self-regulation. Pediatrics in Review 17: 5-11. Sugarman, L. (1996). Hypnosis in a primary care practice: Developing skills for the "New Morbidities". Developmental and behavioral pediatrics 17: (5) 300-305. By Kathryn Landon-Malone, PNP
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