Using hypnotherapy with children: tapping into the imaginative power of the young

Journal of Heart Centered Therapies, Spring, 2004 by Jennifer Manning Plassnig

Abstract: In working with children, we have a unique opportunity to tap into their natural state of being, which is their imaginative world, to help heal many issues that can arise in their lives. In this paper I discuss the evolution of using hypnosis with children, and the hypnotic techniques and methods that tap into their imaginations which can heal abreactions to negative situations or habits. Finally, I discuss a case example.

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When I first saw Frank, he was a nine year old boy having a lot of difficulties paying attention in class and at home and he was sad much of the time. In our initial session I spent some time trying to identify his worries and we discovered that he had lost two of his pets at a young age. He was still carrying the sadness around in his heart. Working with Frank, I tried several methods including behavioral and cognitive approaches. These were minimally effective, and it became clear that I had to try a different modality. That is when we began talking about hypnotherapy. I explained it to his mother and to Frank. They were both excited about this approach and were motivated to get started. He loved the induction part of the hypnosis and relaxed right away. First, I used progressive muscle relaxation. I then proceeded to help him deepen his trance by having him imagine a TV screen in his mind's eye, which was playing Garfield, his favorite show. From this point we were able to work on his troubled feelings and behavior. He was able to express his sad and confused feelings about losing his pets, which he had held in for so long, by hitting a pillow and crying. After he expressed his feelings he was able to bring in a protector to help him manage these intense feelings if they came up again and he was able to say goodbye to his pets in a loving way. After just one hypnotherapy session, Frank was able to pay attention better and he no longer carried the sadness around with him like a blanket.

Hypnotherapy is an effective tool to use with children for various problems they may encounter. Hypnosis has been used with a tremendous diversity of childhood problems, such as habit disorders (Gardner, 1978a), psychophysiological disorders (Williams & Singh, 1976), sleep disorders (Jacobs, 1962, 1964), nightmares (King et al., 1989), pain of various types (Olness, 1985), depression and chronic medical conditions (Gardner, 1978b). Hypnotherapy has been highly successful with phobias (Hatzenbuehler & Schroeder, 1978), generalized anxiety (Ambrose, 1968), and the alleviation of trauma or PTSD (Friedrich, 1991).

For the purpose of this article we shall consider therapeutic hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness, usually involving relaxation, in which a person develops heightened concentration on a particular idea or image for the purpose of maximizing potential in one or more areas. This definition is important because recent studies agree that hypnotic susceptibility is related to the capacity for imaginative involvement (Hilgard, 1970) and that children generally enter the hypnotic state more easily than adults (London, 1965). Through observations held in natural and formal environments, it has been found that children are capable of going into hypnosis spontaneously without the aid of an adult (Olness and Gardner, 1978).

Piaget has shown that children do not have fully developed cognitive processes and therefore do not have a cognitive framework or schema until they reach operational thinking stage at about the age of 11 or 12 (Piaget and Inhelder, 1969). In essence, children are not burdened with the same theories and facts about how the world works and how it should operate in our day-to-day lives (Cowles, 1998). Additionally, norms were developed of hypnotizability and it has been found that the peak of susceptibility is in children 7 to 14 years old, with somewhat lower susceptibility in younger children and in adults (Tinterow, 1970). Children are, by nature and development, in and out of trance states throughout the day and these trance states are based largely on the relative cognitive freedom of their imaginations.

The role of the hypnotherapist, then, is to be a guide for children helping them to use their imaginations rather than imposing change (Olness & Gardner, 1978). In working with hypnotherapeutic techniques with children it is fundamentally important to remember that hypnosis with kids is easy but not simple. It is fun but requires concentration and it should be conducted with respect for the child and his or her intrinsic abilities (Hammond, 1990).

There are some considerations to make before using hypnotherapy with a particular child. Attention should be given to the following factors:

1. Age and developmental stage: a three-year-old may be willing and able to relieve pain and discomfort through hypnosis, but might not be motivated to achieve a dry bed.

2. Intelligence: the technique chosen should be appropriate to the mental age of the patient.

3. State of illness: A terminally ill or comatose child may be unable to learn specific hypnotic techniques, but may nevertheless be in a highly suggestible state.