Hypnosis for Kids – The "Superhero" Inside

The best hypnosis clients are kids! That 9-11 age group is fired up with imagination! The 12-18 age group is gaining insight and very receptive to hypnosis. Just think of a kid playing a video game, relaxed but energized, staring, mouth open, unaware of what's happening outside of the game. He/she is in a hypnotic state. Watch a teenager "zone out" with head phones on. Kids focused on their sport (soccer, swimming, running, tennis) are "in the zone."

When working with clients, especially kids, it’s crucial to build trust, get rid of any misconceptions and then discover what they love (interests, events, places, colors, sounds, scents, sports) Those things are woven into a kind of “story” that the subconscious mind will accept. What does this kid WANT to change? 

When I worked with 11 y/o “H," he told me he wanted to be calm and go back to school (in 1st grade, he had a traumatic experience that resulted in some OCD symptoms.)

“H” loves construction vehicles, especially the CAT Excavator. When he thinks about being in the Excavator, he feels happy and confident. He knows the color, sound and controls of the Excavator and what it might be like to clear a road. I call this his "superhero." It's the thing he loves and just imagining it makes him calm and happy. This "superhero" can be a hobby, a sport, a TV/ Video game character, celebrity, or a friend /family member. For hypnosis, it's important to know what/who it is.

As we started hypnosis, "H" relaxed, breathed slowly, stared at a spot on his hand until his eyes got heavy and closed.

I asked him to imagine a construction site. (kids shift into hypnosis quickly by engaging imagination)

I asked “H” to imagine he was in a big orange Excavator and the road in front of him was covered with obstacles (dead trees, rocks, boulders, garbage) I suggested what he saw, heard, smelled, but he was free to imagine it his way.

Watching his expression change, his body relax and respond to what he imagined assured me he was receptive on a subconscious level. At times, his hands were managing the controls.

The “throw in” was suggesting these “obstacles “ were his problems. 

"Imagine now you begin to run that mighty Excavator forward: it’s revved up and powerful ; you are powerful in controlling it and clearing the debris ahead. As you sit in this machine happy and confident, you know it’s time to get rid of those problems. Imagine the boulders of “anxiety” up ahead...ugly dead trees, the stuff you were once afraid of and the garbage full of gross stuff --- all ready to be cleared out and pushed aside with your Excavator, your own powerful mind.

I guided “H” to begin clearing (reminding him he has the power to clear problems now and in the future.)I moved  him towards clearing these obstacles until he saw his school and then saw his friends waiting for him. The “Excavator” will be his anchor word for confidence and happiness and ability to clear away problems.
I brought “H” out of hypnosis by counting from 1-5.

“H” did great and was able to go back to school and use self-hypnosis to enhance our session.

Kids and Hypnosis: A "superhero" combination!

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