Modern life is becoming more and more complex for everyone, including children and teenagers. From the early years, life is a continuous learning process. The child has to make sense of what is happening around him or her.
Cognitive development occurs in stages commensurate with a child's age. Before the age of about 7 years, things are viewed and experienced by the child as either right or wrong, good or bad, with no shades of grey. By about the age of 8, the child's information processing starts to become more sophisticated, but is still limited. By the age of 12, however, the child is able to take in more information, thereby reason and view events from various 'adult' perspectives.
In practical terms, a child's ability to cope with either natural or extraordinary life events will be affected by the stage he or she is at in this cognitive development. Of course, additionally the child's personality will also affect how they deal with the process of emotionally 'growing up'.
Children can have many fears, for example: fear of the dark, fear of medical procedures, fear of going to sleep because of nightmares. Some children have habits they can't break, like nail biting or bedwetting. The birth of a child into a family can cause concern for older children, where there is a shift in the sharing of time and affections between children. Children can also suffer emotionally and economically if there is a break up in the parental relationship (separation or divorce), ongoing problems between parents, or a single parent struggling with bring up children. Sometimes, the emotionally effect can be life-long unless the issues are addressed.
Of course, school life can bring its own brand of difficulties. With more and more testing and preparation for exams, children can feel under considerable pressure to perform well. A child may also simply feel they don't fit in, have few friends, believe that school work has little to offer, or be subject to upsetting bullying. All of these can take their toll on the child's mental stability and resiliance.
How Hypnotherapy Can Help
A specialist technique has been developed for
use with children and teenagers. It is a gentle therapy which
produces positive results quickly. Importantly, the young person
is not required to describe the underlying cause – often emotional
- which is sustaining their symptoms. They are able to non-verbally release the
emotional components of their condition during the consultation.
For
example, some symptoms such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder) can arise from emotional challenges and the stress
which this creates.
One reason why children respond so well to hypnosis is that they generally have good imaginations. The hypnotherapist can utilise this ability by telling stories and using metaphors to stimulate their imagination to reach the unconscious mind.
Children these days are not read fairy stories to the extent that occurred a generation ago. They become 'adults' too soon in life and too soon in the stages of emotional development.
Engaging with the child's inner imagination through hypnosis - visiting their view of the world - can be central in resolving issues of emotional conflict. Ancient societies did this by exorcising their 'demons' through various initiation ceremonies and the like. They understood the need to do this to strengthen emotional resiliance in later life.
Growing-up in a modern world is not easy with all the conflicting messages from the media, parents, friends and 'role models'. Add to this the rampant hormones and growing sexual awareness, concerns about education and employment, is it any wonder that children and teenagers are confused in becoming adult!
It
is necessary by law that the young person (if under 16 years old) be accompanied by at least one
parent, or other responsible adult during the hypnosis session. |
