Many people recognise the benefits of using therapies such as hypnotherapy and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) to overcome day-to-day problems such as smoking, weight issues, stress and anxiety.

What is not so well known, is that these same techniques can be used very safely and effectively with children. In fact, records show that hypnotherapy has been used with children for more than 200 years.

Hypnotherapy can be effective for solving bedwetting

If the idea of hypnotising and reprogramming children’s minds sounds a bit strange – fear not. During this stage of life, children’s minds are like sponges absorbing all sorts of information naturally. In other words, they are being ‘hypnotised’ by what they hear and see around them all the time. You only have to observe a child’s ability to gaze at the TV and recite adverts back perfectly to see this in action.

A young child’s mind is moulded and shaped by their environment and they randomly absorb all the information that comes their way. Some of this information is good, such as learning new skills and facts....but other pieces of information are not so helpful, such as picking up bad habits and phobias.

Children are often scolded for their bad behaviour but it’s actually a lot easier to help your child to make changes with techniques such as hypnosis and NLP. Neuro-linguistic Programming, despite its’ complicated name is really quite simple. NLP helps us to deal with what we think, what we say and what we do by breaking down thought patterns and teaching how to change them for the better.

What are children’s therapy sessions like?

Hypnotherapy and NLP coaching sessions for children are relaxed, light-hearted and can successfully treat a number of problems including:

· Bad habits: bedwetting, nail-biting and hair-pulling

· Exam fears and school anxieties

· Phobias: dogs, spiders, water and injections

· Food issues: fussy eating, food cravings and poor body image

· Confidence: performing on stage, wearing glasses or braces

Hypnotherapy can access the unconscious mind

Hypnosis is often described as ‘a switching off of the conscious mind to enable the subconscious mind to be open and receptive to new ideas’. If you’ve ever felt in two minds about something, it’s because two minds is exactly what we all have. The conscious mind can think about the past, present and future and it’s the bit that reminds you to make that phone call or buy a loaf of bread.

The subconscious mind, far from being an old filing cabinet, is actually more like the motor or engine that drives you. It gets programmed during childhood by the environment and the experiences you encounter. This ‘programming’ is vital for our survival, but not all of the patterns of behaviour stored here end up being helpful or useful – it’s possible to pick things up without even realising it, such as a fear of dogs. Once stored here, one of the easiest ways to make changes to these imprinted patterns is in the same way that the information got in – through the subconscious mind.

One of the reasons why hypnotherapy is so safe to use with children is that it is not a magic power that can force someone to do something against their will, for example: it’s not possible to hypnotise a child to stop sucking their thumb if they really do not want to. So prior to embarking on hypnotherapy, it is important that parent and child have established a clear set of goals for the session and that they are in agreement.

In other situations where there is reluctance from the child (a trip to the dentist or sitting exams at school), it’s possible to deal with the underlying anxiety first and then obtain the child’s agreement. But parents can rest assured that their child will never lose consciousness or control of the situation.

It’s generally accepted that hypnotherapy is under-utilised in the treatment of children and it’s often considered only as a last resort. As attitudes start to change however, many more children are beginning to experience the benefits that this gentle and relaxing therapy can bring about.

Alicia Eaton is the author of the best-selling ‘Stop Bedwetting in 7 days’ and ‘Fix Your Life with NLP’ . A Clinical Hypnotherapist and NLP Coach, she is a recognised expert in the use of NLP and hypnosis with both adults and children. She has run successful practices in both London’s Harley Street and Hertfordshire since 2004.

For further details: www.aliciaeaton.co.uk