Hypnotherapy The Benefits of Therapy for Young People

It's no secret that very young children learn by watching the world around them. However, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework points out that whether your child is very young or much older, he is still learning by observing your behaviour.

Therefore the care that children receive has powerful effects on their survival, growth and development…care refers to the behaviours and practices of caregivers (mothers, siblings, fathers and child care providers) to provide the food, health care, stimulation and emotional support necessary for children’s healthy survival, growth and development…Not only the practices themselves but also the way they are performed – in terms of affection and responsiveness to the child – are critical to a child’s survival, growth and development.

Play how children play has changed quite a bit over the years with the surge of home computer games. Sedentary lifestyles have led to an increase in isolation, social anxiety, obesity, self-harm, cyberbullying and more. Now I’m not suggesting we put the brakes on technology altogether, but limiting time spent on gaming and encouraging your child to use their imagination, socialise and exercise makes sense wouldn’t you agree?

Allowing children to have a say and an opinion on everything would, of course, be asking for trouble, but allowing your child to express their opinions, validating their opinions and guiding them to make good choices is what I’m referring to here. Validating your child's feelings makes them feel understood without being judged or constantly corrected. Simply acknowledging their feelings and thoughts on a subject encourages openness and self-confidence.

Talk and Listen children love to chatter. As a mother, I know only too well that constant chatter can drive you to distraction but setting aside time every day to talk and to actively listen to your child will strengthen the bond between you, It will help them to develop trust, build self-confidence and develop communication skills. Talking and listening intently to what your child has to say paves the way for them to talk openly about their feelings and any issues that may be bubbling away under the surface.

Eat everyone knows the importance of a healthy diet. Especially in the early years of development. As a working mum with young children, I know that there are often insufficient hours in the day to produce 3 made-from-scratch meals a day. The food we eat affects brain function you would probably think twice about putting cooking oil laden with saturated fat, salt and sugar into the tank. We all need a balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, and minerals in our diets to sustain a healthy body. You don’t need to eliminate certain categories of food from your diet, but rather select the healthiest options from each category.

Sleep while children sleep the growth hormone (HGH) gets busy building healthy body fat, strong bones and muscles. HGH is released by the brain into the bloodstream during sleep and is part of our repair and restoration function. Lack of sleep inhibits the growth hormone and can cause problems over time like obesity, asthma, ear infections and allergies. Insufficient sleep can result in poor concentration, irritability, anger outbursts and short attention spans. Create a happy and secure environment for your child at bedtime. Establish a routine. Believe it or not, children respond well to routine. Get your child ready for bed at a good time for sleep, perhaps read a story, talk about their day, and think of things they can look forward to the next day.

Self-care we all know the importance of brushing our teeth and keeping our hair, face and body clean. Kids have to learn how to blow their noses to keep them from running down their faces, keep their hands clean, get dressed and undressed and keep their room tidy. These things teach children how to be independent and self-aware, but there is more than meets the eye when it comes to self-care. Self-care is also about well-being, happiness and self-love! Letting our children know that they are loved means they learn to love themselves. Letting them know they are appreciated, valued and important embeds in them a sense of pride and self-confidence.

Relaxation Ahhhh… relaxation… I have worked with children and young people and one of the first things we do in therapy is to learn to relax. And you don’t have to be a clinical hypnotherapist to teach your child how to relax and the good news is, if you practice the following you’ll benefit too!

If your child is stressed, anxious, grumpy or sad show them how to release the brain's natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin, otherwise known as the happy chemical quartet.

In therapy children can learn how to work out their problems for themselves, they learn to understand their emotions and how to self-soothe, helping them cope better, communicate better, and do better overall.