So often we wonder how to help our children. Childhood is so different now, there seems little respite from pressure: peer pressure; pressure to succeed in school; pressure to look like others; pressure to excel. When we look back to our childhood, memory often saves us with those rose tinted glasses and we remember the good times, but in reality we probably all had some tough times growing up.
Stress is an opportunity to grow - when we feel that life is stressful then it is a signal that we need to make some changes. The good news is that we can make those changes, now we know that we all have neuro plasticity throughout our lives we no longer have to confined by the belief that it always needs to be like this.
I find working with children really rewarding, little ones through to young adults all have pressures which they can find bewildering, overwhelming and confusing and it can lead to anxiety, unhappiness and depression. With the teenage years come some big changes in the brain as the prefrontal cortex shrinks. This is the part of the brain responsible for all the sensible, positive thinking and importantly it is heavily involved in decision making and risk taking. This is why adolescents often make such dangerous decisions! I liken it to pruning a fruit tree, the synaptic connections in the cortex are reduced in adolesence and the ones that are left are the healthy strong ones whose growth we want to encourage.
I use the same techniques as I use with everyone, just depending on the age and interest of the young person I change the language and how the brain in described. Most little ones can really get into an understanding of the brain if it is made relevant to them, and everybody can enjoy imagining a future in which they do not feel anxious/nervous/scared/unconfident. It can be a playful session, or a serious session, each seesion is unique and tailored to the client.
As a parent myself I know how distressing it is to witness our children suffering with something which we feel powerless to help them with, and as a solution-focused hypnotherapist I have been able to help my children sleep, increase their self-esteem and reduce their anxiety. It is a relaxing and enjoyable experience and cen set them on their road through life with some really fantastic life skills. Hypnotherapy works to give kids a brighter, happier future.
Please feel free to contact me for an informal chat to see how I can help.
