Hypnotherapy for child mental health

This blog, Hypnotherapy for child mental health, is based on a BBC article. You can find the link here. 

The article is advocating resilience. This is something I talk about later. But first something about what feeds into the modern child’s mental health and what changed over recent years to make some call it a ‘crisis’.

10 mental health challenges children face today

(1). Depression.

This is usually easy for parents to spot in children. Children are normally energetic. Then if there’s a persistent low mood, loss of interest in activities, feelings of slow self-worth, always tired, thoughts of dying these are some of the red flags. And, like adults, children may not know where it’s come from.

(2). Anxiety

You notice that your child is feeling afraid, suddenly dreading things that before had no meaning, you sense an uneasiness. Your child may sweat, feel restless, tense and has a rapid heartbeat. It can be a normal reaction to stress, say, before taking a test, sports day or appearing in a school production.

(3). Stress

Stress is a natural response to what your child thinks is a threat or challenge. It can lead to feelings of tension, or worry. For example, being bullied, feeling everyone judges you, there are exams coming up.

(4). Panic attacks

Panic attacks are a type of fear response. They're an exaggeration of your child's normal response to danger, stress or excitement. As adults we’ve usually learnt to deal with most things. Children don’t always know the right response. They’re over cooking things.

(5). Self-harm

Basically your child is intentionally harming themselves. It can take many forms:
. cutting or burning their skin
. punching or hitting themselves
. poisoning themselves with tablets or toxic chemicals
. taking alcohol or drugs
. deliberately starving themselves or binge eating
. exercising too much.
The signs are unexplained cuts, bruises or cigarette burns - usually on the wrists, arms, thighs and chest. And keeping themselves fully covered at all times, even in hot weather.

(6). Eating disorders

Under eating or over eating can be signs. Triggers can be self-harm, bullying, feeling that they’re too fat (boys as well as girls)

(7). COVID

COVID broke patterns. And children like routines. School, seeing friends, getting out, playing sport. Then you see things you wouldn’t usually see. There’s cabin fever at home, rows irritation s between parents. How should a child process this? As a child you don’t necessarily have the coping skills. Hypnotherapy for child mental health can help with this.

(8). Social media

All social media is designed to hold your attention and keep you there. And most of it makes you feel small (comparison is the thief of joy) or gives you access to content you should’t really see or process. It stops you sleeping and steals your child’s time.


(9). Cyber bullying

It’s the bullying that never ends. It can be 24/7. The days of fights in the playground and home at 3.30 are long over. It can be relentless and chip away at confidence.

(10). ADHD, Aspergers, autism.

It’s developing an understanding that these conditions are an explanation NOT and excuse. It’s a case of learning to ‘dial them down”. In other rods don’t think of them as something that holds you back.

Your questions answered.

Does hypnotherapy work for childhood trauma?
Simple answer is yes. There’s a very, very high success rate. Children have vivid and creative imaginations and are good at putting things in the past and moving on. Hypnotherapy for child mental health gets to the core of this.

Is hypnotherapy recognised by the NHS?

Yes. Have a look here.

Is CBT or hypnotherapy better?

Without this sounding like a sales pitch. I blend both. My official title is Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist. I believe that to ‘land’ CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) at the deepest level you use hypnosis. It gives the greatest chance of long lasting change for the better.

At what age can a child be hypnotised?

I’ve heard aged three mentioned. My youngest has been seven.


How does hypnotherapy for child mental health help build resilience?

If you take resilience to mean, “the ability to adapt well to difficult situations, such as trauma, tragedy, or stress” the best way to learn these skills is calmly thorough hypnotherapy. Then your child is less bothered by past event and better placed to face the future. In effect I’m helping them bounce back from setbacks.

What is hypnotherapy?

There’s two parts to this. The ‘hypno’ is short for hypnosis. And this is a deep state of relaxation where it’s easier to take on board new ideas that stay with you and help you cope. The ‘therapy’ means using hypnosis to get rid of/heal from stress, trauma, anxiety or fears.

And this is what hypnotherapy for child mental health is all about. Being calm and understanding you have a choice not to let anything that happens to you or peoples to you bother you. To children I tell them it’s their superpower.

About me.

I’m James Thomas. A Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist and I’ve worked with children from seven years of age upwards. They’ve been angry, scared, had dyslexia, ADHD, taking drugs, fear of failure, need preparation for 11-plus, GCSEs, A levels, Oxbridge, scared of their sexual orientation - a whole host of challenges. Please feel free to get in touch if you feel your child is out of sorts. I’m at jamesthomas@thegentlemind.co.uk or you can call me on 07787563099.

I have rooms in Louth, Lincoln, York and Leeds.