This is one in an occasional series about children’s health issues. We know that many of our readers are grandparents keenly interested in the health and well-being of grandchildren. We hope this series will provide readers useful health information they can share with their family.
When you think about hypnosis, if you ever do, you may dismiss it as hocus-pocus or a parlor trick. But hypnotherapy – as it’s called when used in a medical setting – can help children who are experiencing abdominal pain or situational anxiety.
Olafur Palsson is a clinical psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; he has developed hypnotherapy programs for children and teens with stomach problems. Dr. Palsson says, “It is much easier to get kids into a hypnotic state – to bring them away from the here and now and give them therapeutic suggestion – than it is with adults.”
Gabrielle Hackett, Psy.D, a licensed clinical psychologist who practices in Broward County and Vero Beach, says research has also found hypnotherapy to be effective in reducing anxiety ahead of medical and dental procedures. Some dentists are learning hypnosis to relax their young patients immediately before beginning a treatment session.
In news to no one, kids have very active imaginations; their responsiveness to imagery is what makes it easier for a therapist to hypnotize them. Dr. Palsson says children can quickly enter into a state of heightened imagery and focus, in which their senses are fully engaged. The hypnotherapist can then weave suggestions into the imagery to help the child achieve a therapeutic goal, such as reducing pain or decreasing anxiety.
In younger children, hypnotherapy often uses adventure-based stories. An example as explained by Dr. Palsson goes like this: A child who is experiencing stomach pain is asked to imagine that they have picked up a magic stone, and that the stone melts, giving their hand healing properties. The hypnotherapist suggests to the child that when they experience stomach pain, they should imagine putting that healing hand on their stomach to feel more comfortable.
If you’re feeling skeptical right about now, there is scientific evidence backing up the value of hypnotherapy for children suffering from abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). An article on the U.S. government-funded National Center for Biotechnology Information website says the body of research “shows unequivocally that for both adults and children with IBS, hypnosis treatment is highly efficacious in reducing bowel symptoms and can offer lasting and substantial symptom relief for a large proportion of patients who do not respond adequately to usual medical treatment approaches.”
The brain and body are interconnected, and hypnotherapy helps children (and adults) become more aware of sensations in their body, including the perception of pain or fear. This awareness may help them to learn to regulate the nervous system function that causes those sensations. Dr. Palsson says he has found that “hypnotizability” peaks between the ages of 7 and 14, when kids may be most open and receptive to this mind-body approach.
Hypnotherapy does not have to be performed at the time of the dental or medical visit, or at the time the pain is being experienced. “A suggestion can be put in the unconscious mind that creates a good feeling about a painful or stressful situation,” Vero’s Dr. Hackett says. “After just a few sessions, the effect can be permanent.”
It’s important to know that a child undergoing hypnotherapy won’t do anything they wouldn’t do when in a fully-awake state. “It’s not like hypnotists you see on TV, who make people bark like a dog,” Dr. Hackett says. “When conducted by a licensed healthcare provider, the child is still in complete control, and can come out of the light trance whenever they want.”
Young children beginning hypnotherapy do not need to understand the ins and outs of hypnosis. The process can simply be explained as “quiet time,” in which they will use their imaginations to help with their pain or anxiety. Dr. Hackett says, “Some kids may want to know more about how the process works, and it’s fine to tell them, without going into too much intricate detail.”
A parent can attend the hypnotherapy session if it makes the child feel more comfortable, but Dr. Hackett says “if Mom or Dad is there, it can take the focus off the child, so I don’t really encourage it.” She notes that other people in the room may also go into a state of trance, so that’s something for parents to be aware of before they choose to attend their child’s session.
Dr. Hackett wants the community to know that hypnotherapy is an augment to the sort of “talk” therapy she and other psychologists provide to help children deal with anxiety, depression and other issues.
Dr. Hackett’s Vero Beach practice is part of TMS Provider Services, located at 333 17th Street, Suite Q. The office phone is 772-770-1151. She is a member of the Florida Society of Clinical Hypnosis, a professional association dedicated to the clinical application of hypnosis by (among other groups) licensed physicians, psychologists, dentists, and clinical social workers.
