I’ve worked with young people in Cornwall for many years, with various issues like ADHD, learning difficulties, behaviour issues and autism. So I understand the need for flexibility and a bespoke approach. I always treat each child or person individually, with understanding, kindness and empathy. Children and teens who are struggling often feel different and awkward. Hypnotherapy is a good choice of therapy because it’s gentle, relaxing and easy.
Unlike psychotherapy and many other therapies, Hypnotherapy is a positive experience because I only focus on positives, achievements and progress. Most therapies keep revisiting the problem, but I help young people move forward positively which is uplifting.
Progress for one child always impacts positively on the whole family and often helps parents too, which is great. Hypnotherapy helps children and adults to be their best self and remain calm and in control all the time.
Parenting support from Hypnotherapy
Many parents have treatment themselves to enable them to cope better. Especially during early parenting, when babies or toddlers aren’t sleeping. This results in parents constantly feeling tired, irritable and stressed at a time when they need to be extra patient. Supporting struggling children can be very stressful and demanding and hypnotherapy helps parents tap into their positive coping resources and increases their resilience.
Hypnotherapy is good for early parenting when parents need to find extra resources to cope and juggle their lives while adapting to the needs of their child/baby. It also helps people improve their sleep and gives them tools to help reset when they need to during the day.
What Hypnotherapy Helps children/young people with?
- Fears and nervous problems
- phobia’s
- anxiety
- low mood or depression
- anger and behaviour issues
- parents separating
- sleep problems
- exam nerves
- fostering and adoption issues
- grief and loss
- shyness and lack of confidence
- school problems
How I work with children/young people?
From my Hypnotherapy clinic in St Austell, I develop an individual plan for the child/young person for their issues. Initially I need the parent/carer to be present for the first session while we deal with consent and talk about goals. For subsequent sessions the child or young person and their family decide whether they prefer parents/carers to stay or not. Children often prefer parents to stay which is great as they understand what happens in the session and can discuss it between sessions. Teenagers often prefer to attend alone which is fine. There is no pressure from me either way, as long as the young person and their parent are happy.
I use stories, visualisations, soft toys and metaphors as well as psychotherapy and light trance depending on the individuals level. Hypnotherapy allows the child space and freedom to explore solutions to their problems and change their perspective and behaviours positively. Children are receptive to new learning and are very suggestible, so respond well to hypnotherapy.
I am also trained in BWRT (Brain working recursive therapy) which works differently from hypnotherapy and is also based on current neurological research. BWRT can sometimes be effective more quickly than hypnotherapy and is also a short term psychotherapy.
Why do children/young people need hypnotherapy?
Many nervous, shy or anxious children need help with managing these feelings and gaining confidence. Solution focused hypnotherapy can help them to feel much more positive, strong and confident. They will learn about how their brain works and how to deal with stress and anxiety. Hypnotherapy gives them the chance to develop positive thinking habits which will enable them to enjoy life more long term. Therapy sessions for children are comfortable and fun and focused on moving them forwards in a positive way. I also give them simple tools to use to get control of their thinking which last a lifetime.
Support options for children/young people in Cornwall?
There are limited mental health resources available on the NHS for children and young people, often with a long waiting list (like CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service). CAMHS is accessed through your GP and has a waiting list. The Mind charity website can be helpful and this link goes to their page for young people. However, many families often choose to find their own therapy, like hypnotherapy. This gives them a treatment they are in control of, where and when they want it. This also has the added benefit of avoiding labelling at an early age. It enables children and young people to get the help they need outside of the health ‘system’.
How hypnotherapy works for children/young people and their parents/carers…
In the first session we discuss the issues and how hypnotherapy can work for your child/young person. This starts the process off. I explain about how the brain works quite simply, which enables them to understand their issues. Change usually begins from the first session. If you wish to discuss sensitive issues in private, we can always talk on the phone in advance. The child or young person MUST want to make changes, as well as the parent. Hypnotherapy is effective and results may vary – success is not guaranteed.
Session information
Children’s sessions are usually 35-55 minutes long and cost £60. Parents are welcome to stay throughout. Older children and teens usually agree with their parents whether they want them to stay after the first session. If parents stay after the first session it helps if they close their eyes for the trance part and join in (appear to) to encourage cooperation.
Reviews
Julie has really helped my daughter with her anxiety and phobia of vomiting. It’s so lovely to see her worrying less and free to get on with her life. She was very anxious to try hypnotherapy at first, but is now recommending to everyone! Julie is kind, calm and professional and feels like a reassuring pair of hands in which you can trust. I would certainly recommend her. From a very appreciative Mum! CHLOE
Julie has been an absolute god send, her help and assistance over the past year or so has been invaluable. Julie is kind and caring, she goes above and beyond to help and I would recommend her to anyone. Thank you for everything Julie x CLAIRE
(Mum of 11yrs son). When I first took our son to see Julie he was anxious all the time, scared to go to bed at night, not sleeping well, scared of being ill, vomiting and dying. This was obviously having a massive impact on him but also on us as a family. I wasn’t able to go out for the evening without him panicking that I wasn’t going to be home to put him to bed. He didn’t feel able to go to friend’s houses for sleepovers because he was so worried about being, ill. He was waking in the night most nights having panic attacks and it took me ages to settle him back to sleep. We couldn’t watch any programs or films with vomiting in and couldn’t even say the word in conversation!
Having had treatment with Julie myself I knew how amazing and successful the hypnotherapy was. So I was confident she could make an enormous difference to him. I could never have believed just how much of a difference though, it’s incredible! To see him now, he is like a completely different child. He is so full of confidence, no longer worries about or overthinks things. He is sleeping well, has overcome his fear of vomiting. and has all the tools he needs to be able to manage any stress or worries he may have.
He listens to Julie’s sleep therapy recording every night before bed which helps him to relax. He usually now sleeps right through the night now. On the odd occasions he does wake up, he doesn’t panic and is able to go back to sleep alone!
Julie was so good at pitching the sessions just right and making our son feel safe and relaxed. He often fell asleep during the trance! I honestly cannot recommend Julie highly enough! She has made such an incredible difference, not just to our son but to our whole family, thank you just doesn’t seem enough! KAREN
(9yr olds mum) Thank you so much for helping our son with his fear of dogs. We really have seen quite a remarkable transformation. He is now confident around dogs whereas previously he was terrified even at the sight of them. The sessions with you were relaxed and he was comfortable and felt at ease throughout the entire process. It really has made a huge impact on all our lives – the places we can now visit without fear. We are, as a family, extremely grateful for all your help. JENNY