C.H.A.N.G.E. Academy Hypnotherapy Newsletter
from the office of Beverley S. Bley, L.P.N., C.M.Ht.
http://www.4change.com
change@...

Issue #6 July 2004
CHILDREN: THE BEST SUBJECTS

Contents:
* CALENDAR - Hypnotherapy Classes
* HYPNOSIS ON THE WEB
* ARTICLE - Children: The Best Subjects


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* CALENDAR *********************************

** "C. H. A. N. G. E." YOUR WEIGHT FOREVER
A 5 SESSION WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM
for Counselors and Hypnotherapists

July 31 and Aug 1 (Sat & Sun) 9:00-5:00 $250

This program is presented as a two day workshop.
Manual and sample tapes are included.


** HYPNOTHERAPY CERTIFICATION CLASSES
are starting October 6, 2004!

(Certification classes are FREE for Graduated Students
of C.H.A.N.G.E. Academy who want to audit the class.
Call ahead to find out we will be discussing and when.)

Modules:
- Self-Hypnosis/Basis Hypnotherapy (Start Date Oct 6th)
- Advanced Hypnotherapy (Start Date Nov 3rd)
- Hypno-analysis Course (Start Date Dec 1st)
- Certification Exam Dec 29th (After 150 completed hrs)

Call 610.797.8250 for details and registration.


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* Hypnosis On The Web ******************

* BBC News Story: "Hypnosis for the People"
Professor David Spiegel, of the Department of Psychiatry
and Behavioural Sciences at Stanford University states that
all doctors should learn how to use hypnotherapy to help
their patients. Read the whole article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2002/boston_2002/1825175
.stm


* iVillage Health: "An Introduction to CAM"

Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Read more about
how this `new' way of thinking is being treated by the
government and insurance companies.

http://www.ivillagehealth.com/library/onemed/content/0,7064,241012_24
8493,00.html


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* Article ******************

CHILDREN: THE BEST SUBJECTS
Multiple Uses of Hypnotherapy

Children often are marvelous subjects for hypnosis. Once they have
developed to the level where they have an adequate attention span
they tend to be easily hypnotizable. This may be due to the
fact that much of early childhood is spent in hypnosis, Children
play games, that include deep involvement, which is a form of
hypnosis. They indulge in fantasies and pretend experiences,
which are forms of hypnosis.

Children are additionally benefitted by the fact that many
inhibitions which commonly affect adults have not yet developed.
Children also have limited capacities for critical judgement.
Trust and positive rapport are essential and bringing out these
qualities can be difficult, especially in cases where a child is
presented by a feared authority figure. Confidence must be earned.
Apprehensions must be allayed. Communication must be established.


Applicable Utilizations

Why would a child need or be benefitted by hypnotherapy? Like the
famous answer to the question, "How do I love thee?", let me
count the ways! Certainly among important usages must be the early
control or elimination of childish habits – bed wetting, nose-
picking, mannerisms and often attitudes. As children grow older
hypnosis can dramatically affect attention problems, learning
enhancement, study procedures, anxieties (whether from home, school
or other sources), self-esteem, motivation, athletic performance,
creativity, non-understood grief (or loss or separation) – the list
is virtually endless.

To a professional it is incredible the amount of psychological
damage that can be and is done to children by parents, relatives,
siblings, teachers or authority figures. Much of it is well meaning
effort intended to provide direction and motivation, coming from a
trusted source who intends no harm.

However, children differ (just as adults do). Some are introverts,
some are extraverts; some come form homes that offer praise and
encouragement, others come from environments where criticism
and lack of recognition are considered appropriate; some come form
environments of love, some come from environments of discord and
abuse. One of the greatest gifts a child can receive is
prolonged contact with an individual (whether teacher, parent, older
sibling, coach or counselor) who can and will offer sensitivity,
understanding and appreciation of value.

Children respond to comments by authority figures in differing
ways. A parent or teacher, on viewing a poor report card, might
comment: "You are going to be the dumbest kid in the class all your
life!" The intent might well be to motivate the child to change
this detrimental distinction by trying harder. A self-assured child
might respond in that manner. Yet an insecure child might well
accept the statement literally as a true prognostication and
experience a psychological inner flip which locks in place
acceptance of the self as unworthy, incapable and doomed to fulfill
the stated destiny.

The files of psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and
hypnotherapists are filled with cases of adult clients who have
sought therapy to get out from under self-deprecating childhood
imprints imposed by well-meaning (and often not so well-meaning)
guardians.

The Gift of Imagery

Young children are not usually aware of the complexities of the
mind, or of its fantastic array of powers. They do not comprehend
that, "what the mind can conceive, the body can achieve." They do
not understand the dramatic capabilities of visualization. Yet they
have the child's natural talent for dreaming – for picturing
achievements of childhood ambitions in their minds. It is this
characteristic that the hypnotherapist can use to surmount the
afflicting problems and free children from bonds which restrict them
from achieving their potentials.

Children normally are very visual. They respond beautifully to
tales, bedtime stories, and related communications with which they
can identify. They are quite narcissistic – they like to have a
part in a story that is being related and tend to slip into hypnosis
easily.

Children in the six or seven age range have little difficulty.
Those in the four to six range, with shorter attention spans, may
respond to induction techniques which are less formalized or
directive. Preschool ages may combine the worlds of fantasy and
reality. Pre-induction data should focus on gathering information
about a child's likes and dislikes, fears, imagery experience, and
social environment – all in a manner in keeping with the child's
play therapy may help develop rapport, revealing the child's
interests and imaginative capabilities. Play can be a wonderful
vehicle for implementing therapeutic suggestions.

Among older children and adolescents hypnotherapy has been effective
in dealing with behavioral problems and delinquency. Clinicians,
regrettably, often turn to hypnosis as a last resort. Experience
indicates success is greater when the patient acknowledges distress
and has personal motivation to change. The fact remains that
hypnosis is virtually impossible in cases where the client does not
want to be hypnotized. Successful therapy demands patient assent
and cooperation.

Hypnotherapy for drug abuse, for example, virtually requires that
the client be aware of and concerned with the potential for harm and
have an expressed desire for change. Therapists must be aware that
teenagers with behavior problems may be struggling for autonomy;
Therapists need to evaluate and understand the extent of the
client's motivation for change, and the cognitive, social, emotional
and psychosexual development factors which contribute to
attitudes and behaviors.


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