What will happen when I contact you?

Before meeting with your child I will speak with you about the presenting issue and what you would like your child to achieve by seeing me. I will describe to you how I can help your child and what will be involved.

We will then have an Initial Consultation with your child where I will be asking them what they would like to be different and help them understand why they are feeling or behaving the way they are and, perhaps most importantly, what we can do about it! I will also explain to them what will happen in each session. At the end of the Initial Consultation I make it very clear that it is up to the child if they wish to see me again, so I will ask them to talk to you after they leave and just let me know if they’d like to come back.

What happens in the sessions?

For every child or young person the format of the session remains the same as with adults:
• Talking about what’s been good about your week.
• Talking about the brain and how it causes us to feel or behave in a certain way.
• Goal setting – visualising a small, achievable goal for the week.
• Hypnosis – positive visualisation and suggestion to facilitate change

However, the way I present information to children will be altered to suit their particular interests – we may imagine Superheroes or Harry Potter characters to explain how our brains work for example. Stories, metaphors, positive visualisation, toys and play are all used to make the sessions engaging and relevant to the individual child and are a fun way to help your child begin to make positive change. 

There’s no way my child will be able to relax for hypnosis.

Children do not need to be resting back with their eyes closed in order to be relaxed. They may wish to quietly play with a toy, stroke a cushion or colour in a picture. They may sit still but with their eyes open. As long as they are quiet and calm they are in a state of trance and their subconscious mind will be processing the positive suggestions for creating change.

Do I attend my child's sessions?

Although I recommend seeing the child on their own, as often children will behave differently when their parents are present, it is of course understandable if a child wants their parent to join them and so you are more than welcome to sit in on the sessions if they want you to.
I hold an enhanced DBS check and am insured to see children under the age of 18 on their own with parental consent.

How do I support my child between sessions?

After the Initial Consultation I will send you a relaxation audio for your child to listen to each night which will help the therapeutic process by calming their mind before drifting off to sleep. It will also reinforce the work that we do in each session. In addition to this, I will be asking your child to keep a positive diary, writing 3-5 good things about their day, which we will then talk about in each session. Helping your child to complete their diary by talking about their day will really benefit the process – some parents even decide to fill out their own diary and it becomes something the whole family do together.