As scientific studies continue to affirm the safety and therapeutic effects of hypnosis for a broad spectrum of problems and conditions, it is not surprising that more parents are turning to hypnotherapy for help with their children\u2019s issues. \u00a0Teaching kids how to relax, focus, and become aware of their inner experiences empowers them.<\/p>\n
In the video featured above, a recent segment on CBS news featured Los Angeles hypnotherapist Lisa Machenberg, a\u00a0self-proclaimed \u201chypno-mom,\u201d who began using\u00a0hypnosis successfully on her own children for better sleep when they were just\u00a0seven months old and continued with it to improve their sports performance.<\/p>\n
That same news segment was quick to point out, however, that\u00a0not all mental health professionals advocate hypnosis for children. \u00a0New York psychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez criticizes the use of hypnoparenting to help a child gain greater focus and be more effective in school. She says \u201c\u2026it\u2019s a very risky thing to do\u201d and adds that \u201cputting kids in a trance is going too far and shouldn\u2019t take the place of good parenting skills.\u201d<\/p>\n
But what is the risk? Hypnosis has been shown to be a safe, naturally occurring state for both adults and children who go into it every night falling off to sleep, or during the day when daydreaming, fantasizing, or becoming totally engrossed in a favorite pursuit, book, movie, or concert. Dr. Hafeez never really spells out the risk, but explicitly claims \u201cThe idea is not to gain control of a child\u2019s mind, but to teach them what\u2019s appropriate, what\u2019s desirable, so that they can have control over their own mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whether to help children sleep better, stop bedwetting, have greater focus and concentration for schoolwork, or control their impulses, hypnoparenting is an extension of good parenting, not a practice in opposition to it.<\/p>\n
With proper training, the parent first induces deep relaxation and inward focus in the child to gain access to their subconscious (where positive change originates) and then offers supportive and constructive suggestions directly related to the specific goals that the parent and child share.<\/p>\n
The suggestions serve as\u00a0directives on how to think and behave appropriately in ways that benefit the child as well as those in the child’s environment and those to\u00a0whom the child relates. Through repetition, the child not only comes to accept these directives, but also learns how to give him or herself\u00a0these suggestions, thereby gaining control over his or her\u00a0mental states.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hypnosis:\u00a0Relaxation That Empowers As scientific studies continue to affirm the safety and therapeutic effects of hypnosis for a broad spectrum of problems and conditions, it is not surprising that more parents are turning to hypnotherapy for help with their children\u2019s issues. \u00a0Teaching kids how to relax, focus, and become aware of their inner experiences empowers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hypnosis"],"yoast_head":"\n