Michelle Seymour is a fully qualified clinical hypnotherapist and certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner.
She trained directly with the renowned Surrey Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy (SICH) and gained the paediatric hypnotherapy diploma from The International Society of Paediatric Hypnotherapy (TISPH) in London.
Differences of working with children and adults?
-Children are used to still using their imagination, so find it easier to enjoy the ‘play/daydream’ element of hypnotherapy. You do need to ‘think on your feet’ much more and make sure that you are using language relevant and understandable for their age.
Which conditions can be treated with hypnotherapy?
-There are so many different problems that hypnotherapy can help with!
Children can learn to change habits, get rid of discomfort and also physical symptoms (for example tummy pain with IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome), or the symptoms that come with panic attacks).
Hypnotherapy can help with, among other issues, anxiety, bed wetting, nail biting, phobias, eating problems, school/exam nerves, habits, sports performance.
Is the method fit for autistic/ADHD children?
-Yes, it can help them with focus and relaxation.
Can hypnotherapy be used for supporting overweight children for healthier habits?
-We can suggest that the child would prefer healthier foods and stay away from sweets and fattening foods and drinks. It can also help ‘fussy eaters’ by helping them to try different fruits and vegetables.
Children with difficulty motivating to study?
-Hypnotherapy can help utilise their learning and recall abilities.
What happens in a session with a child?
-Children’s sessions are set out informally, we will chat and I will get to know their likes and dislikes, who their friends are, what school is like and their favourite things. I can then use these in the session.
We will play imagination games and I will tell ‘stories’ (metaphors) using the information they’ve given me to help change their negative thoughts and feelings into positive ones. They learn to use relaxation methods and ‘daydreams’ .
A young child’s session is usually a little shorter than teenagers or adults, because their attention span is shorter than ours. I also use NLP ( Neuro-linguistic programming) a lot with children, this is non-hypnosis.
Is hypnotherapy suitable for online use?
-Yes, definitely – I work online and especially since COVID-19. There is very little difference. Sometimes people prefer online sessions, as they are in the comfort of their own home and haven’t had to travel to see me at the office – useful for anxious clients.
The term hypnotherapy may scare parents or teenagers – what can be used to describe it instead?
-I let people know it’s like guided meditation or guided visualisation if they are worried about hypnosis. Usually once people know what it actually is, and that I won’t be in control of their mind or make them do something silly (like bark like a dog!), they find it’s a very pleasant, comfortable feeling.
Please tell of some cases, to help understand hypnotherapy and it’s application…
-One 5 year old girl had a phobia of dogs – she had got so bad that she wouldn’t walk to the shops or go to the park with her parents. A visit to her grandparents’ house was traumatic for her (they had a small dog) and she would cry, scream and hit her parents as they carried her in.
Firstly I had a phone call with her mother to ascertain what the problem was, when it happened and if there was anything that started the phobia – had she been bitten etc?
We then did 2 online sessions, the first was getting to know the young girl and her likes and dislikes. Her mother had told her I was a teacher that tells stories to help her feel better.
She then cuddled up to her mother while I spoke to her about dogs, she had told me that she was scared of them. So by asking her to think of a dog and make that dog far away from her – how did she feel? Ok when far away.. so now if the dog comes a little closer? A bit scared… Ok but I can see something on his head! Can you see it? A big floppy hat, what colour is it (she gives a colour)..
He looks silly! And what’s that on his feet? Wellies, red wellies… and he’s wearing a pink tutu - that’s funny.. now the girl is laughing and I suggest that when she thinks of or sees a dog she will remember this and won’t be scared any more.
2nd session she had been out to the shops without fear, but there were no dogs around so we couldn’t gauge if the phobia had gone.
I asked where she felt any worry or anxiety and she pointed to her head – I had a paper bag and by holding onto the bag in a certain way and clicking your fingers you can make it sound like something has dropped into the bag…
I asked her to take her anxiety from her head and to give it to me – she did and I threw it in the air and caught it in the bag, tied it up, said it was mine now and that I would throw it away.
We also did a story (metaphor) about friends coming to her party and that they brought their dogs – all the dogs were carrying presents for her and they were friendly.. she liked this story and it helped to let her subconscious mind realise that the fear is inappropriate.
She is now happy and confident around dogs and visits to her grandparents are no longer frightening because of the dog.
Interview by Swetlana Zheleva, Dessislaw Pajakoff
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