Children are amazing and mean the world to us. That’s why it can be so upsetting to see them going through difficult times and facing challenges. Sometimes as a parent you may feel unsure about the course of action to take to help your child, so by seeking outside help you are taking the first steps on a journey to helping not only your child, but yourself.

As a parent you are not expected to be an expert, and seeking therapy can help take some of that pressure off your shoulders. For your child, they will learn that seeking help is a good thing and will develop resilience and skills to set them up for life.

Amy is very experienced in working with children. After a career as a teacher in Primary Education in Scotland, she has seen first hand how the challenges our young people face affect them and their wider life. During this time Amy worked with a wide range of needs and carries this knowledge forward as a hypnotherapist. Amy has undergone additional training to work with children and is PVG registered. She is also a registered member of the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) and the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC - available via link on the NHS Hypnotherapy web page: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hypnotherapy/).

Hypnotherapy is a very effective tool to use with children aged 7-15, as they have vivid imaginations that lend themselves to the creative, story-telling nature of hypnotherapy which our subconscious mind very much enjoys!

Some of the conditions specific to children that Amy can help with include:

• habit and tic disorders, including thumb-sucking

• hair pulling

• bed wetting

• toileting

• sleep terrors

• nightmares and other sleep disturbances

• swallowing problems

• selective/fussy eating

• school phobia

• anxiety and stress

• confidence building

• obsessive thoughts/compulsions

• nail biting

• bullying

• anger

• fears and phobias

• exam stress

• school transitions

How does the process work?

Amy likes to have a chat with the parent either by phone or face-to-face, without the child present prior to the first session. During this time she will gather important information, this may include basic health information and background history of the nature of the issue. She will then arrange to meet you both at her clinic in Menstrie. Once your child enters the room, they become the client and Amy will direct all questions to the child (this is why she likes to meet with parents beforehand to get their take on the situation and gather any relevant information).

During the first session with your child Amy will be getting to know your child, their likes and dislikes for use in later sessions. Amy will also provide a recording for your child to listen to between sessions. A parent will always be present in the room, throughout the session. However, occasionally older children (13-15 years) can be seen 1:1 with both parent and child’s permission. Although parents must remain on the premises.

Sessions for children are kept shorter than with adults and are adapted to suit their age and attention span. Their first session will be around 1 hour and subsequent sessions will range from 20-40 minutes, and the charging structure reflects this. The initial session for working with children 15 and under is £60 and subsequent sessions are £40.