Hypnotherapy for Children
Support Your Child's Wellbeing, Build Confidence, and Help Them Thrive
Learn to help your child calm their nervous system, build confidence and emotional resilience, and develop healthy coping skills through evidence-based, solution focused hypnotherapy designed for young people.
How Hypnotherapy Helps Children
Solution focused hypnotherapy for children does not claim to cure developmental conditions and does not replace medical assessment or specialist child psychology services. However, it can be a valuable supportive therapy alongside other care to help children manage anxiety, build resilience, and develop wellbeing.
Hypnotherapy can help to:
Calm an overactive nervous system that can be triggered by school stress, social situations, changes, or uncertainty
Reduce anxiety, worry, and the emotional intensity that can affect children’s confidence and daily life
Support emotional regulation and healthy responses to feelings like frustration, sadness, or fear
Improve sleep and rest, which are often disrupted by childhood anxiety and worry
Build confidence, resilience, and a stronger sense of self in social and academic settings
Develop healthy coping skills and the ability to manage emotions and stress at a manageable pace
Support engagement with school, friendships, and activities with greater ease and confidence
Many parents notice improvements in their child’s confidence, sleep quality, emotional regulation, and ability to manage stress, even as skills develop gradually through practice and support.
Why Choose Solution Focused Hypnotherapy for Your Child?
Solution focused hypnotherapy is a forward-focused therapeutic approach that supports children’s wellbeing and combines:
Solution focused brief therapy techniques
Neuroscience-based psychoeducation
Clinical hypnosis
Rather than exploring distressing events or focusing on problems, this approach helps your child calm their mind and nervous system, reduce anxiety and worry, and strengthen their ability to feel confident and capable in their daily life.
Sessions are structured, engaging, and carefully adapted to suit your child’s age and needs, supporting nervous system regulation, building confidence and resilience, and progressing at a pace that feels safe and manageable.
Who Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Can Help
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can support children experiencing anxiety, low confidence, sleep difficulties, or emotional challenges by helping to calm an overactive nervous system, reduce worry and stress, and ease the emotional weight that can affect childhood wellbeing and growth.
Rather than dwelling on problems or focusing on what’s wrong, this approach helps your child’s mind and body settle in the present, creating the conditions needed for calm thinking, confidence, and the emotional strength to engage with life and relationships.
Sessions are practical, structured, and time-limited, with an emphasis on gently building confidence and resilience, developing emotional regulation skills, and supporting your child to thrive at a pace that feels safe and natural. Many parents find this a supportive, forward-focused alternative to traditional talking therapies, helping their children develop the inner resources they need to manage challenges and grow.
How It Works
Over our sessions, we’ll work together to help your child:
Understand how the brain and nervous system work, how emotions and stress responses develop, and how calming the mind supports confidence and wellbeing
Learn practical tools to manage anxiety and big feelings, calm the nervous system, and develop healthy coping strategies
Build confidence and resilience by noticing what they’re good at and what they can manage, developing a stronger sense of capability
Reinforce calm, confidence, and emotional strength through guided relaxation and hypnosis
Each session is structured as follows:
A discussion of “what’s been good?” to help your child’s brain notice strengths, achievements, moments of calm, or times they managed well, however small, and shift into a more confident state. These do not need to be big accomplishments — perhaps they tried something brave, felt calmer at school, or helped a friend.
Brain revision to remind your child of the neuroscience behind anxiety and emotions, including how the nervous system responds to stress, how emotions work, and how calming the mind supports confidence and good decisions.
A simple scaling exercise to explore how your child is managing this week and what might help them feel slightly more confident or less worried.
A visualisation exercise to explore what feeling calm and confident might look like, what your child wants to do with that strength, and what small step they can take to build these skills naturally.
A guided relaxation to support nervous system settling and gently reinforce calm, confidence, and emotional wellbeing at a subconscious level.
Many clients notice a real difference after just a few sessions.
Meet Laura
My name is Laura Bartlett and I am a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist, with a strong academic and professional background in psychology and evidence-based therapy. I hold a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from Royal Holloway, University of London, alongside a Diploma in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and a Hypnotherapy in Practice Diploma.
I am a registered member of the Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (AfSFH), fully insured, and hold an enhanced DBS certificate — so you can be confident you are working with a qualified, professional, and ethical practitioner.
Before retraining as a therapist, I spent 20 years working in the London corporate world as an insurance broker. With an Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) and a Level 3 Diploma in Management and Leadership, my approach is practical, grounded, and evidence-informed.
You’re In Safe Hands
Membership Number: 2625
The Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapists (AfSFH) maintains the only dedicated register for Solution Focused Hypnotherapists. All members are fully qualified, insured, and required to follow a strict Code of Conduct and professional standards. AfSFH also sets and monitors best-practice standards, with members completing at least 21 hours of ongoing professional development each year, including regular supervision and further training.
Membership Number: 12094
The National Council for Hypnotherapy holds one of the largest registers of independent Hypnotherapists in the United Kingdom and strives to maintain the highest standards among its members.
There is an agreed Code of Conduct, an established Complaints & Disciplinary Procedure and all members are obliged to maintain comprehensive Public Liability & Professional Indemnity Insurance, maintain regular CPD (continuing professional development) hours, and attend Supervision when needed.
CASE STUDY: How Harry Overcame His Compulsive Thoughts Using Solution Focused Hypnotherapy
Details changed for confidentiality reasons)
Harry was a 13 year old boy who had been experiencing increasingly frequent and frightening compulsive thoughts. His racing brain would keep him up at night and he was tired in the morning to attend school. This led to him withdrawing from his friends and falling behind with his schoolwork.
Over the course of 10 sessions Harry learnt to control his compulsive thoughts using Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. He achieved this by:
Reducing gaming and screen time particularly in the hour before bed
Spending more time with his father doing activities such as golf which he really enjoyed
Returning to school on a phased basis as his sleep and mood improved
Identifying the habits which worked for him and those that didn’t
Client Testimonials
“Laura is so supportive, not judgemental, everything you should expect in therapy. Laura is also very down to earth, straight talking, and just so good to be around and be helped by. Highly recommended. My problem was alcohol and caffeine drink cycle. For about 6 weeks (just 2 weeks into sessions) and I don't even 'want' it. Which is how I wanted to feel. And Laura fixed it for me :)” — TB, Female, 58
“Through working with Laura I achieved resolution to my unhealthy eating habits. Believe in the process, understand the process and commit. For me, the results followed ..........” — CB, Male, 65
Next Steps…
Ready to help your child feel calmer and more confident?
Book an initial consultation where we can meet, discuss your child’s needs, and explore whether solution focused hypnotherapy is the right approach. Parents are always welcome at the initial consultation, and we’ll talk about what the next steps might look like if you decide to go ahead.
I service the local areas of Hadleigh, Leigh-on-Sea, Benfleet, Chalkwell, Southend-on-Sea, Canvey Island, Dunton, Laindon, Basildon, Horndon on the Hill, Corringham, Stanford-le-Hope, Pitsea, Thundersley, Hockley, Hawkwell, Rochford, Westcliff-on-Sea, Wickford and Rayleigh. Or anywhere in the World via Zoom.
An initial consultation is £35 and takes up to 45 minutes. It can take place online via Zoom or in-person in my relaxing therapy room at 96 Westwood Gardens, Hadleigh, Essex, SS7 2SJ.
During the initial consultation I will take some basic information from you - including what you are looking to achieve from sessions. I will then explain how the brain works including why it is negatively biased and what causes our intrusive thoughts. We will discuss the format of further sessions and you will leave with a sleep audio to listen to at home.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hypnotherapy for Children
Can hypnotherapy help my child with anxiety or emotional difficulties?
Yes. Solution focused hypnotherapy can be very effective in supporting children with anxiety, worry, low confidence, sleep difficulties, and emotional challenges. It works by calming the nervous system and helping children develop healthier responses to stress and difficult feelings.
It is a gentle, age-appropriate approach that helps children feel safer, more confident, and more in control of their emotions. Many parents notice positive changes in their child’s wellbeing, sleep, and confidence within just a few sessions.
Will hypnotherapy fix my child’s anxiety straight away?
Hypnotherapy is not a quick fix and does not guarantee instant results. Children develop and change at their own pace, and the approach is designed to support gradual, sustainable improvement.
However, many parents notice positive changes within just a few sessions — their child may sleep better, feel calmer, or seem more confident. The skills and resilience your child builds during sessions continue to develop over time with practice and support.
Is solution focused hypnotherapy safe for children alongside other support?
Yes. Solution focused hypnotherapy is safe and non-invasive and can be used alongside counselling, play therapy, school support, or any other professional help your child is receiving. It is a complementary approach that supports your child’s emotional wellbeing.
It does not replace medical advice, specialist assessment, or therapy when needed. Instead, it complements other approaches, focusing on building your child’s emotional resilience, confidence, and coping skills.
Is solution focused hypnotherapy suitable for all types of childhood challenges?
Solution focused hypnotherapy can support children through a wide range of challenges, including:
Anxiety about school, friendships, or social situations
Low confidence or self-esteem
Sleep difficulties or nighttime worry
Emotional regulation, anger, or frustration
Adjusting to change such as a new school, family changes, or transitions
Each session is tailored to your child’s individual needs, ensuring the approach is age-appropriate, safe, and relevant.