Mental health is a critical issue for schools in the short term , as we know that children who can ’ t regulate their own emotions can ’ t learn as effectively . But long-term issues merit just as much consideration , as young people who can ’ t deal with stress are more prone to mental health issues later in life . The costs to the individual as well as society are huge , especially as the overall pressure on youngsters continues to increase .
Thankfully , schools are very used to change and often embrace new initiatives readily . During my 17 years working in the education sector , I ’ ve seen the introduction of all kinds of new , exciting , and sometimes unusual interventions to help children , including counselling , mentoring , coaching , animal therapy , massage , play / drama / music / art therapy , and mindfulness .
Some of these approaches are now familiar sights within schools . We know that all children are different and a ‘ one size fits all ’ approach doesn ’ t work , hence the need for a variety of support strategies . But until fairly recently I ’ d never heard of or seen a school using hypnotherapy – so I took it upon myself to change that .
Sarah ’ s * story
Sarah was a Year 6 pupil with a range of medical conditions , dyslexia , and such low self-esteem that she barely spoke to anyone .
Her medical conditions caused her significant pain and interrupted her sleep , preventing her from fully concentrating at school and achieving her potential . She was taking approximately £ 25 of pain control medication per week , which gave her various unpleasant side effects . After six sessions of one-to-one hypnotherapy , she was managing her pain better , sleeping better , and speaking more readily to others . The improvement in her confidence was obvious .
In a follow-up meeting Sarah ’ s mother happily reported that Sarah had halved her weekly pain medication by using the pain control techniques taught during the hypnotherapy . She had even slept through the night for the first time in about five years !
Why should the benefits of hypnotherapy only be available to adults ?
I ’ d been seeing more and more children and young people in my private practice , and I noticed they all shared something in common : they all came