Children & Hypnosis

Most children are excellent subjects for hypnosis; their wonderful, naturally rich imagination is all that is necessary to create a good trance, deep enough for therapeutic use.

When it comes to chidren and hypnosis, we are working with a conglomeration of different methods, due to the various age groups and years of experiencial learnings. Below you will find information on the four developmental phases of childhood as described by Piaget and Erik Erikson (not to be confused with Milton Erickson), along with different hypnotic induction techniques recommended by Olness and Gardner, the goals of therapy with abused children, and a few time tested hypnotic inductions for children.

These four phases of development have been composed primarily by the theories of Piaget, and Erik Erikson, whose views although indifferent, are said to complement each other with each having strong points where the other is weak in opinion.

The four developmental phases are:
a) The sensorimotor period,
b) The preoperational period,
c) Middle childhood, and
d) Puberty through adulthood.

For the purpose of hypnotic intervention, the main elements considered throughout the progression of the four phases are cognitive, emotional, and language development, which will be elaborated upon below, along with the most prominent contrasts between Piaget and Erikson’s theories.

Phase I: Sensorimotor Period (Birth to 2 years, approximately).
This phase consists of six stages of cognitive contents, and also corresponds to Erikson’s first stage, and part of Erikson’s second stage identified by age.

During the first half of this phase, the infant progresses from an ability to imitate towards independent behavior. It is also during this period of growth according to Erikson that a child develops a trusting relationship with the primary caregiver.

Throughout the first year the child appears to have no concept of time, but does begin to develop a sense of past events with the second year of life. Along with this new sense of time the child also begins searching behaviors for objects presented and removed or hidden.

Another important part of this phase is the child’s development of a construct of causality, or simply put, the ability to anticipate consequence.

Phase II: Preoperational Period (Early Childhood – 2 to 7 years).
This phase encompasses the completion of Erikson’s second and third stages. During this second stage the child develops a sense of autonomy towards self-preservation.

Erikson’s third stage of child development runs from the ages of 3 to 5, and is the child’s exploratory period towards new discoveries.

It is noted that during this early childhood period, the child experiences more changes than at any other period in life, such as the child’s social environment, expansion of personal contacts, school entry, linguistic and abstract symbolic instructions, along with shifts in parental expectations.

Egocentrism, the extent to which the child views herself, as the center of reality is the most often discussed topic of this period. It is the change of learning to distinguish oneself from that of others, which enables the child to enter the next phase.

The child’s concept of causality continues to develop during this stage, and is distinguished by a challenge of differentiating between the “why” of doing something, or “cause” behind something.
Simple metaphor understanding begins during this stage in accordance with individual experiences in life.

Hypnotic interventions should address both cognitive and emotional competencies. For age groups of 2 to 4, perceptually based functioning techniques employing “open eyes” are suggested, such as talking through a puppet, or pretending a favorite activity. Using “because” type logic rather than “if” logic works better for this age group, due to cognitive understanding.

For age groups of 5 to 7 years, eye-closure techniques can be employed. During the final years of this phase the child begins to enter a stage of high hypnotizability.

Phase III: Concrete Operational Phase; Middle Childhood (Approximately ages seven to puberty).
This Piagetian phase also encompasses Erikson’s forth stage.
The primary difference of this phase to the prior, is that it is a period of latency, in which the child is no longer moving from an inner upheaval to one of outer mastery.

During this phase the child is prepared for adulthood via systematized instruction, and contains the ability to interact with and attain mastery over his environment.

Most of Piaget’s writings are about this period as he believes it to be the most important. Here the child uses operational thought processes tied to concrete realities, in preparation for later mature operational intelligence of being able to function with purely abstract or hypothetical levels.

Metaphor comprehension is quite extensive at this point, but should be entered via concrete formats directed at the child’s experience, rather than abstract wording. It is reported that this age group does very well with biofeedback devices.

Phase IV: Formal Operational Phase; Puberty through Adulthood (Beginning at approximately 12 years).
This is the phase of establishing an identity. Idols and ideals are raised, and as suggested by Erikson a search for a personal standing among friends and the social environment begins.

While Erikson primarily sees this phase as one of trouble and turmoil, Piaget recognizes the positive features of formal operations. These differences in observations are probably due to their own personal backgrounds (I suggest this primarily due to the knowledge that Erikson comes from a Freudian school of thought, and my past studies have shown that Freud based everyone’s problems on his own fears and troubles).

Inductive thought processes become recognized allowing for reasoning behind general principles rather than fact bases.

Hypnotic techniques used with adults are employed during this phase.

Olness and Gardner (1988) state that hypnotic ability is limited in children below the age of three, then peaks between the ages of 7-14, decreasing slightly during adolescence and remaining stable until another decrease in later life. I find it quite interesting to note that H. Bernheim published similar findings in his most wonderful text “Suggestive Therapeutics” over a hundred years prior (1887). Bernheim’s study using 1018 subjects found children up to the age of 7 to be 26.5% somnambulistic, age groups of 7- 14 to be 55.3% somnambulistic, 14- 21 being 25.2% somnambulistic, and hypnotic somnambulism dropping to a level of 7.3% in age groups 49 and up.

The above findings are reasonably assumed fairly correct in that they correlate with easily observable periods in life. Up to the age of three, communications are very limited, and so an ability to follow direction is also naturally limited. From 3- 7, children are in high speed and very conscious, absorbing everything in site. This wanting to know what is going on limits the duration of focus. In groups of 7- 14, understandings of language have reached a point in which dreaming of possibilities has begun, and self exploration is considered the norm. Then analytical studies are pushed upon those 14- 21, stressing conscious analyzations. During midlife people become preoccupied with careers, and unless practicing some form of creative ability tend to remain hard set in trains of thought. As for the older age group, all I can offer is that in my experience, many people stop reading and using their minds once they leave school, so in turn their previously learned ability to focus simply deteriorates with age, which should be a good reminder to exercise both mind, and body, to prevent loss due to lack of use.

Hypnotic Induction Techniques for children will vary just as they do with adults according to personality, interests, mood, and intellectuality, but with the variance that age should be taken into account due to experiential, and intellectual understandings.

Hypnotic inductions used will come from categories such as visual imagery, auditory imagery, movement imagery, story-telling, ideomotor techniques, progressive relaxation, eye fixation, distraction, and the use of auxiliary equipment such as biofeedback units, video, and or audio tapes.


Olness and Kohen, recommend the following hypnotic induction techniques by age in their text “Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy with Children” :

Preverbal (0- 2 years)
- tactile stimulation- stroking
- kinesthetic stimulation- rocking
- auditory stimulation- music
- visual stimulation- mobiles
- holding a doll or stuffed toy

Early Verbal (2- 4 years)
- blowing bubbles
- pop-up books
- storytelling
- favorite activity
- speaking through a stuffed toy

Preschool and Early School (4- 6 years)
- favorite place
- storytelling
- coin watching
- biofeedback

Middle Childhood (7- 11 years)
- favorite place
- favorite activity
- cloud gazing
- flying blanket
- arm lowering
- coin watching
- eye fixation
- arm rigidity

Adolescence (12- 18 years)
- favorite place/ activity
- sports activity
- arm catalepsy
- eye fixation
- hand levitation
- fantasy games

Deepening techniques recommended are those suggested by Hammond (1987), including fractionation, imaginary downward movements, interspersed patient motivational needs, contingent suggestions, breathing and counting techniques, and my own personal favorite of concentration upon internal sensations.

And now for something a little different, "Protohypnosis".
Protohypnosis is a term used for a type of hypnotic induction, which is designed, with the element of distraction provided as an external situation.

Hilgard and Morgan came up with the terminology protohypnosis, because they did not believe the term hypnosis to be suitable for children under the age of six. They have stated that a hypnotic induction involves two important elements:
a) the implied difference between voluntary and involuntary action, and
b) the expectation of distraction through self-controlled fantasy.
It has been found that children under the age of six respond best to forms of distraction such as listening to a story, rather than creating their own internal fantasy.


The five therapeutic goals of hypnotherapy with sexually abused children are not unlike those of therapy with any individual seeking help, with the difference that as children, life experiences and understandings are limited, so the major variance will be in the methods employed.

Listed below are the five therapeutic goals as commonly suggested throughout any therapy for abused children.

1) Building a safe context/haven- Within the realm of any communication, and especially within therapy, an essence of trust, comfort, and security should be present. These elements provide the necessary ingredients, which put people at ease so that they can relax, be themselves, and open their hearts and minds. To provide this, a therapist must be able to project a truly honest and caring persona, based upon an integrity that breathes “I care about you, and I really mean it when I say that you are valued as a beautiful human being”.

I find it amazing that this single element isn’t emphasized within the structure of any of the healing arts. If anything a composure that says “I really do care about you, and want to help”, is what provided Milton H. Erickson with the success that he acquired. Certainly Erickson’s talent did provide much to be desired, but his ability to help others came primarily from his caring composure. The other day I watched a film entitled Casanova, the biographical account of the great lover’s life. A charming film, about a man that loved every woman he encountered, and treated everyone of them with the greatest of respect. In one of the later scenes Casanova met up with one of his old sweethearts, in fact the only woman he had ever truly fallen in love with, who had grown old, and so fat she almost refused to see him again. Upon seeing her, Casanova stated “you’re so beautiful”, from which Henriette replied “that’s your secret, and that’s why we all love you (meaning all the ladies of the time), when you say that, you really mean it”, and you could tell that he really did. The true meaning of what we say comes through, in our tonality, body movements, and is always projected through our eyes, so we must find it within our hearts to respond with true belief and care.

Rapport is of great importance within this step, so being at one with the child is of essence, and I have found that talking “to the child”, rather than “down at the child”, as an authority figure is crucial at gaining, and maintaining a trusting relationship. Then asking the child to describe his or her favorite place provides the therapist with a safe haven that can be anchored, to bring about good feelings whenever needed.

2) Restoring a sense of personal power and control- An abused child has been controlled, and manipulated in a destructive manner. Part of the therapeutic process in any learning, is the teaching that each person has the ability to govern how he/she will, or will not respond in any situation, and that he/she alone can accept or reject all beliefs suggested in life with an understanding that the actions one is subjected to in life, are not necessarily a statement of who, or what that person might be.

The re-establishment of this personal sense of power, along with a newly acquired growth of self esteem is often accomplished, by providing the child with the power to choose her own stories/metaphors, which in turn are used within trance to help establish new learnings.

3) The reduction of feelings of self-blame- Self-blame, shame, along with a sense of badness, and of being damaged is often the experience of the abused child. The longer the abuse has continued the greater the problem, and it is also known that often the child does not disclose the information for a long time, often leading into years later. The recommendation is to offer stories similar in form, in which the child can learn not to blame itself.

4) To promote a sense of wellness and good health- It seems to be common place knowledge that ill thoughts, and feelings play a large part in the development of poor health, and disease. The use of hypnosis, not only calms the mind body connection, but also helps with revitalization, and the release of endorphins, which promote good health.

5) To resolve sexual issues- Firstly there is the issue of the child possibly associating sexuality with pain. The therapist has to help the child separate affection and sexuality from that of pain. Secondly the therapist most often has to teach the child that sex is not a proper means of gaining rewards whether material, or emotional.


And now for a few simple HYPNOTIC INDUCTIONS that you can play with. These hypnotic inductions are tried and true, are well known in the hypnotic community, and have stood the test of time.

Flying Blanket
Imagine that you are going on a picnic, going with your favourite people to a special place for a picnic. You have your favourite things to eat and drink. You can see and smell and taste them. Enjoy playing games with your family and friends. Then when you are finished eating and drinking and playing games, you may see a blanket spread out there on the ground. It’s your favourite colour, smooth and soft. You may sit on it, or lie on it. Pretend it’s a flying blanket and you are the pilot. You are in control. You can fly just a few inches above the ground, just above the grass, or higher even above the trees if you want. You are the pilot. You can go where you want and as fast or as slow as you wish, just by thinking about it. You can land and visit your friends or you can land at the zoo, or anywhere you like. You’re the pilot and you’re in charge. You might fly by a tree and see birds in a nest. You can speed up and slow down. Enjoy going where you want to go. Take all the time you need to feel very comfortable. When you are ready you can find a nice, comfortable landing spot and land your flying blanket. When you have landed, let me know by lifting one finger.

Magic Television
Ask the child to close his or her eyes until you ask the child to open them. Ask about a favourite TV programme, then when he or she has finished telling you, ask about the part of the TV programme that was most enjoyable.
Continue with: “In a moment, with your eyes closed, you will begin seeing your favourite TV programme. You will feel calm, relaxed, peaceful and safe. Okay, I’m turning on the TV now, and in your mind you will see your favourite programme on the screen. You will hear the sounds and have the feelings, and really enjoy watching your favourite programme. You can continue watching that TV programme by keeping your eyes closed. You don’t need to listen to what I’m saying, you’re just continuing to relax and enjoy that special programme by keeping your eyes closed until I tell you to open them and to wake up.”

At this point, you may want to test the state of the child. You can achieve this by saying. “As you watch your show, one of your fingers on your right/left hand moves straight out”. (Wait for a response).
If this method is to be used (with older children) as a problem solving strategy, continue with:

“In just a moment that programme will finish and we will change the channel. You will continue moving into an even deeper state. You will be seeing a programme that will show you how to overcome that problem and get rid of it completely.” (Pause) “Your favourite programme has ended now and I’m changing the channel. You’re continuing to feel more peaceful, and now you’re seeing a programme that is showing what has been causing that problem, and how easily you’re getting rid of that problem. . . . . the picture is becoming more clear . .you’re understanding it, and realizing that you are overcoming the problem completely”

Secret Place
Close your eyes and imagine being somewhere really nice. Maybe someplace you’ve been on holiday or with your friends. (If you know the child well, you can use a particularly happy or exciting memory) I bet you can imagine it so well, it feels as if you’re really there.
And you know what it’s like when you think of something pleasant and exciting – you can feel really good, right now. This is your own very special place. Your secret place. It can be a magic place where anything you want to happen, can happen. You can give it a name if you want. A special, secret name. You don’t even have to tell me where your special place is or what that secret name is, because it belongs to you alone. But anytime you want to feel better, you can always go in your imagination to your safe, secret place. Just say the name to yourself, like your own, very secret password, then imagine being there, really safe, really good.

Dropped Coin
Give the child a shiny coin to hold and have the child’s arm stretched out directly in front of him.
“Hold the coin between your finger and thumb and keep holding it there, with your arm stretched out, whilst you listen to the sound of my voice.
Now an interesting thing is going to happen. In a few moments you’ll notice that arm becoming heavier and heavier whilst at the same time it begins to feel relaxed and comfortable.
And as you notice the growing sensation of comfort within you, that arm gets heavier and the hand and the fingers begin to feel like lead weights - so heavy, so comfortable and so relaxed - and as soon as that coin falls from your fingers and touches the floor/your lap (depending where the hand is) - you will go into a wonderful deep gentle hypnotic rest.
And the arms and the hands and the fingers are getting so wonderfully heavy as you go deeper and deeper into hypnosis.”

As soon as the coin drops from the fingers and touches the floor/lap/etc. (timing is crucial here).

“That’s right - just falling down and down into a gentle hypnotic rest.
From this moment on - every word that I say is a permanent and total part of you and goes deep down into the wonderful part of you that controls the......” (adapt here according to the problem).

Oak Tree
Ask the child if he would like to play a game of pretend. This is a useful hypnotic induction for a child aged between 5 and 8 years old.
“Okay, I wonder if you can pretend that you are a strong oak tree. Your feet are the roots of the tree and stand firmly on the ground, your body is the trunk of the tree and your arms are the branches.
Now I’d like you to hold out this arm (pointing to child’s dominant hand). Good, this is a strong branch and very, very stiff - see the branch is getting extremely stiff, so strong and so stiff that it won’t bend at all. Just think to yourself, this branch is getting stiff and strong, and as you think to yourself that the branch is getting stiff and strong, it gets stiffer and stiffer and stronger and stronger, stiffer and stronger each second.
Now in a moment I’m going to ask you try to bend that branch, but the more you try to bend it the stronger and stiffer it becomes so that the branch won’t bend at all.
Ready now then, try to bend the branch, try, and the more you try the stiffer and stronger the branch becomes.”

(Child tries unsuccessfully to bend arm - at this point you have developed a very deep trance. If the arm does bend, reinforce the suggestions of strength and stiffness, or simply say - “see how hard that was to bend...”.)

“Now I’m going to show you something very interesting. Something almost magical, a very strong gust of wind is coming now and it will make that branch sway and bend very easily....the gust of wind is coming, it’s here, it’s making the branch sway and now it bends....feel the branch beginning to bend, easily, effortless. That’s good.”

At this point you could weave whatever hypnotic suggestions you are working on into a story about the tree and the strength of the tree. Just use your imagination and the child will use their's.

For those looking for some extra help with their children using hypnotic techniques have a look in out Child Hypnosis product section, and if what you are looking for hasn't been listed yet just send me an email; I am always working with children so there is plenty happening behind the scenes.

email: dr_frank@hypnoticadvancements.com

Mailing address:
Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)
Hypnotic Advancements
3126 McCarthy Court
Mississauga , ON
Canada L4Y-3Z5

© 2004, Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)

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