How Hypnotherapy Helped My Child Smile Again

Last Updated on: 22nd July 2025, 07:34 pm

I used to think tummy aches were just part of childhood. A few missed school days here, some picky eating there, nothing to worry about, or so I thought. But when my daughter started clutching her stomach almost every morning before school, and the complaints turned into tears, my view quickly changed. We went down all the usual routes: GP appointments, dietary tweaks, reward charts for brave mornings. Blood tests. Scans. Even a trip to a paediatrician. Everything came back “normal.” But things were not normal at home. Hypnotherapy helped my child smile again and the GP visits ended.

She missed birthday parties. School trips became nightmares. Sleepovers were a no-go. And that cheeky, adventurous spark in her started to fade. I was heartbroken, and I felt helpless. No parent wants to see their child in distress, especially when you can’t fix it.

Looking for Answers

Eventually, a friend mentioned something I hadn’t considered: hypnotherapy. I admit, I was sceptical. Hypnosis? For a child? But I was desperate, and the idea of something gentle and drug-free appealed to me. That’s when I came across a study in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health showing that hypnotherapy was actually one of the most effective treatments for children with abdominal pain disorders like IBS and FAPDs. According to the study, hypnotherapy had a 78 per cent success rate, much higher than any medication we had tried. CBT was also found to help, but hypnotherapy outperformed it significantly.

I also learned the difference between statistical significance and clinical significance. In simple terms, statistical significance means a result probably isn’t due to chance. But clinical significance means it actually matters in the real world. The study showed that children who received hypnotherapy weren’t just slightly improved—they were meaningfully better. That was what convinced me to act.

Finding the Right Help

I wasn’t sure where to begin, so I searched for someone local who specialised in children. That’s when I found the International Society of Paediatric Hypnotherapists (TISPH). I was immediately reassured. Every practitioner listed had done specialist training specifically in working with children.

That was important to me. I didn’t want someone treating my daughter like a mini adult. I wanted someone who understood how children think and feel, someone who could connect with her on her level.

What Hypnotherapy Looked Like for Us

The sessions were nothing like what I imagined. No swinging pendulums or dramatic scenes. Just a warm, calm space and a gentle therapist who instantly put my daughter at ease. She was invited to imagine stories, guided through calming scenes, and encouraged to think about her body in a different way. One week she imagined her tummy as a soft balloon gently inflating and deflating. Another week it was a garden with happy little workers keeping everything peaceful. It was surprisingly fun for her, and she looked forward to each session.

The therapist never pushed. She followed my daughter’s pace, always offering gentle encouragement. It felt like a partnership between the two of them, and as a parent sitting in the waiting room, I felt included and respected too.

The Changes In My Child

We began to notice little things at first. She didn’t ask to stay home from school as often. She stopped panicking about finding toilets. Her appetite slowly came back. And that smile, started appearing more and more. By the end of the course, she had gone three full weeks without a single complaint. She went to her friend’s sleepover. She planned her own birthday party without a single worry. The transformation wasn’t instant, but it was steady and real.

Why Hypnotherapy Worked

Hypnotherapy worked because it spoke her language. Children live in their imagination. They use it to solve problems, rehearse life, and understand their feelings. Hypnotherapy taps into that natural strength to help them make internal changes.

It gave her tools to understand her body, trust her tummy, and stop fearing the worst. It didn’t just take away the symptoms, it changed how she experienced them. She felt more in control, and that confidence rippled into every area of her life.

Why Every Mum Should Know About Hypnotherapy

I’m not saying hypnotherapy is a magic wand. But it was exactly what we needed at exactly the right time. If your child is struggling with unexplained stomach pain, anxiety around toilets or school, or isn’t themselves, please don’t give up. There is support out there. And sometimes, it comes from the places you least expect.

What You Can Do Next

You can read more about the study that opened my eyes at this article on abdominal pain in children. And if you want to explore hypnotherapy for your child, the best place to start is www.tisph.com. They’ll help you find a qualified, child-focused practitioner who understands how to work with young people safely and effectively. We’re now six months on, and my daughter’s life has changed. So has mine. And if sharing our story helps even one more family find hope and healing, then I’m glad I spoke up.