This is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. More than 850,000 children and young people in the UK have been diagnosed with a mental health problem. For personal reasons, this is a matter very close to my heart – something that has had a huge impact upon my family life across two generations. The fact is for many people mental health problems begin in childhood and adolescence. Too often these problems go unnoticed or misunderstood until the child reaches crisis point.
Often what is mistaken as “bad” behaviour is actually a manifestation of a child’s state of internal distress. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes children are just plain naughty, but if there is a consistent pattern of unacceptable or unusual behaviour then something may be wrong in the child’s inner world. Younger children don’t have the vocabulary and the emotional maturity to realise that there is a problem, so often they just “act out” their feelings. Older children and adolescents may also find it difficult to vocalise their feelings and some tend to “bottle things up” or to become withdrawn. Many people don’t realise that children are just like adults in as much as they experience a vast range of emotions and may be prone to depression, anxiety or mood disorders as well as other problems. Unfortunately children are less well equipped than adults to process their emotions and they may end up feeling overwhelmed. Headaches and tummy aches are common ways in which physical symptoms are the expression of an emotional problem such as bullying or separation anxiety. Children and young people nowadays have to deal with a great deal of pressure; to conform to parents’ and teachers’ expectations to achieve good grades, to look good, to deal with social media and present a certain image to their peers. For sensitive children it may be just all too much. Sadly, bullying is another common problem which can cause long term health problems. Bullying can actually cause neurobiological changes in the expression of a gene linked to mood, predisposing victims to mental health problems as they get older. Worse still, it may lead to suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts. Depression affects every aspect of a young person’s life including self-esteem and self-confidence, friendships and relationships, academic achievement and employment prospects. All too often children’s mental health is overlooked. Yet mental health problems affect 1 in 4 people every year. Modern life is so busy and we’re all just getting on with things. We expect our children to do the same, but sometimes they just can’t manage it. There is a stigma associated with mental health problems making it difficult for parents and children to open up and ask for help. As a nation our level of “emotional literacy” could be better, but things are improving and the stigma associated with mental health problems is beginning to diminish. If you are concerned about your child’s emotional state and behaviour, don’t struggle on alone; don’t be afraid to seek help. I work with parents to help them cope with parental stress and anxiety and I work with children and young people to help them to cope with whatever is bothering them. Do get in touch if you are worried about a child. I hold a valid DBS Certificate and I am a qualified teacher and SEN lecturer trained in counselling, as well as being a hypnotherapist. If for any reason I think that I would be unable to help your child, I would signpost you to the appropriate services. © Tracy Daniels and rainbowhypnotherapy.co.uk, 2016 – 2017. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided that full and clear credit is given to Tracy Daniels and rainbowhypnotherapy.co.uk with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Earlier this week following a hypnotherapy session one of my clients said to me “More people ought to give this a try!” My response was “If only they would!”
Many people fear hypnosis thinking that they might lose control or lose consciousness. Sadly many people have misconceptions about hypnosis, often confusing therapeutic hypnosis with stage hypnosis. The fact is that inducing hypnosis is not something that can be “done” to someone else. As a therapist I play my part in helping the client to use his or her own ability to enter into a state of trance and this can only be done with the co-operation of the client. I am not able to influence the client without the client’s consent. The state of trance is quite ordinary in many ways. We enter into that state in doing our everyday activities without even being consciously aware that we are doing that. When our attention becomes focused in a very narrow way to the extent that we “zone out” everything else that is going on around us, then we have entered into trance. Imagine when you are so engrossed in reading a book or watching a television programme that you just do not notice when someone has started to talk to you. By inducing a state of hypnosis I am able to help your subconscious mind take over from your conscious mind. In this way I enable you to allow a perception of events into your subconscious in a manner that has been altered to suit your particular needs e.g. to overcome a fear or a phobia. The combination of hypnosis with the solution focused therapeutic approach enables me to support the client by utilising his or her inner subconscious resources. By accessing these resources I am able to influence the client (with the client’s consent) through suggestion in different ways which would be beneficial and positive. For instance, I may use direct or indirect suggestion or I may use guided imagery to help the client make desired changes for positive outcomes. One thing all of my clients express following a session of hypnotherapy with me is a statement of how lovely and relaxing they find the treatment. Often I observe my clients slowly and reluctantly disembark from my treatment table. It was at that stage the other day when my client exclaimed, ““More people ought to give this a try!” The question is, “Would you?” © Tracy Daniels and rainbowhypnotherapy.co.uk, 2016 – 2017. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided that full and clear credit is given to Tracy Daniels and rainbowhypnotherapy.co.uk with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. And why I love neuroscience.
I love my work! I consider myself very fortunate that I am able to do a job that brings me immense job satisfaction. Throughout my entire, somewhat lengthy career, I have always worked in the caring professions. Working with people comes naturally to me and what motivates me is making a difference to people’s lives. Working as a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist suits my personality in many ways. I have a practical mind and a positive, problem solving approach to just about everything! Like many of my clients I have encountered some very difficult and challenging life experiences. I think it is because my life has not been easy that I am able to empathise with my clients and show them the compassion and understanding that they need. It means so much to have someone to talk to who truly understands what you are going through; someone who won’t judge you in any way and who is open-minded. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is partly informed by recent developments in neuroscience, which is the study of how the brain works. I have studied neuroscience as part of my hypnotherapy training and in much greater depth as part of my professional mindfulness practitioner training. It certainly helps me to have this firm grounding in neuroscience which enables me to impart knowledge and understanding to my clients. As you learn more and more from me about how your brain works in relation to what is going on in your life and the problems or challenges that you are encountering, you will gain a greater insight into yourself as a human being. Understanding of oneself and insight into one’s own behaviour can be tremendously empowering. That’s what I seek to do; to empower you, to help you feel that you are in control of your life, your behaviour and how you think about your situation. Regaining control of one’s life is a wonderful feeling and that is the change that I am able to help you with. That’s what makes my work so wonderfully rewarding. When a client completes their treatment and leaves my clinic feeling ready to face the world again, able to smile again, confident and self-assured then I absolutely know that this is a job worth doing! © Tracy Daniels and rainbowhypnotherapy.co.uk, 2016 – 2017. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided that full and clear credit is given to Tracy Daniels and rainbowhypnotherapy.co.uk with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. |
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© Tracy Daniels, tracydanielstherapies.co.uk 2016-2024 Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided that full and clear credit is given to Tracy Daniels and with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Personal photos subject to copyright |