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Metaphorical Approaches for Changing Habits

Linda Thomson, MSN, APRN, ABMH

Long history and solid research has substantiated the therapeutic benefits of using hypnotherapeutic techniques with children for a variety of habit disorders. The presentation will describe interventions that can be used with children with habit disorders, that not only give the child skills to solve the problem himself, but also increase self- esteem, bolsters a sense of accomplishment and gives the child a valuable skill that he can adapt to many new situations throughout life. Utilizing metaphors in hypnosis can be an effective and creative way to help children help themselves with a variety of habit disorders such as nail biting, thumb sucking, enuresis, encopresis, tics and trichotillomania. The morning portion of this session will include a review of the developmental stages of childhood and the conditioned psychophysiological, semiconscious behavior patterns that may develop and then become habituated and difficult to extinguish. Effective hypnotic interventions for a variety of common habit disorders will be discussed along with video demonstrations of hypnosis sessions with children. An experiential opportunity to design treatment strategies for several children with habits will be an integral part of the morning workshop. The afternoon will be devoted to increasing the knowledge, skills and comfort level of the participants in developing metaphors for use in their hypnotic work. Small group skill practice sessions will be used as experiential opportunities for the attendees to learn to cultivate the positive forces of imagination, bypass natural resistance to change and generate new patterns of consciousness by using metaphors in their hypnotic work.

Attendees who work in pediatrics will be able to use effective hypnotic interventions for a variety of common habit disorders in children. After having the opportunity in the workshop to work collaboratively with other attendees to design hypnotic intervention strategies and create metaphors appropriate for children, the participants will feel more confident in treating habit disorders and utilizing metaphorical approaches with their patients. These health care professionals will be able to adapt their techniques and metaphors to the developmental age of their patients for enuresis, tics, trichotillomania, encopresis, thumb sucking and nail biting.