Experiences with Hypnotherapy in Primary Care Pediatric Practice

Background: The last 50 years is the era of modern hypnotherapy in children. Thanks to mounting research work hypnotherapy is now succesful evidence-based method of treatment in many pediatric conditions.

Primary care pediatrician interested in the field can achieve proper education on hypnotherapy. In primary care pediatric practice there are many children that can profit if the help is offered on spot and in much less time than referral to the specialist.

Objective: In three years after finishing the national training program on hypnotherapy more than 150 children were offered help with hypnotherapy in my primary care pediatric office.

Methods: The results of the therapy were observed retrospectively. Regarding the cause for using hypnotherapy we observed the results of hypnotherapy in three groups – Nocturnal enuresis, Anxiety and fears and Tics.

Results: Nocturnal enuresis – 41 children were treated (age group 4,5 to 11,5 years, boys in 2/3), successfully in 28 (68%), on average they needed 3 sessions.

Anxiety and fears – 40 children were treated (age group 4,5 to 18 years, equal by gender), successfully in 35 (87%), on average they needed 2,5 sessions, 12 (34%) of successful cases needed only one visit.

Tics – 15 children were treated (age group 5,5 to 13 years, boys in 2/3), successfully in 12 (80%), on average they needed 2 sessions.

The children with other diagnoses were also treated with hypnotherapy but the numbers are too small to present the results. Chronic pains, sleep disorders and stuttering are some examples in which hypnotherapy can be very helpful.

Conclusion: Hypnotherapy can be a very helpful method in primary care pediatric practice.