Empowering a Child

Question

What’s your feeling about this idea of visualizing something eating up or killing off cancer cells within the body?  I have a child client with cancer.  I’d like to figure out something less “war-like”.  What do you suggest, if anything?

 

 

Answer

     When I work with children, so much of the time the issue is the child feeling like he or she has “power” to respond in some way.  Any visualization or imagination techniques I use are designed to find ways to give that child a sense of power. With illness, I rarely place the “enemy” inside the child’s body.      

     I make use of a pre-visit form where I have asked questions about the child’s “favorites” (animal, hero/heroine, TV show or game, flower, book, friends, colors, etc.). During the hypnotic process, or simply storytelling, I create appropriate adventures that the child can go on and confront whatever symbolizes the issue.  I let the child participate as much as possible in helping create that experience, including what he or she will use to overpower whatever seeks to make them “less” in some way.   

     Also, the child can invite someone who represents whatever they need to conquer their habit or fear or illness, or what-have-you. That person, once they “agree”, confers their own courage or power, or whatever else is needed, upon the child to empower them to be in charge of their life and situation. They can also join them in the battle against their illness.