Hypnosis and ADHD in Children

I imagine that if you are watching this video, it is because you have a child diagnosed with ADHD, or you are in contact with a child who has it, and you want to understand what they are going through and how to help them. So this video may well be useful to you. First of all, there is no question here, or in our work as hypnotherapists, of making a diagnosis: before consulting us to support your child, it is important that they have received an assessment or a diagnosis from an accredited professional.

Very often, children with ADHD are defined by what they cannot do. People say: he can't sit still, he doesn't concentrate, he doesn't finish what he starts. He forgets everything, he isn't organised, he interrupts, he is impulsive, and so on. The list goes on. And that is exactly where the problem lies. When a child is described only through their difficulties, what they take away is "I'm not capable, I don't fit in, I'm not enough." And over time, that erodes self-esteem.

Then come frustration, anger and sadness. And from that come stress and anxiety. But what needs to be understood is that the problem is neither the child nor the ADHD. In fact, people very often talk about an "ADHD child": the disorder becomes linked to the child's identity. Defining a child by this disorder is a problem in itself. That is why I don't talk about an ADHD child, but about a child with ADHD. The real problem is often the lack of understanding of this disorder in the world around them.

A child with ADHD does not function like most other children, and the systems around them, school, social and family, are rarely designed for this way of functioning. And when a child lives in an environment that does not understand how they function, it creates tension, misunderstanding and guilt… on both sides. School very often asks these children to fit into a box.

But that box doesn't suit them, and they only manage it at the cost of great effort, which is at the very least exhausting for them. So yes, these children often feel they don't fit, because since they can't fit into that box, they think they are the problem. And sadly, many are bullied, mocked or excluded, or feel excluded. So how can we help them? ADHD, with or without impulsivity, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the way the brain manages attention, impulsivity and sometimes restlessness, which may be visible on the outside as constant physical activity, or on the inside as equally constant mental activity, or both.

A child with ADHD does not lack attention. They have trouble regulating their attention. Sometimes they are distracted. Sometimes they are in total hyperfocus. They may be impulsive. They may have difficulty with organisation, with setting priorities, with managing time. And they may feel emotions very intensely. We won't go into the details of the symptoms in this video, but of course it is much more complex than that.

Now, how do we work with children who have ADHD at Solutions Hypnose? We are a whole team of hypnotherapists specialised in supporting children, but of course each of us has our own way of working. Personally, the first thing I work on is not concentration as such. It is self-esteem. Because if the child feels different or feels "not enough", no tool will last over time.

So I begin by rebuilding confidence, in particular by confirming that they are okay, that they are not the problem! Then we build on what they do well, without knowing it. Because a child with ADHD has great strengths, including incredible energy, an ability to hyperfocus on what interests them, often exceptional creativity, an overflowing visual imagination, global and intuitive thinking, and an immense capacity to adapt.

These strengths become levers. With the child, I use imagination, play, stories and metaphors a great deal. The aim is not to block their energy but to help them learn to channel it. I work in particular on breathing, focus, visualisation and emotional management, and I create concrete reference points that the child can reuse, either through imagination or by setting up routines in their life, in agreement with the parents.

Indeed, the work is not done with the child alone. It is also done with the people around them. Because very often, parents don't lack love, but they lack the keys to understand their child's way of functioning and adapt to it. So we work with them too. Sometimes to give them keys if needed, and to adjust expectations, create suitable routines, and above all move away from the idea that "he could if he wanted to".

Because no, it is not a question of willpower. When the people around the child change the way they see them, the child's behaviour changes too. And that is often where the biggest changes happen. It is also important to say that screens and social media have a direct… negative impact on attention, emotional regulation and the constant need for dopamine. So becoming aware of this and adjusting what can be adjusted is also part of the support.

To finish, an important message: a child with ADHD is not a problem to be corrected. They are a potential to be understood, structured and supported. When we work on self-esteem, when we help the child understand how they function, and when the people around them change the way they see them… things really do change. And that is exactly what I support. So if your child, or you for that matter, face challenges related to ADHD, feel free to contact me or one of my Solutions Hypnose colleagues closer to you.

Personally, I see clients in Montreal and by video, and we will be glad to support you and your child in finding ways to live better with what you are going through.

Hypnotherapy is a complementary form of support and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns about your health, please consult a physician first.