How To Handle Overly Concerned Parents of Young Clients

by Maureen Banyan, CH, OOB

I am sure many of you have experienced this from time to time, which is getting a call from a concerned parent wanting to bring in their minor children to come in for hypnosis with you. Most of the time the ages of these children range between 10 to 17 years old, therefore, the parent who calls or brings the child in is the legal guardian, sometimes, the children are young adults in their early 20’s with serious issues they need help with.

In my experience in talking to these parents, these parents can sometimes be more than just concerned, they can be controlling too. It is best to mention to them when making the appointment that your sessions are one-on-one and confidential. As it is really important that as the Hypnotist, you need to take charge, be professional and assertive with the parent.

Some parents, may want to tell you how to run your sessions, based on information they have gathered from the internet, or the little hypnosis they have experienced. They also want to know everything that goes on in the sessions. Be sure to inform the parent in the presence of the child that all sessions need to be confidential and you will not be discussing the sessions with them, unless their child gives clear consent for you to discuss the sessions with the parent.

It is very important to the child that he has confidence in you and that their sessions are private between you and the client. When a minor client is not assured of confidentiality, the client may not be as forthcoming in their sessions with you. This may interfere with your hypnosis work with this client, as they may withhold information from you that may be pertinent to their presenting issue.

Additionally, some parents may insist on being in the room with you when you work with the child, assure them firmly and politely that having them in the room may prohibit the child from being able to be open about their feelings. Tell them that hypnosis requires focused attention, and if there’s someone else in the room, it may cause the client to be less focused an unable to be hypnotized.

It is also important that the child feels she can disclose as much as she can without worrying about mom or dad hearing what they have to say. If the parents insist on being in the room and do not want to leave the child alone with you, then you must also be prepared to walk away and decline to see the child. Explain to them again the importance of privacy and confidentiality for the child, the child can tell them everything that went on in the session but, it’s not up to you to do so.

Sometimes, a parent may tell you what they think their child needs to work on, but, that may change when the child (usually teenagers) is alone with you, they may tell you what really bothers them and what they would prefer to work on. Working on an issue that is important to the child will increase the probability of good results for the client.

So, remember, this is your hypnosis practice, and you need to take control of your sessions and not let your client or parents tell you how to conduct your hypnosis sessions.