Hypnotherapy for 11yo with needle phobia - any tips?

[Lem0nsherbert]

11yo dd has a condition requiring weekly injections and regular blood tests. She has developed a needle phobia and it's a bloody nightmare. We've tried endless cbt with minimal success and gone back to square one afterwards (2 different therapists - leading me to assume this is not the route for her).

Someone mentioned hypnotherapy to me. Dd is moderately interested. Has anyone had any success with a similar issue in kids? And what sort of person should I be looking for (eg qualifications, professional bodies etc)?

<sad self bump>

Yes, my DS had this for the same reason (though not an ongoing condition, just needed tests), at a few years older. The hypnotherapist was attached to the GP surgery so they just sent us to her - so your GP might have someone they can recommend. I don't know about professional bodies but GP might know?

DS had three sessions - I don't actually know much about what it involved as I mostly waited outside, but it did work and the effects have lasted. He still isn't keen but he can do it. Subsequently had all his covid jabs without issue.

Have you tried Emla numbing cream at all? It's helpful to an extent as nothing should be felt, if she's worried about the pain. My DS needs regular bloods and this helps him.

Another vote for Emla numbing cream, it's the only way my teen will contemplate a needle....

Thanks. Yep tried Emla and in fact we still use it for blood tests, but it's not just the pain that's the issue. It's sheer terror.

Ah, I did wonder if you might have tried that already. Where does she need to have her bloods done, GP or hospital under consultant? If it's an ongoing condition I'd ask them for advice too as it's such a common phobia and they might just suggest something else.

Not much advice, but I had hypnotherapy from a psychotherapist who had trained in it, for a chronic health condition. It wasn’t a magic cure, but it did definitely help. I practiced it myself for a long time after. I really, really rate hypnotherapy based on my experience.

I saw two practitioners before her, who were both a bit rubbish. One was employed by NHS, he may have been a doctor who trained in it, another was just some random who had trained in it to set up as an alternate therapist. They just weren’t very good and I didn’t feel that they really listened or understood my condition, how distressing it was or how to talk to me about it.

I guess based on that I would recommend someone who was already skilled in therapeutic support, like a psychotherapist, who can really listen to and work with your daughter’s fears.
The environment makes a difference too. The psychotherapist I saw walked from her home and it was a lovely, calming environment. I think that helps as in hypnotherapy you need to get to a really deep state of ‘alert relaxation’ and the right environment I found really helps whilst you are learning the skill they are teaching you.

I think there is a hypnotherapist association so I presume there is accreditation.

So yes, in you situation I would prob look for someone who was already a therapeutic practitioner, ideally experienced in working with children, working from a calming environment, and I wouldn’t give up if the first people I tried didn’t help. It’s about finding the right person with the right skill set to help.

Good luck OP. It sounds like a really horrible situation for you and your daughter.

There is also mindfulness training that may help too. Mindfulness Based Stress Relief. I’d try the hypnotherapy first though.

Thanks all. Bloods are done by the community nursing team. Injections at home by us. Both therapists we saw were arranged via her consultant/ GP so I feel we've sort of used up that avenue via the NHS. I have wondered about finding a private psychologist but given our track record with cbt I fear I'd be wasting my money, hence exploring hypnotherapy as an alternative.

And yes, ongoing health condition with no end in sight, unfortunately, so we do need to crack this one way or another.

@Fireingrate interesting what you say re psychotherapy. Doctors have been quite dismissive of this as an option for her when I asked.

My DD has always had a blood/veins/needle phobia.

when she was about 13 she had to have an inoculation for a trip overseas.

The school nurse suggested hypnotherapy and provided a name (private).

She did couple of sessions. She managed to have the inoculation but was very emotional during it.

Shes an adult now and managed to force herself to get her covid jabs. It was hard work for her.

As your Dd is young I think it’s worth trying anything you can.

I mean it couldn’t be harmful, could it? So it’s worth trying. If it doesn’t help then it’s no harm done. I have all the sympathy, but I had the opposite! Always had horrific needle fear, then developed an illness/condition requiring lots of surgery and injections at home. Now I don’t even blink! But for your dd it’s ended up making it worse. As she’s 11, can she explain the issue at a calm time? If it isn’t the pain, can she talk about her feelings and where she thinks the fear is coming from? You might find out some interesting thoughts she has about it.

I mean of course I know you’ll have asked how she feels, but it might be worth talking it through again. It could be that this all has little to do with needles/pain, and she is perhaps actually worried about her illness and it’s causing her stress, but it’s sort of become focused on the needles.

Try this: bionix.com/shotblocker.html
I have no personal experience but have heard good things.