Abdominal Pain in Children

Learning to Manage Pain Through Hypnotherapy
For parents – told through the eyes of a child (age 11 +)

My stomach hurts a lot. And not just a little. It’s the kind of pain that suddenly appears and makes everything harder: school, sports, sleeping, or even having fun. The doctor has now figured out what’s going on. That’s a relief. But then comes the next question: how can you help a child live with this?

For me, that journey started with medical hypnotherapy.

What Is Medical Hypnotherapy for Abdominal Pain?
You might think of hypnosis as something strange or scary. My parents thought that at first too. But medical hypnotherapy is actually safe, gentle, and scientifically supported, especially for children with abdominal pain.

With hypnotherapy, I learn how to:

• focus my attention
• relax my body
• influence pain and tension

It feels a bit like daydreaming. I’m not “gone,” and I don’t lose control. In fact, I learn to take control of what’s happening in my body.

Medical hypnotherapy can only start after referral by a physician.

Why Hypnotherapy Works So Well for Children
Children have something special: a strong imagination. And that imagination is exactly what hypnotherapy uses.

During the sessions:

• I do relaxation exercises
• I learn breathing techniques
• I imagine my stomach with pain, and my stomach without pain

Step by step, my body learns what calm feels like. And what comfort in my belly looks like.

Children often respond even better than adults to hypnosis. Not because they are more vulnerable, but because they naturally use imagination and imagery.

Self-Hypnosis: Practicing at Home
What’s reassuring for my parents is that I learn exercises I can practice at home on my own. This is called self-hypnosis.

Daily practice helps me to:

• release tension sooner
• trust my body more

Most children enjoy these exercises. They don’t feel like “therapy,” but more like a quiet moment for themselves.

On average, 3 to 5 sessions are enough to learn how to help myself.

What Hypnotherapy Can Give Parents
As a parent, it’s hard to see your child in pain. You want to fix it, but not everything can be fixed immediately. Hypnotherapy offers something valuable:

• your child learns to manage abdominal pain independently
• less anxiety and stress around symptoms
• more calm within the family
• greater trust in your child’s body

My abdominal pain may not disappear right away. But now I know: I can do something about it. And that makes a big difference.

Hypnotherapy for Abdominal Pain

At MV-InBeeld, medical hypnotherapy is tailored specifically to children and adolescents. In a safe and calm environment, they learn how thoughts and body work together—without pressure or force.

Always:

• with referral from a physician
• child-centered and parent-informed
• focused on self-confidence and self-regulation