MindSkool Children’s Hypnotherapy & Mindfulness

Children's hypnotherapy wairarapa

About MindSkool

MindSkool is the kids branch of Beyond Trauma Hypnotherapy, offering 1:1 Hypnotherapy and Mindfulness for kids aged 5-15 years old.

These sessions are tailored to your child’s needs such as resolving anxiety or fears, confidence building, sleep issues, attachment issues, PTSD, compulsive behaviours, and other issues that seem to have an unknown cause.

I also offer equine therapy for children who love horses and need assistance with emotional regulation!

Hypnotherapy may alleviate multiple emotional and behavioral struggles in children.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/nz/blog/helping-kids-cope/201903/equine-assisted-therapy-unique-and-effective-intervention

Many children respond positively to hypnotherapy — especially because their brains are naturally imaginative, playful, and primed for learning. This imaginative quality makes them well-suited to guided visualisations, stories, and playful metaphors that can gently encourage emotional or behavioural change.

In our first session, I spend time building trust and understanding your child’s motivation. We talk about what’s bothering them, how they’d like things to be different, and how change might feel. The desire to change is an important part of the process — without it, the mind is less likely to accept new suggestions.

Hypnotherapy is generally considered safe and low-risk for children. It’s a gentle and respectful process — your child stays in control at all times and cannot be made to do anything against their will. There’s no stage-show hypnosis here, just creative collaboration between your child’s imagination and my therapeutic tools.

Common areas of support include anxiety, fears and phobias, sleep problems, confidence issues, and school-related stress — though each session is uniquely tailored to your child.

Children’s Hypnotherapy – Carterton, Wairarapa


In a children’s hypnotherapy session, I use play-based, imaginative methods to guide your child toward positive change. For younger children, this might involve storytelling, role-playing, or metaphor — often without sitting still or closing their eyes. We tap into their natural creativity to visualise solutions to their challenges in a gentle, non-directive way.

For example, a child working through bed-wetting might play out the concept of bladder control using movement — like stopping and starting while walking a horse. These experiences help create symbolic understanding and plant positive suggestions in the subconscious.

For older children and teens, sessions are more structured — similar to adult sessions. They begin with a calming guided meditation followed by suggestions designed to support new thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.

Hypnotherapy is a gentle and respectful process. Each session is tailored to your child’s needs, comfort level, and stage of development.

Disclaimer: Hypnotherapy is a complementary therapy and is not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment. Individual results vary. It is not used to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition.

Equine Therapy for Children

🐴 Hi there. I’m Digby, your therapy horse friend…

You might not know this yet, but just being near me can help you feel calmer, braver, and more connected to your own feelings. I’m not just a horse—I’m a really good listener. I don’t interrupt, I don’t judge, and I never mind if you need to be quiet or cry or even just sit and breathe beside me.

I’m part of something called equine-assisted therapy, and it’s a special kind of healing that happens without too many words. You see, kids like you often come to see me when they’re feeling big emotions—like sadness, anger, anxiety, or when things have been hard at home or school.

🌿 How I Help You Feel Safe

When you’re with me, your body starts to feel a little more settled. That’s because being near a calm animal like me can help your brain feel safe. Scientists call this co-regulation—it’s when my steady heartbeat and peaceful presence help your nervous system calm down, too.

🧠 A study in Frontiers in Psychology (Pendry et al., 2019) found that equine-assisted programs helped children lower cortisol (that’s a stress hormone) and improve emotional self-control.

I don’t speak with words, but I listen with my whole body. When you’re brushing me, walking beside me, or just sitting quietly, your body starts to say, “It’s okay now. I’m safe.”

🐾 Helping You Understand Your Feelings

If you’re feeling all mixed up inside, don’t worry—I understand that. Horses like me are really good at reading emotions. If you’re feeling anxious or angry, I might shift a little or move away. If you’re calm and present, I’ll move closer. That’s how I help you notice what’s going on inside, without anyone needing to explain.

🧠 Equine therapy improves emotional awareness, self-regulation, and social engagement—especially in children who’ve experienced trauma (Bachi et al., 2012).

Sometimes kids don’t want to talk to grown-ups—but they’ll talk to me. That’s okay. I’ll keep your secrets in my soft ears.

🌈 What You’ll Do With Me

You don’t have to ride me unless you want to. A lot of the magic happens when we:

  • Groom together (brushing helps you focus and feel calm)

  • Walk side by side (that’s called “leading”—and it helps you feel confident)

  • Practice breathing exercises with me

  • Just be together

These moments teach your brain and body how to slow down, feel safe, and respond, instead of reacting out of fear or overwhelm.

💛 You’re Not Broken. You’re Becoming.

I want you to know—you’re not too much. You’re not behind. You’re just learning how to be with all your feelings. I’ll be here, big and gentle, to help you find your way back to peace.

Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, grief, ADHD, trauma, or just feeling overwhelmed with life, I’m ready to walk beside you. One hoofstep at a time.

Love,

Digby 🐴

Your calm, four-hoofed co-therapist