Stress and Anxiety in Children Differ Yet Have Similar Impacts. How Can Self-Hypnosis Training Help?

Descriptions and definitions of stress and anxiety in children will be presented, with particular emphasis on their increasing prevalence. These two problem areas greatly impact children’s biopsychosocial health. Common stress-related and anxiety-based problems will be discussed. Unfortunately, the availability of clinical treatments is limited for this population and many families encounter long wait lists. Therapeutic pediatric hypnosis is an evidence-based and clinically effective therapeutic tool for stress management and coping with anxiety. A brief review of its efficacy for select conditions will be provided.

This webinar will focus on self-hypnosis training for children, a component of therapeutic pediatric hypnosis. It supports desired behavioral changes and encourages ongoing wellness. Self-hypnosis training can be a useful stand-alone intervention, too, as a component of psychological first aid and a lifelong preventative skill. This is evidenced by the efforts of Health Frontiers and Comfort Kits for Children. Some of the phenomenological elements of self-hypnosis will be identified and practical tips to introduce and encourage self-hypnosis to children will be described. An excerpt of a self-hypnosis training audio recording for a child will be played. Free resources that have been created and assembled by faculty affiliated with the National Pediatric Hypnosis Training Institute will be referenced.

After attending this introductory-level program, participants will be able to:

• Explain what stress (resources vs. challenge) and anxiety (4 components) are.
• Describe the role of self-hypnosis within treatment as a stress management tool and skill for coping with anxiety.
• Explore some self-hypnosis phenomena and training approaches for use with children.

This program meets APA’s continuing education STANDARD 1.1: Program content focuses on application of psychological assessment and/or intervention methods that have overall consistent and credible empirical support in the contemporary peer reviewed scientific literature beyond those publications and other types of communications devoted primarily to the promotion of the approach.

This program meets APA’s continuing education GOAL 1: Program is relevant to psychological practice, education, and/or science.

General Admission: $65.00

SCEH Members: $55.00

Students: $15.00*

(*Please email [email protected] for coupon code)

Refund Policy: 100% of tuition is refundable up to 48 hours before the program. Within 48 hours of the program, tuition is nonrefundable.

American Psychological Association. (2022, February 14). What’s the difference between stress and anxiety? https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/anxiety-difference

Compas, B. E., Connor-Smith, J. K., Saltzman, H., Thomsen, A. H., & Wadsworth, M. E. (2001). Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence: Problems, progress, and potential in theory and research. Psychological Bulletin, 127(1), 87–127. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.127.1.87

Kaiser, P. (2017). Anxiety in children and teens. In G. R. Elkins (Ed.), Handbook of medical and psychological hypnosis: Foundations, applications, and professional issues (pp. 477–484). Springer Publishing.

Kohen, D., & Kaiser, P. (2014). Clinical hypnosis with children and adolescents—What? Why? How?: Origins, applications, and efficacy. Children, 1(2), 74–98. MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/children1020074

Kohen, D. P., & Olness, K. (2022). Hypnosis with children (5th ed.). Routledge.

Kuttner, L. (2020). Pediatric hypnosis: Treatment that adds and rarely subtracts. The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 68(1), 16–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207144.2020.1685329

Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer Publishing Co.

Lombard, L., & Milling, L. S. (2023). Hypnosis with children and adolescents. In L. S. Milling (Ed.), Evidence-based practice in clinical hypnosis (pp. 193–220). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000347-008

Selye, H. (1991). History and present status of the stress concept. In A. Monat & R. S. Lazarus (Eds.), Stress and coping: An anthology (pp. 21-35). Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/mona92982-007

Sugarman, L. I., & Wester, W. C. (2014). Therapeutic hypnosis with children and adolescents (2nd ed.). Crown House Publishing.

Vlieger, A. M., Rutten, J. M., Govers, A. M., Frankenhuis, C., & Benninga, M. A. (2012). Long-term follow-up of gut-directed hypnotherapy vs. standard care in children with functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 107(4), 627–631.
https://doi.org/10.1038/ajg.2011.487

Lisa Lombard, PhD

Lisa Lombard, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice, with over 30 years of direct service, teaching, and supervisory experience. She integrates hypnosis in her therapeutic work with children and adults coping with anxiety, stress-mediated health concerns, and pain. She also treats children and adults facing unexpected grief and loss. She has significant experience in the clinical care and research of psychosocial aspects of allergic diseases, having been a Research Assistant Professor at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research. Throughout her career she provided school-based services to students, educators, and parents. This included directing and supervising a psychology externship program and consulting on topics such as risk behaviors, trauma, SEL, and screen-time.

In 2022 Dr. Lombard co-founded Comfort Kits for Children (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit). This initiative shares simple, mind-body toys and playful instructions to encourage children to use psychological first aid practices. Nearly 2000 kits have been donated around the world, to children coping with war, earthquakes, community violence, and wildfires. The nonprofit hosts webinars for health care providers and curates a multi-lingual website of behavioral health resources related to children impacted by trauma. In 2024 behavioral health resources to support children managing climate anxiety will be added.

She has a BA in Behavioral Science and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Chicago. Her APA-approved internship was at the Illinois State Psychiatric Institute (ISPI). She is an Approved Consultant with ASCH, on faculty with the National Pediatric Hypnosis Training Institute (NPHTI), and President of their Board of Directors. She is a member of the APA Council of Representatives (Division 30 – Society of Psychological Hypnosis) and Past President of the Chicago Hypnosis Society.

Target Audience: Health professionals, mental health professionals, hypnotic practitioners, researchers, university educators, students.

Psychologists. This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 1.5 continuing education credits. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in its continuing education activities. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is also committed to conducting all activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If program content becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods. 

Counselors/Clinical Counselors. This program, when attended in its entirety, is available 1.5 hours of continuing education. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to provide continuing education programming for counselors and clinical counselors. License Number: 197.000159

Social Workers. This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 1.5 hours of continuing education. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to provide continuing education programming for social workers. License Number: 159.001036

MFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs. Course meets the qualifications for 1.5 hour of continuing education credit for MFTs, LPCCs, and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. If you are licensed outside of California please check with your local licensing agency to to determine if they will accept these CEUs. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) to offer continuing education programming for MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, and/or LCSWs. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is an accredited or approved postsecondary institution that meets the requirements set forth in Sections 4980.54(f)(1), 4989.34, 4996.22(d)(1), or 4999.76(d) of the Code.

Participation Certificate. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is able to provide students and other participants who simply wish to have documentation of their attendance at the program a participation certificate.

Non Psychologists. Most licensing boards accept Continuing Education Credits sponsored by the American Psychological Association but non-psychologists are recommended to consult with their specific state-licensing board to ensure that APA-sponsored CE is acceptable.

*Participants must attend 100% of the program in order to obtain a Certificate of Attendance.

If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address questions, concerns and any complaints to [email protected]. There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between the CE Sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest.