How Hypnotherapy Supports Neurodivergent Children and Their Families

hypnotherapy supports the whole family

If you’ve found your way here, welcome. Really, truly welcome. I know you might be reading this while trying to drink a cold cup of tea, after a morning filled with tears, clinginess, or school refusal… or maybe while hiding in the loo for just a moment of peace. I see you. I’ve been you.

Parenting a neurodivergent child is full of deep love, fierce advocacy, and often, emotional exhaustion. You're trying to support your child through anxiety, sensory overload, burnout, or school avoidance, while also holding everything else together—meals, meltdowns, meetings, and maybe even your own emotions bubbling under the surface.

It’s a lot. And it’s why I created Magic Minds Family Hypnotherapy—to offer the kind of support I wish I’d had when my own family was struggling.

When the Usual Advice Doesn’t Work

If you've been told to "just use a sticker chart," "be firmer," or "send them in anyway," I want you to know, those strategies often don’t work for our children.

Because when a child is neurodivergent, especially autistic or highly sensitive, their responses to the world are different, not wrong. What looks like defiance or drama is often fear. What sounds like refusal can be a cry for help. Our kids aren’t broken—they’re overwhelmed.

And you? You’re not failing. You just need support from someone that truly gets it.

So… What Is Magic Minds Family Hypnotherapy?

I offer something a little different: a combination of bespoke hypnotherapy, therapeutic storytelling, and gentle, neurodivergent-affirming tools to help your child (and you!) feel calmer, more connected, and more content.

Every child I work with is seen as the wonderfully unique person they are. I create personalised hypno-stories—imaginative, soothing adventures, that weave in calming tools, emotional regulation techniques, and themes that make sense to your child.

Whether your child loves Pokémon, horses, Minecraft, or the moon, I use those interests to create a therapeutic story that feels like play, but supports their nervous system, builds resilience, and helps them feel safe again.

And I haven’t forgotten about you. Parents get burnt out too, and often carry the weight of worry alone. That’s why I’ve created resources for you too: short audio tracks and journal pages made just for parents, to help you rest, reflect, and reset, even if you only have five minutes and a locked bathroom door!

Lived Experience + Professional Support = Real Understanding

I’m not just a qualified paediatric hypnotherapist, I’m a mum of neurodivergent children myself. I know the heartbreak of watching your child struggle, the frustration of being misunderstood, and the sleepless nights spent Googling “how to help an anxious autistic child.”

That lived experience is the heartbeat of Magic Minds. I’m here to offer you support that’s both professional and personal. I won’t judge you. I won’t try to fix your child. I’ll help you both feel safe, seen, and supported, just as you are.

How Hypnotherapy Helps Neurodivergent Children

Hypnotherapy for children isn’t clinical or scary—it’s creative, gentle, and fun. It’s storytelling with purpose. It’s using imagination and the power of the mind to calm the body and rewire unhelpful patterns.

In my sessions, your child might:

• Float through calming clouds to let go of worries

• Build a secret safe den where no one can overwhelm them

• Make friends with animals who teach breathing or grounding tools

• Explore confidence forests or sleep-time rainbows

  
  

It’s all about helping them feel good inside, so they can navigate the outside world more easily.

Real Results from Real Families

The best part of what I do? Watching children grow in confidence, reconnect with their joy, and feel proud of who they are. Parents tell me their child is calmer at bedtime. That meltdowns are less intense. That school mornings, while still tricky, are a little less chaotic. And that, for the first time in a long time, they feel like they’re not alone.

You Deserve Support That Truly Fits

So if your child is:

• Struggling with school attendance or emotionally-based school avoidance (EBSA)

• Experiencing anxiety, sensory overload, or autistic burnout

• Dealing with separation struggles, bedtime fears, or big feelings they can’t explain

And you’re feeling lost, overwhelmed, or just desperate for something that works… I want you to know: I see you, I understand you, and I can help.

Let’s make things feel a little easier. Let’s bring some calm back into your chaos. You and your child both deserve that.

Next Steps – Let’s Connect

You can explore what we offer on our website: https://www.magicmindshypnotherapy.co.uk

And if you’re not sure where to start, you’re welcome to book a free Find Out More call with me. No pressure, no judgment—just a friendly chat. https://tidycal.com/magicmindshypnotherapy/findoutmore

Because here at Magic Minds, you’re never just another case. You’re a family with feelings, needs, and a story. And I’d be honoured to be part of your journey.

The Magic Behind Our Values: Calm, Connection, Contentment

When families find their way to Magic Minds, they’re often carrying more than just the challenges of daily life. They’re carrying the invisible weight of worry, exhaustion, guilt, and the endless pressure to hold it all together.

Some arrive in tears after another morning of school refusal. Others come quietly, heavy with the unspoken pain of watching their child shut down, melt down, or retreat from the world. Many parents tell me, “I just don’t know what else to try.”

And to them—and maybe to you—I say this:

There is another way.

At the heart of Magic Minds Family Hypnotherapy are three simple but powerful values: Calm. Connection. Contentment.

They’re not just words on a website. They’re the soul of everything we do.

Calm: The Beginning of Belief

Calm isn’t about asking a child to sit still or be quiet. It’s about creating a space where their nervous system feels safe enough to let go of hypervigilance and fear. Where parents can exhale, just a little. Where families stop surviving and begin healing.

In our sessions, this might look like a young boy curled up with headphones, listening to a hypno-story featuring his favourite footballer. Or a mum closing her eyes, guided into a gentle trance that reminds her she’s more than the chaos she’s navigating.

One parent told me recently: "After the first audio, my daughter slept through the night for the first time in weeks. I didn’t realise how much we both needed that stillness."

Because from calm, all things grow.

Connection: The Bridge to Understanding

Neurodivergent children often see and feel the world differently—and that’s a beautiful thing. But in a society that values conformity, that difference can lead to disconnection. Children feel misunderstood. Parents feel helpless. Siblings feel left out.

That’s why everything we do centres around building bridges—between parent and child, between child and self, and even between family members who’ve been pulled in different directions.

I remember working with a 10-year-old girl who would hide under the table at school and come home furious and shut down. After a few sessions and a tailor-made hypno-story, she and her mum started drawing “calm maps” together—simple drawings of what helps her feel safe. They giggled together. They learned new ways to listen to each other. That’s connection.

Another mum shared, "He still struggles sometimes, but now we have tools. We laugh more. We talk differently. I feel like I’ve got my son back."

Connection doesn’t fix everything overnight. But it transforms how families move through the hard stuff—together.

Contentment: The Quiet Power of Enough

In a world that pushes perfection, contentment can feel like a radical act.

At Magic Minds, we’re not chasing academic achievement or ‘normal’ behaviour. We’re not expecting neurodivergent children to mask or mould themselves. Instead, we help families discover what it means to feel okay—even when life isn’t perfect.

Contentment is a mum waking up and realising she didn’t dread the morning routine.

It’s a child saying, “I like me,” without needing to change a thing.

It’s a family dancing in the kitchen after dinner, just because the weight has lifted a little.

A dad once told me, "Before, it felt like we were constantly firefighting. Now, we have moments—small, golden ones—where everything just feels... right. That’s new for us. That’s contentment."

And those moments matter.

A Gentle Invitation

If these stories resonate with you, you’re not alone. The truth is, so many families are walking a similar path—often silently, behind closed doors. And so many children are doing their best in a world that wasn’t built with their needs in mind.

Magic Minds Family Hypnotherapy isn’t about quick fixes or one-size-fits-all strategies. It’s about meeting your family exactly where you are, with compassion, creativity, and a deep belief in your capacity to heal and grow.

Whether you’re seeking support for emotional-based school avoidance, autistic burnout, anxiety, or simply a better way to start the day—we’re here.

With hypno-stories.

With guided audios.

With calm.

With connection.

With contentment.

Always.

Magic Minds Family Hypnotherapy - Supporting families to feel calm, connected, and contented.

Neurodiversity and Mental Health: Why Are We Still Treating Them Separately?

Neurodiversity or Mental Health?

Let’s talk about something that so many families are facing—yet not enough people are talking about: the overlap between neurodiversity and mental health.

When is it neurodiversity, and when is it mental health? Do they need to be separate? Can they be?

In my experience, as a parent and professional, these two areas are deeply connected. Yet, when it comes to accessing support through CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), neurodivergent children are often falling through the cracks.

For many families, trying to get seen by CAMHS is almost impossible. You wait months, sometimes years, after being referred by your GP, your child’s school, or social services. But when you finally get to the top of the list, you’re told your child doesn't meet the criteria, because they're neurodivergent. “It's part of their autism,” they say. “It's just because they have ADHD.”

But here’s the thing. Just because a child is neurodivergent doesn’t mean they don’t also have mental health struggles. In fact, the two are often intertwined. Many autistic children and young people with ADHD struggle to find their place in a world that isn’t set up for them. They live in a constant state of overwhelm, exhaustion, and sensory overload, and this can take a huge toll on their mental health.

So why are we forcing a choice between the two?

We shouldn't be. We need to stop treating neurodivergence and mental health as two separate boxes, and instead take a more holistic view. Because the reality is, mental health difficulties often co-occur with neurodivergence. They’re not separate. And they shouldn't be treated as such.

This issue isn’t just theoretical. It’s personal. My daughter is autistic, with a PDA profile. She’s experienced autistic burnout, been unable to attend school, or even leave the house. During this already fragile time, she endured three significant traumatic events. She didn’t have the emotional capacity to process any of it. She was already in survival mode. And in the aftermath, her mental health collapsed—OCD symptoms, intrusive thoughts, and even hallucinations and hearing voices when at crisis point.

We had support in place—social services, family support, school—but CAMHS was the only option for actual mental health intervention. And every time we reached the top of the list, we were discharged without even being seen. The reason? “It’s just because she’s autistic.”

But that’s not true. Her OCD and trauma response weren’t simply “because she’s autistic.” Yes, her neurodivergence shaped how she processed what happened. But any child who went through what she experienced would be struggling. Her mental health difficulties are real and need support.

Unfortunately, her autism diagnosis has become a barrier to accessing mental health care, and she’s not alone. Thousands of neurodivergent children are being dismissed, ignored, or told their struggles don’t “fit the criteria.” And that’s not good enough.

This is a systemic issue that needs addressing at both professional and political levels. If we don’t act, we risk a generation of children growing up believing they’re not worthy of help. That their pain doesn’t matter. That they don’t deserve support because of how their brains work.

We must shift our approach.

CAMHS and other mental health services need to recognise that neurodivergence and mental health are not mutually exclusive. Mental health conditions are common in neurodivergent populations, and we need to stop treating them as separate. We need services that are trauma-informed, neuro-affirming, and willing to look at the whole child, not just the label.

This is also where alternative interventions can play a vital role. I’m passionate about the power of hypnotherapy to support neurodivergent children. It’s accessible, low-demand, non-invasive, and doesn’t rely on verbal processing like traditional talking therapies or CBT. For many neurodivergent children, especially those experiencing anxiety, burnout, or trauma, hypnotherapy offers a gentle, effective way to reconnect with calm and safety. If you're a parent feeling stuck, unheard, or unsupported, please know there is help out there. Reach out to explore whether specialist hypnotherapy could be the gentle, effective support your child needs right now. You can contact me, Amy, at Magic Minds Family Hypnotherapy via www.magicmindshypnotherapy.com or email me directly at amy@magicmindshypnotherapy.co.uk. Most of my work is online, which suits many of the children I support—those who are anxious, burned out, or who simply need the comfort of their own home environment to feel safe enough to engage.

There is hope. There are options. But we must start listening to families. We must stop dismissing children’s pain just because they see and experience the world differently.

Neurodivergent children deserve better.