{"id":9113,"date":"2023-07-13T14:05:50","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T18:05:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=9113"},"modified":"2025-07-08T06:32:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T10:32:17","slug":"how-athletes-can-benefit-from-hypnotherapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-athletes-can-benefit-from-hypnotherapy\/","title":{"rendered":"How Athletes Can Benefit from Hypnotherapy\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hypnotherapy-benefits.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hypnotherapy-benefits.jpg\" alt=\"How Athletes Can Benefit from Hypnotherapy\" class=\"wp-image-9114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hypnotherapy-benefits.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hypnotherapy-benefits-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hypnotherapy_Can_Relieve_Stress\"><\/span>Hypnotherapy Can Relieve Stress <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-athletes-can-benefit-from-hypnotherapy\/#Hypnotherapy_Can_Relieve_Stress\" >Hypnotherapy Can Relieve Stress<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-athletes-can-benefit-from-hypnotherapy\/#Anxiety_Reduction\" >Anxiety Reduction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-athletes-can-benefit-from-hypnotherapy\/#Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-athletes-can-benefit-from-hypnotherapy\/#Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\" >Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Lark Ericson, a certified <strong>hypnotherapist<\/strong> and life coach, works with a number of sports kids, and begins by explaining to them how hypnotherapy can help, she said during an interview with our Ultimate Sports Parent podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For kids who might be resistant to the idea, she frames her work as learning about kids\u2019 challenges, rather than fixing their problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf I present it like, \u2018I need some help. I&#8217;m learning this,\u2019 they are so eager to be helpful. They get really excited and energetic and it&#8217;s a different way to frame it instead of \u2018I&#8217;m going to help you fix this problem,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ericson often works with sports kids struggling with <strong>comparing<\/strong> themselves to others as well as kids experiencing performance anxiety, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFirst of all, there are general self-esteem issues, where the kids don&#8217;t think that they are good at what they do. And that really stems from comparing themselves with the other kids,\u201d she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo if somebody is better at making goals, somebody runs fast, somebody&#8217;s time is better, they&#8217;re really focused on comparing themselves to what that other kid is doing versus seeing how they\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Performance anxiety<\/strong> also crops up as a big challenge. Often, kids who practice and train hard and are physically and mentally fit still \u201cfreak out\u201d during games or events, Ericson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Anxiety_Reduction\"><\/span>Anxiety Reduction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To address these challenges, Ericson uses hypnotherapy to help reduce the intensity of kids\u2019 emotions so emotions are less distracting during competitions and games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She begins by talking to young athletes about how they experience <strong>stress<\/strong> and thoughts that undermine their <strong>self-esteem.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She focuses on the terminology they use so she can refer to that terminology during hypnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During hypnosis, she asks kids to relax their bodies and pay attention to their breathing, then offers to take them on a walk in their minds. She then discusses experiences of feeling successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd then I&#8217;ll walk them through an actual event that they&#8217;re going to do, whether it&#8217;s the sporting event or the competition, and we&#8217;ll go through each little piece of it. And during that, I&#8217;ll actually raise their stress or anxiety just a little bit so that they have the opportunity to bring it down themselves,\u201d Ericson said. That gives them experience lowering anxiety levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, when they\u2019re playing or performing, they can tell themselves they know how to reel in the stress and anxiety. This differs from visualization, Ericson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf I were to do a guided meditation (visualization), I would just let them experience something really comfortable, really nice. Everybody loves that. But with hypnosis, I would really want to dive into what they are experiencing,\u201d she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She wants to know: <strong>What happens to prompt the kids to feel anxious or stressed?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd then oftentimes during the hypnosis, I will bring them into having the feelings of stress or anxiety, and I\u2019ll take the feelings away,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, kids naturally, a few weeks later, start feeling less <strong>stress<\/strong> or <strong>anxiety<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s like it happens without you having to remember to choose to make it happen,\u201d Ericson said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s kind of funny because if you get the experience of hypnosis and you think, \u2018oh, well, that was a funny little 45 minute,\u2019 nothing&#8217;s going to happen with that. And then maybe a week or two later, you just suddenly realize, \u2018oh, I&#8217;m not doing that thing I used to do or I&#8217;m not bothered the way I used to be or I&#8217;m not stressed the way I used to be,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen to the full podcast with Ericson at Spotify:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/27369999\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/no\/direction\/backward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/000000\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"100%\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-benefits-of-keeping-score-in-youth-sports\/\"><strong>The Benefits of Keeping Score in Youth Sports<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/the-benefits-of-a-growth-mindset-in-youth-sports\/\"><strong>The Benefits of a Growth Mindset in Youth Sports<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/help-your-athletes-benefit-from-criticism-by-coaches\/\"><strong>Help Your Athletes Benefit From Criticism by Coaches<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\"><\/span><strong>Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mental-training-for-young-athletes.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6868\" style=\"width:138px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re certain that, as a parent,&nbsp;you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life.&nbsp;And as a sports parent, you\u2019d love for your children to reach their potential in sports.&nbsp;But encouraging your child to <strong>strive for greatness without pressuring them<\/strong> can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today\u2019s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Session.<\/strong><br><strong>Find Out How Your Athlete Can Benefit From One-on-One Mental Coaching<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hypnotherapy Can Relieve Stress Lark Ericson, a certified hypnotherapist and life coach, works with a number of sports kids, and begins by explaining to them how hypnotherapy can help, she said during an interview with our Ultimate Sports Parent podcast. For kids who might be resistant to the idea, she &#8230; <a title=\"How Athletes Can Benefit from Hypnotherapy\u00a0\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-athletes-can-benefit-from-hypnotherapy\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How Athletes Can Benefit from Hypnotherapy\u00a0\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[39,253],"class_list":["post-9113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-kids-sports-psychology","tag-youth-sports-psychology-blog","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}