HYPNOSIS FOR KIDS WITH SED OR ARFID

ARFID and Selective Eating in Children: Why It’s Not Just Fussy Eating — And How Hypnotherapy Can Help

If your child will only eat plain pasta, crackers, or a bag of chips while everyone else tucks into birthday cake or school camp meals, you already know how frustrating and isolating food issues can be. As a parent, you worry about their nutrition. You worry about their confidence. And maybe you’re exhausted from being told “they’ll grow out of it.”

But when eating is restricted to a narrow, repetitive group of foods — and those limits cause distress, social isolation, or nutritional concerns — it might be something deeper than fussiness.

It could be ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), also known as SED (Selective Eating Disorder).

And the good news is: it’s treatable.

Kids with ARFID are not fussy, they have a phobia.

ARFID Is Not a Choice — It’s a Phobic Response

Children with ARFID or SED are not just being stubborn or picky. They often experience intense fear, disgust, or anxiety when faced with certain textures, smells, colours, or types of food. For some, even the idea of trying a new food can trigger a gag reflex or overwhelming panic.

It’s important to understand: this is not something they’re doing on purpose. Like any phobia, ARFID is an automatic protective response — often driven by the unconscious mind.

ARFID can develop for two main reasons:

1. A traumatic or negative experience with food This could be choking, vomiting, or a strong sensory reaction (especially in very young children). Even if the child doesn’t consciously remember the incident, the unconscious mind remembers — and creates a pattern to avoid the danger.

2. A way to cope with feeling out of control Children who’ve experienced big life changes — like moving house, divorce, or starting a new school or goign to hospital— may turn to food as something they can control. Restriction becomes a coping mechanism.

   
   

   

   
   

The Social Impact: “I Don’t Want This, But I Can’t Help It”

Most kids don’t want to have ARFID. They don’t want to explain why they’re eating a separate meal, or why they can’t just "try one bite.” They’re often embarrassed, ashamed, or tired of standing out. They want to join in — but the part of them that feels unsafe around food just won’t let them.

That’s where hypnotherapy can help.

How Hypnotherapy Treats ARFID Gently and Effectively

Hypnotherapy is uniquely suited to working with food phobias and selective eating because it communicates directly with the unconscious mind — the part responsible for automatic responses, including fear, anxiety, and resistance.

Instead of forcing change through high-pressure exposure or control, hypnosis works gently, safely, and collaborativelywith the child’s internal system.

Here’s how it works:

• We identify the protective part of the mind that has locked down food variety to keep the child safe.

• We reassure this part that it’s done a great job — but that it no longer needs to be so strict.

• We create a sense of safety and calm around food using relaxation and imagination.

• We use guided visualisation and mental rehearsal to slowly “practice” trying new foods, reducing the panic response.

This is a subtle but powerful form of imaginal exposure therapy, where we desensitise the child to feared foods using their imagination. Because the unconscious mind cannot distinguish between real and imagined experiences, this creates new neural pathways and reduces anxiety — all without the overwhelm of physical exposure.

Safe, Enjoyable, and Empowering

Hypnotherapy is non-invasive, non-threatening, and often enjoyable for children. They are fully in control during sessions — there’s no pressure, no force-feeding, and no tricks. We simply build trust, strengthen their confidence, and work with the mind that’s been trying to protect them all along.

Children as young as eight years old can benefit from this approach.

Most kids begin to show progress within four sessions, though sometimes even one or two can create a shift.

It should be noted that SED or ARFID can be confused with a sensory issue with food. Sensory issues are not phobias - it's simply a wiring of the brain that means certain textures or tastes are disgusting to the person. Usually you can identity which it is by the person's history. If they have always had food aversions and there was never a time as a toddler they ate all foods, then it's likely to be sensory. If they ate many foods then stopped, it's likely to be phobic. Usually these changes take place under the age of four.

I have worked all around the globe treating ARFID and can work with your child in persion, if in Sydney, or over the phone if you are overseas.