By Fériel Berraies, Mrs Guigny, RNCP-certified sophrologist trained at IFS Paris, specialising in supporting children, and hypnotherapist.
The sick child: how sophrology helps children manage their emotions, to strengthen their fighting spirit in the face of illness.
Illness stirs up many kinds of fear in a child: fear of pain (treatment and the condition itself), psychological fears (stress and anxiety), the fear of being “different” from others, but also guilt over causing the people they love to suffer.
The child has to deal with all of this, and it isn't simple
How can a sick child build a sense of self alongside other children if they feel different from them? “I'm not like the others, I'm disabled, I'm afraid of dying, I'm afraid of being in pain”: so many fears and doubts for a child, who often dreads never seeing the people they love again. What can be done when the illness drags on, when hospital stays keep recurring, when there are stretches of time without seeing loved ones?
A fighting spirit under threat
A child can become discouraged, lose hope, and stop fighting: the intense stress they live with every day, on top of the illness itself — whether it's cancer, cardiomyopathy or any other disabling condition — affects their therapeutic outlook, even as they need to keep fighting to stay on top of treatment adherence. It's a source of deep distress for the child, but also for the parents, who nonetheless have to hold back their emotional pain, for fear of destabilising the child.
Very important: just as with childhood cancer protocols, adults need to hide their emotions and any disagreements with medical staff, or risk destabilising the child. The same approach should be taken for long-term illnesses. As a rule, don't hide anything from your child, or you risk making them more anxious still: find the right comforting words to reassure them, but always tell them the truth — otherwise they'll imagine the worst and lose confidence in themselves, in you, and in the medical staff, which can lead them to refuse treatment and medical care altogether.
The most common requests
- To stop being afraid
- To feel less tired
- To stop being in pain
The goal of the support: rising above the illness and its constraints
Sophrology care complements medical treatment already underway — I work in tandem with the doctor, whether a paediatrician, oncologist or cardiologist — as part of a support protocol alongside medical treatment. Sophrology doesn't address the medical problem itself, but takes care of the emotional and psychological impact of a child's suffering. Through relaxation exercises — gentle, soft movements — as well as positive mental visualization, the child reclaims their life as a patient with greater peace of mind. The main goal is to help them release their fears and trust their body again to heal.
Sophrology never replaces medicine, but supports it as complementary care — helping the child release their fears and rebuild trust in their body.
Practice precautions
- Support within a medical protocol is only provided in tandem with the referring doctor.
- Sophrology doesn't replace medicine, but supports it as complementary care.
- The protocol involves 12 sessions of 45 minutes.
- Sessions can take place at home, in a clinic, or in hospital.
Quick bio
Fériel Berraies is an RNCP-certified sophrologist trained at IFS Paris, specialising in childhood, older people, cancer, sexuality, the perinatal period and corporate settings. She is also an Ericksonian hypnosis practitioner, trained and certified by Xtréma Paris, currently training in naturopathy and in plantar and facial reflexology. She is also a social sciences researcher and an activist journalist.
To write to her: fbsophro@gmail.com — www.feriel-berraies-therapeute.com. Find her therapist profile in France here.
