MY APPROACH – Hypnosys, Parent Coaching in London

A HOLISTIC and CARING vision of support

About Me

I am Leslie Nahama, a parenting coach and child hypnotherapist based in London.
I support French-speaking families whose children are experiencing challenges (sleep, fears, emotions, behaviours, life transitions…) and I help them regain balance and serenity in their daily life.

My approach rests on three pillars:

Listening & kindness: every child is heard and respected at their own pace.
Emotional safety: nothing can be built through fear, pressure, or tears.
Practical tools: I give parents concrete solutions that are easy to use in everyday life.

My journey and inspirations

I have always been passionate about child development and understanding children’s deep needs. Early on, I became interested in the works of Isabelle Filliozat, Céline Alvarez, Dr Catherine Gueguen (affective neuroscience), Dr F. Dodson, and Tracy Hogg, who all shaped my approach.

After more than 10 years in digital and innovation, I chose to return to what truly drives me: human support and guidance. I have always had a natural ability to listen, advise, and understand others. Friends – and later, many mothers around me – naturally turned to me for advice. Since my daughter’s birth, this network of mums has expanded even more. I realised that this knowledge and experience could benefit a wider community.

So I trained in:

Coaching, to offer a holistic approach;
then Ericksonian hypnosis, a powerful, simple and playful tool, particularly suited to children who naturally use their imagination.

I personally discovered hypnosis during my pregnancy. It allowed me to experience this period with confidence and autonomy. I then chose to professionalise in order to support other mothers and parents – before, during and after birth.

Today, I support:

Parents who want to better understand and guide their child,
Children experiencing difficulties with sleep, anxiety, or emotions,
and sometimes Adults who want to work on their confidence, inner blocks, or life projects.

I am also the mother of Lia, 3 years old, and I regularly work in a nursery, where I lead activities such as yoga for relaxation and gardening to awaken children to nature. Being surrounded by children every day keeps me connected to their world and helps me build warm, simple, and genuine connections.

Common issues I support children with

Every child is unique, but parents often come to me for very specific and recurring situations:

Sleep: “my child can’t fall asleep alone”, “frequent night wakings”, “recurring nightmares”
Anxiety & fears: “fear of separation”, “fear of the dark”, “fear of stairs”, “fear of dogs or animals”
Strong emotions: “uncontrollable tantrums”, “very sensitive”, “I can’t handle the meltdowns anymore”
Concentration & school: “can’t focus”, “hates homework”, “hits at school”, “can’t stand losing”
Siblings & jealousy: “jealous of his baby sister”, “more difficult since the baby arrived”
Toilet training & autonomy: “refuses the potty”, “still wets the bed”, “toilet training difficulties”
Eating: “doesn’t eat anything”, “refuses to try new foods”, “only wants pasta”
Life transitions: “since starting school he doesn’t sleep”, “moving house has been hard”, “struggling with separation”
Self-confidence: “very shy”, “afraid of failing”, “refuses to try new things”

Real-life examples of support

Nail biting

A 5-year-old was biting his nails whenever he felt worried or bored.

Session 1: playful connection, understanding the behaviour, creative activity to take the pressure off.
Session 2: adjustments, introducing new little games to replace the habit, breathing exercises for anxiety.
Session 3 (if needed): guidance for parents on what to say and how to react when the child put fingers in their mouth.

👉 Result: within weeks, the child found other ways to comfort himself, and the parents knew how to encourage him without pressure.

Claustrophobia & fear of closed doors

A 6-year-old boy refused to stay in a closed room, which limited independence and caused crises.

Session 1: building trust, exploring fear through play and child hypnotherapy to understand how he experienced it.
Session 2: drawing the fear to externalise it, then destroying the drawing; creating a new drawing of the desired state and “powers” to get there.
Session 3: consolidation, final adjustments, and parent guidance to set secure home rituals.

👉 Result: he gradually accepted closed doors and felt proud of his new abilities.

Sleep difficulties

A 19-month-old girl struggled to fall asleep alone and woke several times at night. Exhausted, her parents no longer knew what to do – she would only sleep with them.

Session 1: exploring routines, understanding challenges, and a 360° view of the child (emotions, food, rhythms, attachment). Together we defined tailored solutions.
Session 2: following up changes, adjusting routines, new personalised solutions (bedtime rituals, words to use, parental posture).
Session 3: consolidating progress, final adjustments, and sharing further tools for lasting results.

💬 Between sessions, I remain in contact with parents via WhatsApp, calls and voice notes. They are never left alone and always supported.

My approach to sleep

Unlike certain “sleep coaching” methods that leave children crying behind a door while parents count minutes, I refuse approaches that create tears, stress, and distress.

My support is:

Gentle & caring: always centred on the child’s emotional and physical needs.
No tears: children are never left alone with their distress.
Science-based: research shows that leaving children to cry increases stress hormones (cortisol), which harm emotional development.
Experienced: I draw on many client cases showing that peaceful sleep can be established without crying, in trust.

👉 Result: within weeks, this little girl was falling asleep more peacefully and her parents finally had calm evenings – without ever leaving her to cry alone.

No miracle solutions – but a deep rebuilding

It’s important not to believe in miracles. A child’s sleep does not transform in just two sessions to suddenly sleep through the night.

👉 The process is often longer, because it requires building – and sometimes rebuilding – trust and emotional safety.

Many children have experienced:

tension at bedtime,
crying ignored,
“cry it out” attempts,
constant changes in beds, methods or rules.

This weakens their inner security and creates uncertainty. But to sleep well, a child needs constancy and safety.

The path to peaceful sleep may take several months:

setting up a healthy approach,
staying consistent even through difficult nights,
gradually strengthening emotional security.

✨ But the outcome is worth it: a child full of energy, a brain and body ready to learn, fewer crises, better focus, higher self-esteem, and renewed trust with parents.

Practical tools to support your child

4 simple hypnotherapy tools for bedtime 🌙

1. Butterfly breathing 🦋"Let’s pretend we are butterflies. Do you want to be a little butterfly or a big one? What color are your wings? Put your hands here, on your shoulders… It’s like your wings are opening to fly. Breathe in slowly… then blow gently on your wings… again… Do you feel your wings flapping and calming you down? Let’s do it again…”

2. The magic place / resource ✨"Close your eyes… and imagine a place where you feel super safe and happy. Maybe a cabin, maybe your bed, maybe a secret place. What do you choose tonight? Okay, let’s close our eyes and go explore this place together. Shhh… listen, do you hear something? What’s that sound? An animal? Or is it calm? Oh look, over there, what colors do you see? (sniff sniff) Mmm, that smell… what do you smell? This is your magic place, and you can come back anytime you want to feel peaceful.”

3. The balloon release 🎈"Let’s make a magic balloon. Put your hands as if you’re holding it. Now blow into it really hard with all your fears, your anger, your worries. (We can add real examples from the day: ‘Remember when you were upset about this? Let’s put it inside the balloon!’) Blow again… That’s it! Now look at your balloon floating up… higher… farther into the sky… It’s getting smaller… and now it disappears!”

4. Smell your flowers, blow your candle 🌸🕯️"Imagine you’re holding a beautiful flower. Smell its perfume… mmm, it’s so nice! And now imagine in your other hand you’re holding a lit candle. Blow hard to put out the flame… Pffff! Well done, the candle is out. Let’s do it again: smell your flower… blow your candle.”

👉 This can also be used during the day if a child gets upset: “Remember, smell your flower, blow your candle.” Mime it with them, exaggerate the big breath (it helps you too!) and blow so strong it almost looks silly — it often makes them laugh, and then you start again.

6 Positive parenting tools to start right now 🌱

1. Say what you want to see instead of saying “no”

Describe the expected action instead of forbidding. It makes rules clearer, and the child feels guided, not blocked.

👉 At the table

❌ “Don’t put your elbows on the table.”✔️ “You can keep your hands on your knees or next to your plate.”
❌ “Don’t throw your glass!”✔️ “If you’re finished, you can put your glass here gently.”
❌ “Don’t play with your food.”✔️ “Food is for eating. If you want to play, we’ll do it later with your toys.”

👉 At home

❌ “Don’t run in the living room!”✔️ “You can walk slowly here, and we’ll run outside after.”
❌ “Don’t touch the plugs!”✔️ “Your hands can stay behind your back when you pass here.”
❌ “Don’t spill the water!”✔️ “You can pour slowly into your glass, take your time.”

👉 With objects / toys

❌ “Don’t tear your book!”✔️ “You can turn the pages gently with your fingers.”
❌ “Don’t throw your toys!”✔️ “Your toys are for playing on the floor. If you want to throw, let’s use a ball.”
❌ “Don’t touch the elevator buttons!”✔️ “You can keep your hands by your side or in your pockets.”

👉 With others

❌ “Don’t hit your sister!”✔️ “If you’re angry, you can say loudly: I DON’T AGREE!”
❌ “Don’t shout at your friends!”✔️ “If you want them to hear you, you can use your normal voice.”
❌ “Don’t grab your brother’s toy!”✔️ “You can wait for your turn or ask with your words: ‘Can I play after you?’”

👉 Bedtime / transitions

❌ “Don’t get out of bed!”✔️ “You can stay lying down and close your eyes, I’ll come back in 5 minutes.”
❌ “Don’t cry about going to school!”✔️ “You can tell me what feels hard for you, I’m listening.”
❌ “Don’t make a fuss about getting dressed!”✔️ “You can choose: the blue sweater or the red one?”

👉 In the street

❌ “Don’t cross!”✔️ “You can wait until I hold your hand to cross.”
❌ “Don’t run too far!”✔️ “You can walk next to me or just in front of me.”

👉 When climbing or taking risks

❌ “Don’t climb up there, you’ll fall!”✔️ “Look carefully where you put your feet. Find your balance, I’m here to keep you safe.”
❌ “Come down right now!”✔️ “You can keep going if you hold on with both hands.”
❌ “Don’t jump, it’s dangerous!”✔️ “If you want to jump, you can do it from here, it’s lower and safer.”

👉 When exploring objects

❌ “Don’t touch that, you’ll hurt yourself!”✔️ “Look with your eyes first. If you want to touch, I’ll show you how to do it safely.”
❌ “Don’t put that in your mouth!”✔️ “This object stays in your hands. If you want to taste, let’s use food.”

👉 When running outside

❌ “Don’t run, you’ll fall!”✔️ “Look around to see if there’s space. You can run on the grass, that’s safer.”

👉 On ladders, slides, bikes

❌ “Careful, you’ll fall!”✔️ “Take your time. One foot first, then the other. Do you feel your body finding balance?”
❌ “Don’t ride so fast!”✔️ “Keep your eyes forward and both hands on the handlebars.”

💡 The idea: channel, don’t block. Replace “No, danger!” with “Observe, adjust, do it carefully.” Give concrete instructions (hands, feet, balance, looking around). Stay a gentle guide rather than a brake.

2. Validate emotions and put words on them

👉 “You’re sad because you wanted to keep playing. I understand.”

3.Connect daily through play and joy

👉 Even 10 minutes of laughter, songs, or games strengthen the bond and emotional safety.

4.Use “I” instead of blaming with “You”

👉 “I don’t like water on the floor, I have to clean and it makes me tired. You can splash here instead.”

5. Offer alternatives to forbidden behaviors

👉 “It’s not okay to hit. But if you’re upset, you can say loudly: I DON’T WANT THIS!”

6.See your child as an explorer

👉 A spilled glass, a tantrum, or a refusal is not manipulation — it’s learning.

My references in London

Featured in Français à Londres and partner of La Petite Nursery
Experience at Gan Yeladim, with Rabbi Menachem (references available upon request)
Daily support for French-speaking families in London and online

FAQ – Child hypnotherapy & parenting coaching in London

Is hypnotherapy safe for a child? Yes. Child hypnotherapy is gentle, respectful, and safe. The child is always conscious, active, and free. They don’t sleep, they don’t “lose control”: they imagine, they play, they explore their inner world.

From what age can children benefit?

👶 From birth: Parents can already be supported. Before age 4, most challenges (sleep, food, toilet training) do not come from the child directly, but from how parents and environment respond to their needs.

👉 In this case, my role is to guide parents, give them tools, and help them adjust. This is never about blame — it’s about empowering and supporting them.

🎲 From age 4: We can start working directly with the child, always through play and imagination. At this age, I don’t use “classical hypnosis”:

we do symbolic play (drawing fears, inventing superpowers, telling stories),
role play (the child becomes the hero facing a monster, or finding a magic key),
and simple hypnotherapy exercises (butterfly breathing, magic place, balloon release, etc.).

👉 The child stays active and engaged. They see it as play, not as “serious therapy.”

How many sessions are needed ?It depends. Sometimes 3–4 sessions are enough. In other cases, support is longer, always adapted to the family’s rhythm.

Do parents participate in sessions? Yes, parenting coaching is integrated. I provide concrete tools so parents can continue at home.

Does hypnotherapy replace a pediatrician?No. It complements medical follow-up. For any health concern, a pediatrician is essential.

Why work with me?

As a mother myself, I understand your worries. My approach is:

Gentle and respectful: adapted to each child
Holistic: child hypnotherapy + parenting coaching
Bilingual: for French-speaking families in London
Experienced: built on many real-life cases

Ready to try a new approach?

If your child struggles with sleep, fears, anxiety, or emotions, I offer a discovery session (online or in person in London).

👉 Contact me today to find out more.