Leawood hypnotherapist Harley Sears put pen to paper in hopes of helping children and parents overcome mental health issues together.
Sears, a hypnotherapist practicing at Park Place in Leawood, is the author of a new psychology book, “ magic in metaphor: Empowering Children Through Healing Stories” will be held this spring.
The book is available online, but Sears said it will be in stores at Target, Walmart and Barnes & Noble in the coming weeks.
Sears said the book was born out of customer feedback.
- The Sears Clinic, Hypnotherapy by Harley Sears, has been operating out of Suite 200 at 5251 West 116th Place since late 2022.
- Sears said a common concern among his clients in recent months has been the mental health of their children.
- Sears said he believes the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated children’s mental health issues, as rates of anxiety and depression have skyrocketed during the quarantine period.
- “Just hearing the complaints from my clients, I think there’s something like that feeling of helplessness, because one, they can’t help themselves. “How can you help your child if you feel that their mental health is suffering?” he said. “That makes sense, because we’ve had very little connection during the pandemic, and we’re social creatures.”
“The Magic In Metaphor” focuses on moments of growth
- This book includes 25 stories that center around important growth and resilience lessons with characters ranging from a puppy navigating her first day at doggie nursery to a caterpillar trying to transform into a butterfly. Masu.
- After each story in this book, you’ll find a list of key lessons and suggested activities that revolve around the lessons, such as role-playing or group discussion.
- Although the stories are aimed at school-age children, Sears said the book is also aimed at parents and adults.
- “If you look at the story, it’s a pretty short story, but it’s also an important starting point for difficult conversations,” Sears said. “What definitely ties them all together is (the common theme of) the power of connection. When two people sit together, there’s a lot of healing that happens.”
Sears said there is overlap between the book and his work as a hypnotherapist.
- Sears’ writing career began with columns for magazines and psychology journals, but The Magic In Metaphor was his first book.
- But Sears said that while this is his first book and his first writing for a young audience, his line of work brings the concept of storytelling closer to home.
- “As a hypnotherapist, I’m a storyteller,” he said. “I use allusions and metaphors every day in my practice with adult clients.”
Go deeper: Leawood Clinic offers hypnosis as ‘alternative’ for mental health
