A THERAPIST is urging the Government to consider rolling out his audio technique across the country after he says it successfully helped children affected by recent terror attacks.

Hypnotherapist, Tim Phizackerley, of Barnard Castle, County Durham, invented PSTEC Therapy – an interactive audio recording – about ten years ago.

The Northern Echo:

Armed police at the Manchester Arena following the terror attack. Picture: PA

The former computer analyst described the tool as an interactive audio track that encourages children to focus on their issues such as anger, phobias, anxiety and even effects of sexual abuse.

“It can resolve serious emotional and behavioural problems, very often in minutes,” he said.

A fellow therapist, Peter Owen, has been trialling the tool in schools in the North West, with teachers endorsing it as a quick way to help children with serious mental health problems, some of which had gone on for years.

And following the terrorist attack at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester last month, Mr Owen said he had worked with a dozen children who were present and most “experienced a substantial reduction in their anxiety” after just one session.

He said: “For many, all that remained was feeling a little jumpy on busy or noisy corridors which we cleared with PSTEC.

“Before PSTEC I am pretty sure ongoing work would be required to get anywhere near the results that I achieved with these children.”

The technique has also been backed by the Neuroscience and Psychiatry Institute, in Mexico as well as several schools who have praised the technique for its efficiency and simplicity.

Following his initial school pilot, Mr Phizackerley wrote to his MP, Helen Goodman, last year who in turn, wrote to the Department for Education to see if the idea could be progressed.

However, Mr Phizackerely said he was disappointed to get a letter back saying the department “does not endorse, fund or promote specific resources or activities”.

A request to meet with the then Minister of State for Vulnerable Children and Families, Edward Timpson, was also denied.

Mr Phizackerley said: “It seems that although there is talk of wanting to help young people from those in Government, the Conservative ministers to whose attention this has been brought by Ms Goodman have no genuine interest in supporting what would change millions of lives for the better.

“They have also shown no interest in even properly investigating it. In the meantime children up and down the country are in crisis.”

He added: “It is hugely frustrating for me to have developed this system and watch as time and again young people around the UK commit suicide, self harm, or develop other serious mental health problems.

“They and they families are affected and there is also an effect to wider society. A significant portion of the solution exists right now but it needs Government support to reach people on that scale.”

Ms Goodman added: “I am not able to provide an expert opinion on the tool but I am acutely aware that the government needs to invest more in children’s mental health services.

"I agree with Mr Phizackerley that the NHS and NICE are slow in considering new therapies so I was pleased to forward the details to the government for consideration.”