Pain
Overview:
In April 2023, the UK’s Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) recommended that healthcare staff offer patients hypnosis recordings to help manage anxiety before surgery and reduce the need for sedation during medical procedures.
In 2006, a live television broadcast followed British woman Pippa Plaisted as she underwent the removal of a skin tumour using hypnosis as the sole form of anaesthetic. The procedure was completed without pain, and there was no increase in her heart rate or blood pressure. Following surgery, Pippa reported feeling comfortable and was discharged without complications.
These examples highlight something important: pain is far more than just a physical sensation.
Pain is a complex, multi-dimensional experience involving sensory, emotional and cognitive elements. It can be acute (short-term) or persistent (chronic), and hypnotherapy can support people with both.
The brain plays a central role in how pain is experienced. When pain signals are received, the brain doesn’t respond automatically - it evaluates them through past experiences, emotional state, stress levels and beliefs about safety and coping. This process influences how intensely pain is anticipated, perceived and felt.
This is why hypnotherapy can be so effective for pain management. By working with the subconscious mind, hypnotherapy helps reduce the body’s stress response and gently alters how pain is processed and responded to - supporting a calmer, more balanced nervous system.
Through deep relaxation and emotional reframing, pain perception can soften, creating space for greater comfort, ease and quality of life.
Facts:
Approximately 43% of UK adults experience chronic pain, which is pain lasting longer than three months.
Chronic pain is more common in women than men.
Pain and mental health are interconnected. Pain affects mental health and mental health affects how we experience pain.
How hypnotherapy can help you:
During a Hypnotherapy Session, we work with both your conscious mind and your subconscious mind.
You will be gently guided into hypnosis, where you’ll experience a state of deep, blissful relaxation - a space where the nervous system can soften and the mind becomes more receptive to change.
At the heart of this work is a shift from force to flow - from effort, pressure, and inner conflict to ease, calm, and inner peace. When we stop fighting ourselves, space is created for change to unfold naturally and sustainably.
While in hypnosis, you will receive direct suggestions, gently leveraging your brain’s neuroplasticity and encouraging the formation of new neural pathways - an essential part of long-lasting change.
We use ego-strengthening techniques to support a healthier sense of self, increased self-trust, and a stronger sense of inner stability and purpose.
Together, we work to identify and replace negative thought patterns and self-limiting beliefs with more supportive, empowering ones.
We will gently explore your specific triggers, learning how to manage - and often reduce or eliminate - their emotional charge.
Where appropriate, formative memories may be revisited and softly re-coded, allowing the subconscious mind to update old responses that are no longer serving you.
We also identify and challenge any secondary gains - the hidden reasons a pattern may have been unconsciously maintained.
Alongside hypnosis, we explore practical coping tools including NLP anchoring, tapping (EFT), breathing techniques, and grounding practices you can use in everyday life.
Some clients find it particularly helpful to work with their inner child, rebuilding a sense of safety, reassurance, and self-compassion, or to reconnect with their intuition - sometimes referred to as inner guidance - strengthening their ability to trust themselves and their choices.
Between sessions, you will be encouraged to listen to a bespoke audio recording and, where helpful, engage with reflective practices such as a positivity journal to support integration.
When you feel ready to complete your therapy, you will receive a Longevity Plan designed to help embed the changes you’ve made and support you in moving forward with confidence and independence.
Testimonials
Transformation in 3 simple steps
Discovery Call
20 minutes - Free - a chance to get to know each other and ask any questions you might have about hypnotherapy.
2. Initial Consultation
60 minutes - £25 - time to explore your goals, background, preferred style of working together and a taste of hypnosis.
3. Hypnotherapy Session
60 minutes - £85 - tailored and targeted sessions supporting you connect with calm and feel back in control.
