Hypnosis for chronic pain.
You've been in pain for a long time, or it keeps coming back: headaches, migraines, an unsettled gut or tension that stays stuck in your body. Your doctor has checked things out and you've already tried a lot. Hypnotherapy won't make your pain disappear. What it can do is help you relate to it differently, and that can bring relief.
Complimentary intro call
Fully confidential
“I'm so tired of my whole day depending on how my body feels.”
Pain that lingers costs more than just the pain itself. You plan your week around it. You cancel plans, or you go anyway and pay for it later. You're constantly on alert: is it coming back? That alertness makes sense, but it also keeps your body tense. And tension rarely makes pain smaller.
Maybe you have a diagnosis, like migraine or irritable bowel syndrome. Maybe you've mostly been told there's nothing to find. Either way, your pain is real. You don't have to convince anyone, including me. We start with what you're experiencing.
I won't take your pain away. I'll help you live with it differently.
Let me be honest from the start: I'm not a doctor and I don't cure anything. With pain, hypnotherapy is a complement to what your doctor does, never a replacement. So always have your pain checked by your primary care doctor or a specialist first, and stay in their care if you already are.
What I can do is help you relate to your pain in a different way. Pain demands attention, and the more attention it gets, the bigger it often feels. In hypnosis you learn to shift that focus, so your body doesn't have to stay on high alert. That can bring relief.
What I can help you with.
Hypnotherapy can be a complement for a range of physical complaints. Always alongside your doctor, never instead of them.
Chronic pain
Pain in your back, neck, joints or muscles that has been there for months or years. Your doctor has looked into what's going on and your treatment is ongoing or finished. Still, the pain shapes much of your day. In our sessions we work on how you deal with it, so it takes up less space.
Migraines and headaches
Recurring headaches or migraines make your life unpredictable. You're always bracing for the next attack. We look at what that tension and alertness do to you, and you learn to bring your body and mind to rest. Diagnosis and any medication stay with your doctor or neurologist.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
With irritable bowel syndrome, your gut and your nervous system work closely together. You often feel stress right in your gut, and an unsettled gut creates more stress. In hypnosis you work on that interplay and learn to let your gut and your mind settle. Do have IBS diagnosed by a doctor first.
Tension in your body
Tight shoulders, a clenched jaw, a knot in your stomach. Sometimes you don't even remember what relaxed feels like. Tension is often an automatic response of your body, one you can't switch off by thinking about it. In hypnosis you reach the part that drives that response, so your body can learn a different one.
Fear of the pain
Sometimes worrying about pain weighs almost as much as the pain itself. You avoid moving, making plans or going out, afraid it will start again. That caution makes sense, but it makes your world small. We work on the tension and worry around your pain, so you feel more able to do the things that matter to you.
Pain and your nervous system go hand in hand.
Everything you do involves your nervous system. That's true for pain, too. Your nervous system helps decide how much attention a pain signal gets and how hard it lands. When it stays switched on for a long time, through worry, stress or the pain itself, your body stays on alert. That alertness isn't in your imagination. It's an automatic response, and you can't simply think it away.
In hypnosis you enter a deeply relaxed, focused state. In that state you can work with responses that normally sit outside your conscious reach. Every person already has many inner resources, including ones for dealing with pain. They're just unconscious and not easy to access. That's where I help.
No script, just a conversation.
I work with Ericksonian, conversational hypnotherapy. That means no fixed script and no protocol I run through with everyone. Pain is different for everyone, so every session is different. I listen to how you talk about your pain, the words you choose and what your body shows. From that connection, I use the techniques that fit you. You're fully aware the whole time and you decide what you share.
How we work together.
Intro call
In a complimentary 30-minute call you tell me what's going on. Together we look at whether hypnotherapy makes sense as a complement for you.
Questionnaire
Before we start, you fill out a short questionnaire, which includes questions about medication. If there's more going on medically, I'll ask for a referral letter from your doctor.
Sessions
In the sessions we work on how you deal with your pain and where your attention goes.
In between
Between sessions you can reach me by WhatsApp or email. So you're not on your own.
What can change.
01
Pain is less in the foreground of your day
02
Your body doesn't have to be on high alert as often
03
You feel less at the mercy of what your body does
04
You feel free to make plans again, without always adding a caveat
The focused program.
For most pain complaints I recommend the focused program, even if you've been dealing with it for years. If your complaints are very persistent or there's more going on, the in-depth program may be a better fit.
Intake with a clear goal
3 online sessions
Support by WhatsApp or email in between
Rather try a single session first? You can, see below.
Hypno-Matters · Single session
Want to experience it first?
Book one online session of about 60 minutes and notice for yourself what hypnosis does for you. If you choose a program within two weeks, this session is fully credited.
Relating to pain differently: what does that mean?
Dealing with pain can sound like: just learn to live with it. That's not what I mean. It means the pain no longer runs everything. Pain tends to claim your attention. You check whether it's still there, you notice how it changes, you think ahead to the next time. That's very human. But it keeps the pain at the center of your life. In hypnosis you practice shifting that focus. Not by denying the pain, but by making room for something else.
Pain is also rarely just physical. It affects your mood, your sleep, your work and your relationships. Maybe you feel guilty because you have to cancel again. Maybe you're angry at your body, or tired of explaining. Those feelings are allowed, they're part of it. In our sessions there's room for everything the pain does to you. Sometimes it turns out there's tension there that makes the pain bigger, and that's something we can work on.
With migraines and headaches, it's often about the waiting. You live from attack to attack and you're always a little on guard. With IBS, it's often the interplay between gut and mind: stress unsettles your gut, and an unsettled gut makes you stressed. In hypnosis you work on that cycle. You teach your body a different response, so it doesn't jump into alarm mode as quickly.
What you can expect: that you learn to see your pain differently and respond to it differently. What you shouldn't expect: that I take your pain away or cure your condition. I can't, and I don't promise that. How much relief it brings varies from person to person. That's why after every session we talk about what you notice, what helps and what's still needed.
Your doctor first, then hypnosis.
I'm not a medical professional. Pain should always be properly examined by your primary care doctor or a specialist first. There's a good reason for that: pain can be a signal that something needs attention. If you have new symptoms, or your symptoms change, see your doctor first. Never stop medication or treatment on your own. Hypnotherapy comes alongside it, never in its place.
Before we begin, I'll send you a short questionnaire, which includes questions about medication. If there's more going on medically, I'll ask for a referral letter from your doctor. That way we know for sure that hypnotherapy is a responsible complement to what's already happening. Already in treatment? Then I'm happy to coordinate with that.
Online, wherever you are.
I'm based in the Netherlands and work mostly online, with clients all over the world, in English or Dutch. With pain, that's often an advantage: you don't have to travel on a day when your body isn't cooperating, and you can sit or lie down in your own familiar space. All you need is a quiet place and headphones.
Prefer to meet in person? That can be arranged. In our intro call we'll figure out together what works best for you.
Questions about hypnosis for chronic pain.
Does hypnosis work for chronic pain?
Hypnosis doesn't take pain away. What it can do is help you relate to your pain differently. You learn to shift your attention and let your body stay off high alert. That can bring relief. How much varies from person to person. I don't promise results, but after every session we talk about what you notice.
Can hypnosis help with migraines?
It can be a complement to what your doctor or neurologist does. Many people with migraines live from attack to attack and are constantly on alert. That tension and alertness are things we can work on. Diagnosis, testing and any medication stay with your doctor. Hypnotherapy doesn't replace that.
Does hypnosis work for IBS?
With IBS, your gut and your nervous system are closely connected. You feel stress in your gut, and an unsettled gut creates more stress. In hypnosis you work on that interplay. Always have IBS diagnosed by a doctor first, though, because gut symptoms can have other causes too. Hypnotherapy is a complement, not a treatment for your bowels.
How do I get rid of my pain?
Honest answer: I can't promise you that, and it's not what hypnotherapy is for. To find and treat the cause, always see your primary care doctor or a specialist. What I can do is help the pain take up less space in your life. That's different from curing it, but it can bring relief.
How many hypnosis sessions do I need for pain?
Usually I recommend the focused program: an intake and three online sessions. For many complaints that's enough, even if you've been dealing with them for years. If your complaints are very persistent or there's more going on, the in-depth program with six sessions may be a better fit. We'll talk about that in the intro call.
Do I need a referral from my doctor?
Not always. Before we start, you fill out a short questionnaire, which includes questions about medication. If there's more going on medically, I'll ask for a referral letter from your doctor. That way we know your doctor is aware and that hypnotherapy is a responsible complement to your treatment.
Do I have to stop taking my medication?
No. Never stop medication or treatment without talking to your doctor. Hypnotherapy comes alongside what you're already doing. If you want to change anything about your medication, always discuss it with your doctor or specialist, not with me.
Does hypnosis mean my pain is all in my head?
No. Your pain is real, even if tests haven't found much. The fact that your mind and nervous system play a part doesn't mean you're making it up. Everything you do involves your nervous system. That's exactly why it can help to work there, alongside what your doctor does.
Can I do a hypnosis session online if I'm in pain?
Yes. Online often works especially well, because you don't have to travel and you can sit or lie down however feels most comfortable. All you need is a quiet place and headphones. Prefer to meet in person? That can be arranged.
Also helps with.
Hypnosis helps with more than one question. Perhaps you recognize yourself here too:
Your pain doesn't have to run everything.
Book a complimentary 30-minute intro call. No obligation and online, and together we'll see whether hypnotherapy makes sense as a complement for you.