I've been told there's nothing wrong, so why am I still in pain?
Ongoing pain isn't always about tissue damage. Sometimes an injury has long since healed, and sometimes there was never a clear physical cause to begin with. Either way, it can be a sign of a nervous system stuck in a heightened, protective state, treating ordinary signals from the body as if they were still a threat.
All pain is created by the brain as a protective signal, one that needs to be heard and understood.
That doesn't mean the pain is 'in your head', or that it isn't real. All pain is real. You may have noticed it doesn't always track with activity or injury the way you'd expect, some days worse for no clear reason, other days barely there when you'd have expected it to flare. That's because the nervous system doesn't need visible damage to keep sounding an alarm; it's constantly weighing up the wider context of your life, stress, exhaustion, old experiences, what else feels uncertain or unsafe, and turning the alarm up or down accordingly.
We don't ask you to imagine the pain away. We work with the nervous system that's sounding the signal, using neuroscience-informed pain education alongside hypnotherapy to help your brain recognise when a situation no longer needs to be treated as an emergency, so it can gradually turn the alarm back down.
What happens over our four sessions?
I work within a structured programme of four sessions (usually weekly, where possible) because meaningful change rarely happens in a single appointment. Each session builds on the last, giving your mind and body time to settle, learn and change.
Your first session starts with a conversation. We'll take time to understand what's been happening, what you'd like to be different, and answer any questions you have about the process. I'll then guide you into hypnosis, a calm, inward-focused state, rather like daydreaming, but with a purpose. You remain aware and in control throughout. Many people tell me it's one of the most relaxing experiences they've had in a long time.
Each session is tailored to you and builds on your progress, combining conversation, hypnosis and practical tools where appropriate. You'll also receive personalised audio recordings to listen to between sessions, helping to reinforce the work we're doing together.
What people often notice
People often come hoping for less pain, day to day. What tends to follow reaches further: more good days, more trust in your own body, and the confidence to move and live without constantly bracing for a flare-up.
Is this the right approach for you?
This work sits alongside your medical care, not in place of it. It's important that any chronic pain has been properly investigated by your GP or specialist first, to determine whether a clear structural cause is present. Once that's happened, mind-body approaches can be a genuinely evidenced part of the wider picture, particularly where pain has become persistent, or where stress and pain seem to feed each other.
Your free consultation is an opportunity for us to understand what's been happening and decide together whether this feels like the right approach for you.
Ready to release chronic pain?
Start with a free, friendly chatMelissa is an HPD Level 4 Clinical Hypnotherapist, registered with the NCH, BSCH and CNHC, working with adults, children and teens in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, and online.