Why do I keep getting migraines, even when I'm careful about triggers?
Migraine is a neurological condition where the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that includes sensory processing areas like the visual cortex, is naturally more excitable and reactive. This tendency often runs in families, and it's part of why some people get migraines rather than ordinary headaches in the first place.
A migraine-prone brain is easily sensitised by repeated attacks.
Once your brain has been through enough migraines, it can start reacting to smaller and smaller shifts in daily life: a change in sleep, a skipped meal, hormone fluctuations, a stretch of stress, even the weather. This is often why migraine frequency escalates over time, each attack leaves the nervous system a little more primed to react and more sensitive to pain, shaped by cumulative stress, poor sleep, or a body that's been braced for a long time.
We can't change the predisposition you were born with, or promise that your migraines will stop. But we can help the nervous system's heightened, on-guard state to settle down, increasing your trigger threshold and reducing the frequency or intensity of your migraines.
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 fewer, or less severe, migraines. What tends to follow reaches further: more predictable migraine patterns, less time spent bracing for the next one, and more capacity for daily life.
Is this the right approach for you?
This work sits alongside your medical care, not in place of it. Migraine should be properly diagnosed and managed by your GP or a neurologist, and any medication or treatment plan should continue as prescribed. Once that's in place, working with the nervous system's sensitivity can be a genuinely useful part of the wider picture, particularly where stress, sleep, or hormonal patterns seem to play a role.
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 reset?
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.