Pain Management with Hypnosis
Living with pain can pull attention and energy away from the things that matter to you. Hypnosis offers a way to explore focused attention, imagery, and relaxation as part of your pain-management plan.
An additional way to work with pain
Pain is real. Using hypnosis doesn't mean your symptoms are imagined or that you should be able to think them away. Sessions focus on your experience of discomfort and the responses you'd like to develop.
Your goals might include feeling less tense, practicing a calming routine, or finding a different way to direct your attention. We'll talk about what matters to you and review whether the exercises help in daily life.
What a session involves
The approach is tailored to your comfort and goals. A session may include:
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A conversation about your goals, current care, and what you've already tried
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Guidance to settle your attention and explore a comfortable level of relaxation
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Imagery and suggestions built around the experience you want to work on
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Practice with techniques you can choose to use between visits
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Time to reorient, ask questions, and talk about what you noticed
What hypnosis feels like
Experiences vary. Some people notice relaxation or vivid imagery; others feel focused and alert without a dramatic change in sensation. You can speak, ask questions, request a pause, or stop an exercise.
Working alongside your care
Hypnosis doesn't identify the cause of pain or replace medical assessment. Please have new, changing, or unexplained pain evaluated by a healthcare professional. Decisions about medication, surgery, or rehabilitation belong with your medical team.
Hypnosis sessions are in person at my Kalamazoo office, alongside your existing medical care. Before you travel, a free phone consultation gives us time to discuss your goals, the appointment length, and any comfort needs before you travel.
What the research says
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports growing evidence that hypnosis may help manage some painful conditions. That can't predict how any one person will respond; the condition, the approach, and your individual experience all matter.
Read NCCIH's overview of hypnosis research.
Is this approach a good fit?
You don't need to know how to "do hypnosis" before we talk. In a free 30-minute consultation, by phone or in person, I'll explain the approach and what a session involves. Then we can decide together whether it fits the kind of help you're looking for.
Start with a conversation
Book a free consultation to talk about your goals and ask questions before scheduling sessions.
Individual results vary. No particular level of pain relief is guaranteed.