Pain Management Hypnosis in Portsmouth NH

Living Better with Chronic Pain

A science-informed, complementary approach to chronic pain

For those who want to explore what their own mind and nervous system might offer

Certified Professional

700+ Clients Helped

10+ Years of Experience

Free Audio Recording

You've Tried So Many Things - And You're Understandably Cautious

You’ve invested time, money, and hope into finding relief. Some things helped a little. Some didn’t help at all. Some worked for a while and then stopped working.

And through it all, the chronic pain persists. It affects your sleep, your work, your relationships, your ability to do the things you used to enjoy. You’ve been told to “learn to live with it”, but living with constant pain takes a toll that’s hard to explain to people who haven’t experienced it.

If you’re skeptical about trying something new, that makes complete sense. You’ve been disappointed before. The emotional cost of hoping for relief and not finding it is real – both financial and emotional – and I don’t take it lightly.

I’m not offering a cure. What I can offer is a focused, science-informed approach that many people find genuinely helpful – one that works with your body’s own systems rather than adding something external. Whether it’s right for you is something we can explore together.

How the Brain is Involved in Pain - And What that Might Mean for You

Research from a number of institutions has investigated how hypnosis may affect pain processing. Here’s the general picture that’s emerging:

Pain isn’t a purely physical sensation – it’s processed through the limbic system, the part of the brain involved in emotions, stress, and memory. This is part of why stress often makes pain worse, and why distraction can sometimes provide temporary relief.

Hypnosis can allow suggestions to reach the limbic system more directly – that part of the brain that influences how the body experiences pain signals. Through the nervous system’s own communication pathways, the limbic system can affect hormonal and neurochemical states – including cortisol, which in chronically elevated amounts can amplify pain and inflammation.

This isn’t mystical – it’s how the brain works. Hypnosis is essentially focused attention and concentration that may allow you to access your brain’s existing pain management capabilities more effectively. The same brain that can amplify pain through stress and worry may also be able to soften it through focused relaxation and suggestion.

Whether and how much this applies to your specific situation is something that can only be discovered by trying.

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A Complementary Approach - Not a Replacement for Your Medical Care

As a certified Pain Management Hypnotist in Portsmouth, NH, I work alongside your existing team – not in place of them.

My approach can involve exploring the beliefs and thought patterns that may be amplifying your pain experience. Chronic pain often comes wrapped in layers of old fear, anticipation, and bracing – patterns the mind develops that can, in some cases, intensify the physical sensation. We also work more directly on helping your brain access its natural pain modulation system through hypnosis.

What we work on together may include:

Encouraging the nervous system to send different signals
Supporting better function in daily activities
Reducing the emotional and stress components that can amplify pain
Improving sleep, which is often significantly disrupted by chronic pain
Teaching self-hypnosis techniques that you can practice independently

This isn’t about positive thinking or “mind over matter.” It’s about working with your nervous system in a focused, supported way – and being honest that the results will vary from person to person.

Chronic Pain Conditions This Approach May Help With

Pain Management Hypnosis may be useful for a range of chronic pain conditions, including:

Chronic headaches and migraines
Back pain and neck pain
Fibromyalgia
Arthritis and join pain
Post-surgical pain
Cancer-related pain
Nerve pain (neuropathic pain)
Phantom limb pain
Other chronic pain conditions that have persisted for 6 months or longer

Some people in the Portsmouth and seacoast NH area have found hypnosis a useful addition to their pain management when other approaches haven’t been fully satisfying. It’s not a guaranteed outcome – but for some, it offers something they hadn’t previously accessed.

Important: This approach is designed for diagnosed chronic pain conditions and works best alongside medical care. It is not appropriate for undiagnosed pain or acute conditions requiring immediate medical attention.

Credentials & Experience

About your Portsmouth Pain Management Hypnotist:

Certified Consulting Hypnotist from the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH)
Pain Management Certification through Ron Eslinger and the American School of Clinical Hypnosis International
10 years of client experience in hypnosis
Nearly 10 years as a research scientist – bringing careful, evidence-informed thinking to every session

A Collaborative Process

Explore

We look at any patterns of thought, stress, worry, fear and anticipation that may be shaping your chronic pain experience. What beliefs might be contributing to the pain?

Reframe

Through guided conversation, we work to discover new perspectives on your pain and your relationship to it - gently challenging automatic thoughts that may be intensifying pain signals.

Reinforce

Using hypnosis (which is, ultimately, self-hypnosis), we work together to offer your nervous system new possibilities - for comfort, relaxation, and reduced reactivity to pain. With practice, many people begin to notice a shift.

Visualize

We use mental imagery of you moving through with more ease, functioning with greater comfort, and experiencing more relief. This type of work can help the brain to form new associations around pain.

Practice

You receive the recording of each session to continue the work at home. Regular use deepens whatever positive effects emergy and gives you a resource to return to - particularly useful for sleep and managing difficult pain episodes.

For pain management, I recommend the 4-hour package as a foundation. Results typically build over multiple sessions – this isn’t a one-time intervention.

What Makes Hypnosis Worth Considering

Pain management hypnosis works with your body’s existing systems. Rather than adding something external, hypnosis invites your brain to use it’s own pain modulation mechanisms – which are already there, already yours.

Hypnosis has minimal side effects. Hypnosis uses your own focused attention. There’s nothing to react to, nothing to become dependent on.

You can use it independently. The techniques and recordings from your sessions become tools you can use on your own – without appointments, prescriptions, or ongoing costs.

It addresses the emotional dimension. Pain has both physical and emotional components. Hypnosis works with both – not by denying the physical, but by helping to reduce any fear and stress that often makes pain harder to bear.

It fits alongside everything else. This doesn’t ask you to give up your medications, your physical therapy, or any of your medical care. It’s designed to work alongside of it.

Addressing the Myths About Hypnosis

A Few Common Questions – Answered Honestly

"Is it Real, or just placebo?"

Research shows measureable changes in brain activity and pain perception with hypnosis. Studies at several major institutions have documented effects that go beyond placebo - though any placebo effect itself is real and worth respecting. What the research suggests is that hypnosis involves specific neurological pathways, not just belief. But the honest answer is: for you, the only way to know is to try.

"Will it work for me?"

There's no way to know in advance. Most people can enter a hypnotic state (even though they think they cannot), and many find some benefit - but responses vary. If you're willing to engage with the process, you're giving it a fair chance. If it doesn't help, that' important information also.

"Can hypnosis eliminate my pain completely?"

This is unlikely to be the right expectation. The goal is better management and improved function - not neccessarily elimination. Many people experience meaningful reduction in intensity or frequency. Others find pain is still present, but less intrusive.A few notice very little change. The range is real.

Working Together

It is recommended to do the 4-hour Hypnosis Package ($325) which includes a 2-hr initial session and two 1-hour follow-up sessions. Each session includes a recording for home practice.

$ 175

Breakthrough Discussion and Goal-Setting
Personalized Hypnosis
Audio Recording of Session

$ 95

Check-In and Goal-Setting
Personalized Hypnosis
Audio Recording of Session

$ 325

2-hr Initial Session and two 1-hr Follow-Ups
Personalized Hypnosis During Each Session
Audio Recordings of All 3 Sessions

Save $40

Not sure if this is right for you? Start with a free 15-minute Consultation. Check out my other offerings to quit smoking, stress support, and sports performance.

Curious Whether This Might Help? Let's Talk.

If you're open to exploring what hypnosis might offer for your pain - without pressure, and without promises - a free 15-minute consultation is a low-stakes place to start.

✓ No obligation ✓ Completely confidential ✓ Usually available within 48 hours