Hypnotherapy for Chronic Pain
Your pain is real, and your nervous system can learn a new way.
Pain is the brain's protective output, not a direct readout of tissue damage. After injury, illness, surgery or long periods of stress, the nervous system can become sensitized: nerves fire more easily, signals get amplified, and the brain stays on high alert. That's why pain can persist, spread or intensify even after tissues heal, or when scans and labs come back normal.
The good news is that the same neuroplasticity that lets pain become learned also lets it be unlearned. In brain imaging research, hypnosis changed how unpleasant pain felt, and activity shifted in the part of the brain that processes the emotional side of pain.¹
In our work together, I use clinical hypnotherapy, pain neuroscience education and CBT-based tools to calm the threat response, shift how sensation is interpreted, and help you get back to the life you want. You stay aware and in control throughout, and you'll learn self-hypnosis to use on your own.
What the Research Shows
Across 85 controlled studies, hypnosis produced meaningful pain relief for most people, about 29–42% depending on how responsive they were to hypnosis.²
In adults with chronic musculoskeletal or nerve pain, hypnosis moderately reduced pain intensity and how much pain interferes with daily life, with the strongest results at 8 or more sessions.³
Hypnosis has some of its strongest evidence before and after medical procedures, reducing pain and distress around surgery.⁴
Not everyone responds equally, and hypnosis works best as a complement to your medical care, not a replacement.
What It Can Help With
Fibromyalgia⁵
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), as part of your pain team's plan
Pain and anxiety before and after surgery or medical procedures
Dental pain and dental anxiety
Chronic back, neck and nerve pain
Pain that persists after injury or surgery
Working Alongside Your Care Team
I don't replace your medical care. I add to it. With your permission, I coordinate with your primary care provider and the Hood River pain clinic so we're working toward the same goals. As a PA-C and LCSW with 15+ years in psychiatric medicine and behavioral health, I speak your medical team's language.
With chronic pain, much of the suffering comes from how the mind and nervous system respond to pain: anxiety, catastrophizing, and fear of pain and movement are amplified. Hypnotherapy works directly on these patterns, helping your nervous system feel safer and changing your relationship with pain, not just the sensation itself. Our sessions also include tools from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for chronic pain, like pacing your activity and improving sleep. CBT reliably improves daily function and distress,⁶ and the two approaches reinforce each other.
Sometimes I also add a short session of Reiki to your appointment. Many people find it profoundly relaxing, and I offer it as a gentle complement to our work together.
Cost
Sessions are $160 for 60 minutes, $225 for 90 minutes, and $300 for 2 hours. Research suggests the best results come with about 8 or more sessions.
Billing and Insurance
I'm an out-of-network, self-pay provider and provide a superbill you can submit for possible reimbursement from your insurance company. I recommend checking your out of-network benefits for psychotherapy - most insurance companies reimburse between 60-70% after you meet your deductible. Hypnotherapy for a diagnosed medical condition is also HSA/FSA eligible, and I can provide a letter of medical necessity if your plan requires one.
👉 Schedule a 30 min intake appointment
References
Rainville P, et al. Science. 1997;277:968-971.
Thompson T, et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019;99:298-310.
Langlois P, et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2022. PMID 35192910.
Tefikow S, et al. Clin Psychol Rev. 2013;33:623-636; Montgomery GH, et al. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007;99:1304-1312.
Klose P, et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disorder. 2011;12:133.
Williams ACdC, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;8:CD007407.