PAIN HYPNOSIS

If you are struggling with pain on a daily basis, and you feel like your current treatments are not giving you the relief that you hope for…

then hypnotherapy might help you.

You do not need to use hypnotherapy in isolation. Rather, you can use it with other treatments. It can also be useful for reducing your reliance on pain medications.

If you are receiving other psychological treatments to help your pain, then do please make sure that you have spoken to your psychologist before considering hypnotherapy, as treatments may overlap, or the different approaches may be confusing and affect your outcome.

@Copyright –  Artwork by Constanza Isaza Martínez

@Copyright –  Artwork by Constanza Isaza Martínez

Unlike most people offering hypnotherapy for pain management, I am both medically qualified and a specialist in pain management.

The importance of psychological methods such as cognitive behavioural therapy as part of the overall management of chronic pain have been known about for many years. Over the last few decades a huge body of scientific evidence has been published to support this and we have become increasingly aware of the interactions between our social environment, mental and physical well being and how these contribute to how we experience pain. We have also become increasingly aware of the complex systems we have for processing pain and the many ways that chronic pain can arise and persist. Hypnotherapy is one of the well evidenced therapy options that has proved powerful for many people. This is not to dismiss the importance of well-established medical treatments such as medication and injections but rather to acknowledge that these have their own risks and limitations.

The role of exercise, physiotherapy and other physical treatments remains of the utmost importance for many people in managing, preventing and recovering from chronic pain and again, this is supported by a large well-established body of scientific evidence.

Overall we have to pay attention to our whole being and also where we fit in to our own environment of family, friends and work.

The use of hypnosis may be seen in this context. When we learn to use it correctly for ourselves as part of our treatment it will empower us and help us manage and even overcome our chronic pain.

@Copyright –  Artwork by Constanza Isaza Martínez

Why work with me?

As a Consultant in Pain Medicine, I have years of treating painful conditions, so I can assess your problems from a clinical point of view, and with specific expertise.

I will help you to understand your symptoms, diagnosis, treatments that you may have had, and I will also give you another perspective on your treatments, if you require it.

If anything seems of concern, or if I think you would also benefit from an additional treatment, I will assist you in getting access to further help.

I will work with you in an integrative way that is centred on you, taking into account the physical, psychological, emotional, work and social factors that are involved in your pain experience.

Pain is so much more than feeling something that hurts. It is a body and brain experience we call embodiment; cues we get from sensations and emotions which are interpreted through a lens of our beliefs and previous experiences.

I work with many individuals who have not been able to find a relief for their painful symptoms, and have been from specialist to specialist, trying all kinds of injections, surgeries, medications, and physical therapies.

Pain hypnotherapy can offer an effective approach to managing pain, which may be life changing. If you have been in pain for years, or tired, exhausted, or burdened with the anxiety around your pain, I can help you learn the skills of mastering your pain, reduce reliance on medications, and enjoy the confidence that comes with being back in control of your life.

A bit about me and my experience:

I qualified in medical sciences at Cambridge University in 1982. I qualified in clinical medicine from Oxford University in 1985.

I trained in anaesthesia at the Middlesex, University College and Royal London Hospitals, and was a Harvard University clinical  fellow in pain medicine and regional anaesthesia from July 1991 to December 1992.

I became a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore in 1996, retiring in 2020. I was the founding member of our service and its clinical lead for many years and I was instrumental with my colleagues in growing and developing what is now a large and flourishing multidisciplinary service.

I have maintained a teaching interest. Having hosted many clinical fellows (doctors receiving specialist training prior to becoming consultants) including several who are now eminent specialists in their own right. I also initiated and developed a monthly teaching programme for clinical fellows in pain medicine working in and around London that has achieved a national reputation.

I am a fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists including. Fellow of their faculty of pain medicine, I am an accredited member of the British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis.  I am currently on the Council of the Pain Section of the Royal Society of Medicine having previously served as their president. Over the last year I and a colleague from the RSM hypnosis section have co-organised a series of webinars featuring world leaders in the research and development of clinical hypnosis for the treatment of pain.

I am a registered specialist with the General Medical Council, number 7537145, and I hold professional indemnity through the Medical Defence Union. I am also currently training in integrative psychotherapy that leads to UKCP accreditation on completion.

If you’re looking for a different approach to managing your pain and want to get back in control of your life, come and see me.

Where I Work

I am based at The Forge Psychotherapy Group in Stanmore. This is a new and forward looking psychotherapy practice in a beautiful building. I will be practising there in my field of medical hypnosis. Please do look at The Forge website for more information. I also work both in Central London at 10 Harley Street for those people who prefer a Central London location.

The Forge, 99 Stanmore Hill

10 Harley Street, London