I dislike the expression “it’s all in your head” because it presumes that what you are experiencing is less than real. Pain is not “unreal” or “in your head,” but instead the relay system travels through your brain, like a train station, and changes can be made at that station.

Living without pain is possible

and even a little easy, once you know how to control it.

There is a 4-point approach to pain blocking that I have used successfully with clients and with myself. It takes approximately 4 hours over 3 sessions to learn and implement.

• Session 1: Intake, 1 hour. Taking of complete physical and psychiatric history.
• Session 2: Hypnotherapy, 2 hours. Teaching of methods and tools and some practice. Best if pain is minimal to moderate, not acute, during this session.
• Session 3: Follow up, 1 hour. Anything missed can be fixed, teaching of additional tools, fixing and honing skills for best use.

Pain blocking:

1. Teach color visualization and breathing skill for use with acute pain.
2. Education about and visualization of pain’s messenger.
3. Education and role play of pain blocking techniques.
4. Visualization and role play of potential pain situation.

Speaking to my own experiences, I have overcome chronic lower back pain and have been tattooed without pain.

I herniated disc L4-5, in the lower back, and was in daily pain for years until hypnotherapy changed that for me. It was slightly less after my session, and got better and better as I utilized the techniques. After a few weeks, I was needing the techniques less, to where I was forgetting to use them for days or weeks at a time. After a couple of months, at this point I was not using the techniques at all, I cleaned out the garage and was taking a shower afterward, saying to myself “the hot water will loosen up my back” when I realized my back wasn’t even tight. Such a task would have normally laid me out for at least several hours if not several days, but I wasn’t even sore! That’s when the skeptic in me believed completely and I realized this was a gift to be shared. I honed my techniques until they were tight and solid and began working on pain with clients.

The next thing for myself was a 10-hour tattoo (over 3 sessions). I wanted to be present and engaged, not “drifted away” like many of the available hypnotherapy pain CDs make available. I know that pain is just a message and that there is no need for the message if you are getting voluntarily “injured” as through tattooing, so I needed to dismiss the messenger and block the pain as it recurred. It was an active process, but I shed no tears, and felt almost no pain in any of the process.

I also have a jaw problem called TMJ, so that going to the dentist caused me terrible headaches for a day after a cleaning, but that is no longer an issue. My jaw is not fixed, but I can control the relay system where the pain flows through, and shut it off there so that I do not experience any of it.

If you have: migraines, chronic pain, TMJ, back pain, an upcoming surgery, an upcoming dental procedure, upcoming allergy testing, have to administer shots for diabetes or fertility, or any other pain or procedure you would rather not be bothered by, call to book your intake appointment at 954-612-9553.

Treatment centers: Every treatment center needs to be teaching this technique to their clients, especially former opioid users, to stop the cycle of addiction. I can come teach this to your clients individually or in small groups (up to 5 persons). Please call me to schedule a meeting and how I can serve your population at 954-612-9553.

Distance training is also available by live webinar.

Autumn Hahn is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist practicing at Clear Mind Group in Weston, Florida. Call 954-612-9553 for a consultation. Follow Autumn on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. Sign up for the e-newsletter HERE.