Pain Management

The American Psychological Association states that "hypnosis is likely to be effective for most people suffering from diverse forms of pain, with the possible exception of a minority of patients who are resistant to hypnotic interventions". Contrary to popular belief, being strong willed is not a restriction on being able to experience hypnosis. In fact, most people will experience some level of hypnosis with those with good imaginations and middle to high intelligence finding higher levels of success. In one study, "roughly 50 percent of people suffering from chronic back pain experienced relief lasting more than six months". As part of Stonetree Therapy's approach to utilizing hypnosis for pain management, your therapist can also teach you self-hypnosis strategies and in some cases provide recorded sessions for you to utilize in your own home.

In Dr. David Reid's assessment of the validated uses of hypnosis in Behavioral Health he notes that "Pain relief using hypnosis is perhaps the most comprehensively evaluated of all hypnotic phenomena, and may well be the most empirically supported application of hypnosis (Yapko, 2003)". He goes on to state that the research does not suggest a placebo function as key to its effectiveness but rather that pain relief "is a function of the disruption..of sensory information making its way to conscious awareness".