Clinical Hypnotherapy for Chronic Pain Management in Skipton

A clinically informed approach led by a Registered Mental Health Nurse with 20 years’ NHS experience

✓ NMC Registered Mental Health Nurse

✓ 20 years NHS Experience

✓ Fully Insured

✓ Enhanced DBS Checked

Evidence-based support that complements your existing pain management plan

Evidence-based, individualised support tailored by Christopher Hardy, a Registered Mental Health Nurse of 20 years' NHS experience - to manage the impact of chronic pain

Clinically informed support to complement your existing pain management plan

Every treatment plan is tailored to your individual needs and designed to work alongside, rather than replace, your existing medical care.

Based on Modern Pain Science

An evidence-based approach, recognising the close relationship between the brain, nervous system and the experience of pain.

It can impact your sleep, mood, confidence, relationships, work and overall quality of life. While medical treatment remains essential, research suggests that clinical hypnotherapy can help some people reduce pain-related distress, improve coping, and lessen the impact persistent pain has on everyday life. At Asclepieia Hypnotherapy in Skipton, Christopher Hardy combines 20 years of NHS Mental Health Nursing experience with professional clinical hypnotherapy to provide a safe, evidence-informed approach that complements your existing pain management.

Our approach is based on modern pain science, recognising the close relationship between the brain, nervous system and the experience of pain. Through structured hypnotherapy and practical self-management techniques, such as controlled breathing exercises, we aim to reduce stress, encourage relaxation and help you develop greater confidence in managing persistent pain. Every treatment plan is tailored to your individual needs and designed to work alongside, rather than replace, your existing medical care.

If you're looking for additional support in managing chronic pain, get in touch today to arrange a free 15-minute consultation and explore whether clinical hypnotherapy could form part of your personalised pain management plan.

Christopher Hardy, Registered Mental Health Nurse and Clinical Hypnotherapist

About Chris

Living with Chronic Pain can affect far more than your body

Christopher Hardy is a Registered Mental Health Nurse with two decades of experience in the NHS, spanning acute psychiatric care, crisis support, and patient safety. His extensive clinical background allows him to bridge the gap between traditional mental health care and hypnotherapy, ensuring every session is rooted in safety, ethics, and a deep understanding of psychological distress. Based in Skipton, Chris brings a warm, genuinely human approach to his practice, offering a non-judgmental space where you can work through challenges at your own pace.

Living with persistent pain is exhausting. It is not just about the physical ache; it is the way it shrinks your world. It is the frustration of waking up already tired, the anxiety of wondering if a flare-up will disrupt your plans, and the invisible weight of feeling like your own body is working against you. When standard treatments have not provided sufficient relief, it can feel incredibly isolating.

In my 20 years as an NHS Mental Health Nurse, I've seen how deeply chronic pain can affect every aspect of daily life, draining energy, affecting mood, limiting independence, and making even simple tasks feel overwhelming. While chronic pain is complex, there is good scientific evidence that psychological approaches, including clinical hypnosis, can help some people change how pain is experienced and managed. At Asclepieia Hypnotherapy and Wellness in Skipton, I combine this extensive clinical background with evidence-informed hypnotherapy to help you reduce pain-related distress, lessen the impact pain has on daily life, and regain a greater sense of control.

Understanding the Mind-Body Pain Cycle

Pain is not produced solely by injured tissues. Modern pain science recognises that the brain and nervous system play an active role in how pain is experienced. For some people living with persistent pain, the nervous system can become increasingly sensitive over time - a process often referred to as central sensitisation. This means the brain and nervous system may continue to interpret pain signals as important or threatening, even after tissues have healed or where no ongoing damage fully explains the level of pain experienced.

Stress can further contribute to this cycle. Persistent pain often increases stress, while stress can increase muscle tension, disturb sleep, heighten emotional distress, and make pain feel more intense. This can create a self-perpetuating cycle in which pain and stress reinforce one another.

Clinical hypnotherapy aims to help interrupt aspects of this cycle by guiding you into a deeply relaxed, focused state of attention. Within this state, therapeutic techniques may help reduce the emotional distress associated with pain, encourage relaxation, and support changes in how pain is experienced (Jensen & Patterson, 2014). Neuroimaging research also suggests that hypnosis is associated with altered activity in brain regions involved in attention, pain processing, and pain modulation, including the anterior cingulate cortex, which may contribute to reductions in the experience of pain (Landry, Lifshitz & Raz, 2017).

Although hypnotherapy is not a cure for chronic pain and does not replace appropriate medical assessment or treatment, research suggests it can be a valuable part of a multidisciplinary approach to pain management for some individuals.

A Simple Grounding Technique to Try Right Now

One way to begin calming your nervous system is through Box Breathing, a straightforward technique that uses slow, controlled breathing to encourage relaxation. Research suggests this style of breathing may increase parasympathetic (vagal) activity, helping shift the body towards a calmer physiological state.

Inhale: Breathe in gently through your nose for a count of four, allowing your abdomen to expand.
Hold: Pause comfortably for a count of four.
Exhale: Breathe out slowly through your mouth for a count of four.
Pause: Rest for a count of four before breathing in again.

Repeat this cycle four times. While it may not remove pain, many people notice that slowing the breath helps reduce tension and creates a greater sense of calm, making discomfort feel slightly more manageable.

Why Choose Asclepieia Hypnotherapy in Skipton?

When seeking therapeutic support for a long-term health condition, professional experience and clinical safety matter.

My practice is founded on two decades of experience within the NHS as a Registered Mental Health Nurse (RNMH), supported by a BSc (Hons) and Diploma in Professional Studies in Nursing (DipPSN). Every aspect of my work is informed by contemporary clinical practice, evidence-informed psychological principles, and an understanding of the complex interaction between physical health, emotional wellbeing, and the nervous system.

From my dedicated clinic in Skipton, North Yorkshire, I provide personalised, face-to-face therapy for people across Craven and the surrounding areas who are looking to complement their existing medical pain management with evidence-informed psychological approaches.

If you're curious whether clinical hypnotherapy could complement your current pain management, please feel free to reach out and book a free 15-minute consultation. Together, we can discuss your situation, answer any questions you may have, and explore whether this approach is appropriate for your needs.

References

Jensen, M. P., & Patterson, D. R. (2014). Hypnotic approaches for chronic pain management: Clinical implications of recent research findings. American Psychologist, 69(2), 167–177.

Landry, M., Lifshitz, M., & Raz, A. (2017). Brain correlates of hypnosis: A systematic review and meta-analytic exploration of functional neuroimaging. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 81, 75–98.

Thompson, T., Terhune, D. B., Oram, C., Sharangparni, J., Rouf, R., Solmi, M., Veronese, N., & Stubbs, B. (2019). The effectiveness of hypnosis for pain relief: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 85 controlled experimental trials. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 99, 298–310.

Email

Phone

hello@asclepieiahypnotherapy.co.uk

01756 228611

Asclepieia Hypnotherapy and Wellness, The Divergent Space, 6 Victoria St, Skipton BD23 1JE

CLINIC Address

Also part of the Asclepieia family: Acupuncture by Nurse Jennie