Hypnotherapy for Pain Relief Using Researched Placebo Effect Studies
Course Title: Using Hypnotherapy for Pain Relief
Date: Saturday 8th November 2025 10am to 4pm
Type Of Course: Online Course - One Day
Brief Description of Course:
This course explores we can use the placebo effect to help clients get successful pain relief. It explores how hypnotherapy can harness the psychological mechanisms behind the placebo effect to support clients experiencing chronic pain. The course examines the evolution of placebo research from early clinical studies to contemporary neuroscience, revealing how belief, expectation, and the therapeutic environment can significantly influence pain perception. Hypnotherapy shares many core features with the placebo effect—such as suggestion, conditioning, and emotional support—and can be used to modulate pain through both psychological and physiological pathways.
Through theory, case studies, and practical techniques, students will learn how to ethically and effectively support clients with chronic pain using evidence-based hypnotherapy tools.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Explain the biological, psychological, and social components of pain
- Understand the role of key brain structures involved in pain perception and modulation
- Describe the history and mechanisms of the placebo effect and its relevance to pain relief
- Recognise the role of expectation, environment, and suggestion in placebo outcomes
- Identify the ethical considerations when using hypnotherapy for pain relief
- Apply a range of hypnotherapy techniques to reduce chronic pain, including visualisation, glove anaesthesia, and pain reframing
- Teach clients self-hypnosis for ongoing pain management
- Use positive language and therapeutic rapport to support placebo-like responses
- Integrate hypnotherapy as a complementary tool alongside conventional pain treatments for improved client comfort and wellbeing
The course includes handouts and scripts.
