Hypnosis for Pain Management
ISBN: 978-1-4338-4568-0Available formats
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Hypnosis can be an effective alternative or compliment to pharmaceutical pain relief for both acute and chronic pain. Hypnosis for Pain Management illustrates two distinct hypnotic approaches to the treatment of chronic pain: The first method used demonstrates a traditional hypnotic approach incorporating self-hypnosis and three specific suggestions for pain reduction. The second presents a nonlinear, Ericksonian approach focused on engaging unconscious resources. The video features a demonstration with guest experts David R. Patterson, PhD, and M. Elena Mendoza, PhD, using these two approaches with a woman experiencing chronic pain. The two therapists then discuss the session in depth with host Eric Spiegel, PhD, highlighting key clinical concepts and techniques.
Hypnosis for pain management employs clinical hypnosis to relieve acute pain—such as that associated with trauma, surgery, and dentistry—and to manage chronic pain, defined as pain lasting longer than six months. Hypnosis for acute pain is often straightforward and highly effective, helping individuals reduce anxiety and experience less discomfort during medical and dental procedures.
Chronic pain, by contrast, is more complex and is best addressed through hypnosis embedded within a comprehensive biopsychosocial framework. This approach uses hypnosis as part of psychotherapy for chronic pain, with the goal of effective pain management rather than a cure. In practice, hypnosis is integrated with cognitive-behavioral strategies, motivational interviewing, meditation, and carefully structured approaches to increasing activity and exercise safely.
David R. Patterson, PhD, ABPP, is an emeritus professor of psychology in the Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, Surgery, and Psychology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and monographs focusing on pain management, bioethics, and psychological adjustment to burn injuries and trauma. His work has been published in leading journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine.
From 1989 to 2020, Dr. Patterson received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health to conduct randomized controlled trials on the treatment of burn pain and trauma-related pain. He has developed internship and postdoctoral training programs and has mentored hundreds of students and trainees. An internationally recognized expert, Dr. Patterson has delivered keynote addresses and clinical workshops in dozens of countries, and his work has been featured frequently in national and international media over the past three decades. His book, co-authored with M. Elena Mendoza, PhD, Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control, was published in 2024.
M. Elena Mendoza, PhD, LCP, is a researcher and clinical psychologist with more than 25 years of professional experience. As a Fulbright U.S. Scholar at Indiana University, she conducted research on the clinical applications of hypnosis in smoking cessation, dentistry, and pediatric populations. At the University of Valencia (Spain), she has led research on beliefs and attitudes toward hypnosis and on the clinical applications of waking hypnosis, known as the Valencia Model of Waking Hypnosis.
Dr. Mendoza has also conducted research on the use of waking hypnosis for cancer-related symptoms and multiple sclerosis–related fatigue. Her work has been published in numerous national and international scientific journals. She is the coauthor, with David R. Patterson, PhD, of Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control (2024). Dr. Mendoza is a founding member of the Association for the Advancement of Experimental and Applied Hypnosis (AAEAH; Spain) and is a member of APA Division 30 (Society of Psychological Hypnosis).
APA videos
Hypnosis for Pain Control
David R. Patterson, PhD, ABPP
Integrated Treatment Strategies for Chronic Pain and Opioid Management
Jennifer L. Murphy, PhD, and Samantha Rafie, PhD
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain
Beth Darnall, PhD
Pain Management
Robert J. Gatchel, PhD
Chronic Illness
Len Sperry, PhD
Ericksonian Hypnotherapy for an Impulse Problem
Jeffrey K. Zeig, PhD
APA books
Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control
David R. Patterson
Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control: A Comprehensive Approach to Management and Treatment, Second Edition
David R. Patterson and M. Elena Mendoza
Psychological Treatment for Patients With Chronic Pain
Beth Darnall
Essentials of Clinical Hypnosis: An Evidence-Based Approach
Steven Jay Lynn and Irving Kirsch
Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis, Second Edition
Edited by Steven Jay Lynn, Judith W. Rhue, and Irving Kirsch
Cognitive Therapy
Keith S. Dobson
Other suggested resources
Patterson, D. R., & Mendoza, M. E. (2025). Eight modules of psychotherapy for chronic pain informed by hypnosis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207144.2025.2531452
Patterson, D. R., & Mendoza, M. E. (2025). Three models for using hypnosis for chronic pain management. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cns0000434
Mendoza, M. E., Jensen, M. P., & Patterson, D. R. (in review). Hypnosis for pain management. In Bonica's Management of Pain (6th ed.).
Jensen, M. P. (2011). Hypnosis for chronic pain management: Therapist guide. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780199772384.001.0001
Williams, R. M., Day, M. A., Ehde, D. M., Turner, A. P., Ciol, M. A., Gertz, K. J., Patterson, D. R., Hakimian, S., Suri, P., & Jensen, M. P. (2022). Effects of hypnosis vs. mindfulness meditation vs. education on chronic pain intensity and secondary outcomes in veterans: A randomized clinical trial. Pain, 163(10), 19051918. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002586
Jensen, M. P., Mendoza, M. E., Ehde, D. M., Patterson, D. R., Molton, I. R., Dillworth, T. M., Gertz, K. J., Chan, J., Hakimian, S., Battalio, S. L., & Ciol, M. A. (2020). Effects of hypnosis, cognitive therapy, hypnotic cognitive therapy, and pain education in adults with chronic pain: A randomized clinical trial. Pain, 161(10), 2284-2298. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001943
