The struggle for control lies at the heart of many chronic pain conditions—but what if letting go could offer more relief than fighting ever could?

When faced with persistent symptoms, our natural instinct pushes us to fight, fix, and control. We've been conditioned to believe that addressing physical problems means actively engaging with them, finding their cause, and eliminating them through sheer determination. Yet for those with neuroplastic pain and symptoms, this approach often backfires, creating a feedback loop of frustration, fear, and worsening symptoms.

Drawing on Mel Robbins' powerful "Let Them" concept, we explore the counterintuitive approach of acceptance and allowing that can transform your relationship with chronic symptoms. This isn't about resignation—it's about recognizing what you genuinely can and cannot control. As Mel wisely states, "Focusing on what you can't control makes you stressed. Focusing on what you can control makes you feel powerful."

Tanner shares a deeply personal story of his longest pain flare after initial recovery, describing how weeks of attempting to control and fix his symptoms led nowhere. The breakthrough came only when he genuinely surrendered the fight, creating space for his nervous system to regulate and his symptoms to naturally subside. This powerful example demonstrates how our attitude toward symptoms can be more influential than any specific technique or practice.

Rather than fighting against pain and illness, we invite you to explore embodiment practices with curiosity and compassion, shift your focus toward meaningful activities aligned with your values, and remind yourself that your body is fundamentally safe and healthy. These approaches create the platform of safety from which true healing can emerge.

Ready to transform your relationship with chronic symptoms? Download our free embodiment practice using the link below, or explore our comprehensive digital course featuring over 60 somatic practices and brain retraining techniques designed to support your healing journey.

Embodiment Practice for Chronic Pain & Illness: https://youtu.be/FuE_XMbWEh4

Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com

Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ

And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy

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Depression and chronic pain create a vicious cycle that can feel impossible to break. If you're caught in this loop, you're not alone – and there's hope for healing both simultaneously.

Many people experience depression as a natural response to living with chronic pain, but few understand how these conditions feed each other through nervous system dysregulation. When your system stays in a heightened state of danger for too long, it can trigger both physical symptoms and a freeze/shutdown response we recognize as depression.

Throughout this episode, we share our personal experiences with this cycle and outline four key strategies to break free. We explore how purposeful action – starting with tiny steps like brief journaling or getting sunlight – can gradually mobilize your nervous system out of shutdown. We discuss true embodiment practices that create safety with all sensations rather than forcing toxic positivity. We highlight the importance of modifying activities instead of complete avoidance, and we provide guidance on creating a depression flare plan for your most difficult days.

The sensitization cycle connecting pain and depression is real and brutal, but understanding this connection is the first step toward healing. Whether you experience exhaustion, low motivation, social withdrawal, or all of these symptoms alongside your chronic pain and illness, your body isn't broken – your nervous system is simply trying to protect you the best way it knows how.

As someone who has personally healed from debilitating chronic pain and depression using these approaches, I can tell you that recovery is possible. Each small step you take creates momentum toward healing both conditions simultaneously. Join us as we explore this crucial mind-body connection and provide practical tools to help you reclaim your life.

Ready to start healing? Check out our free emotion practice video, explore our comprehensive online course, or book a consultation with one of our therapists through the links below.

Free emotion practice: https://youtu.be/CC6wTTaWJaY

Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com

Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ

And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy

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Why do some people recover from chronic pain and illness with seemingly imperfect techniques while others follow every strategy meticulously yet struggle? The answer lies not in what you're doing, but how you're doing it.

The foundation of effective healing isn't mastering complicated strategies—it's cultivating the right mindset. When we approach recovery with intensity, pressure, perfectionism, or fear, we inadvertently signal danger to our nervous systems, perpetuating the very symptoms we're trying to resolve.

True healing begins with creating safety. This means embracing slowness, lightness, and ease in your practices and daily life. It means removing self-imposed healing deadlines and giving yourself permission for days off without guilt. It means slowing your walking pace, speaking more deliberately, and allowing unstructured free time—simple yet powerful ways to signal safety to your nervous system.

Facing fears represents another crucial mindset shift. While strategic avoidance during intense flare-ups makes sense, perpetual avoidance reinforces your brain's perception of danger. Those who recover most successfully gradually expose themselves to feared triggers, sensations, and activities, dismantling their "rule book" of avoidance behaviors one small challenge at a time.

Perhaps most fulfilling is reclaiming purposeful action. Chronic pain often disconnects us from activities that bring joy and meaning. Reconnecting with your values—whether through helping others, enjoying nature, or simply having dinner with friends—regulates your nervous system in ways meditation alone cannot. Start wherever your current capacity allows, extending compassion to yourself throughout the process.

Finally, cultivate genuine hope in your recovery through whatever resonates—understanding the science, hearing success stories, or tracking "healing wins" beyond pain reduction. Notice how you're responding to symptoms with less fear, widening your world, and improving emotional regulation as evidence of your progress.

This week, we challenge you to focus more on your healing mindset than on perfecting techniques. The path forward isn't about trying harder—it's about creating the internal conditions where healing naturally unfolds.

Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com

Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ

And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy

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Have you ever wondered if your determination to overcome chronic pain might actually be keeping you stuck? This eye-opening discussion reveals how our natural tendency to fight against uncomfortable symptoms can backfire by triggering more nervous system dysregulation.

Tanner and Anne expertly break down the fight response – not just physical fighting, but the tension, racing thoughts, urgent behaviors, and constant attempts to fix and figure out our symptoms. "I was perpetually in fight mode for my first two years," Tanner reveals, highlighting how many of us fall into this pattern without realizing it's counterproductive.

Through practical examples and compassionate guidance, they explain why frantically researching solutions, scheduling endless appointments, and pushing through pain actually sends danger signals to your brain, perpetuating the very symptoms you're trying to eliminate. The solution? A paradoxical approach that involves allowing your sensations rather than battling them.

You'll discover practical strategies for breaking free from the fight cycle – embodying sensations instead of amplifying them, using safe self-talk, and embracing short-term acceptance that signals safety to your nervous system. Perhaps most challenging is learning to embrace uncertainty rather than constantly seeking control.

Whether you struggle with chronic pain, mysterious symptoms, or find yourself constantly fighting to fix your body, this episode offers a refreshing perspective that could transform your healing journey. Notice when you're going into fight mode this week and try gently stepping out of it – your nervous system will thank you.

Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com

Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ

And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy

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What if the key to healing chronic pain isn't fixing your symptoms, but releasing the emotions trapped in your body? When our nervous systems get stuck in protection mode due to stress, trauma, or childhood experiences, physical symptoms often follow—creating a feedback loop that's difficult to break.

Most of us respond to difficult emotions in ways that keep us stuck. Some disconnect completely, living "neck up" in a state of perpetual analysis (alexithymia). Others view emotions as inherently dangerous, having learned from experiences where emotions seemed overwhelming or unsafe. Many consciously avoid emotions through distraction, never allowing themselves to fully process what's happening in their bodies.

Breaking this cycle requires what we call "the purge"—letting yourself fully experience and release emotional energy. This isn't always pretty. It might involve crying, shaking, or journaling raw truths. But when we allow this natural process instead of intellectualizing or ignoring our feelings, we help our nervous system regulate and begin healing.

The process starts with recognizing emotions as bodily sensations. Sadness isn't just a concept—it's hollowness in your chest or a pit in your stomach. By approaching these sensations with curiosity rather than resistance, and creating safety through techniques like breathwork and self-compassion, we can release what's been trapped.

This approach combines elements from pain reprocessing therapy, somatic experiencing, emotional awareness and expression therapy, and polyvagal theory. When practiced consistently, it creates a positive feedback loop—reducing resistance, releasing emotional energy, regulating your nervous system, and diminishing pain.

Ready to transform your relationship with emotions and chronic symptoms? Try our free 20-minute somatic practice for releasing emotions on YouTube, or explore our comprehensive digital course "The Somatic Safety Method" with over 60 specialized practices. Your body has deep wisdom—when you listen and release what it's holding, healing becomes possible.

Free Practice: https://youtu.be/CC6wTTaWJaY

Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com

Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ

And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy

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Ever notice how your chronic pain worsens during stress but mysteriously disappears when you're deeply engaged in something meaningful? That's exactly what chronic pain recovery coach Gemma McFall discovered during her decade-long battle with debilitating back pain.

From meticulous symptom tracking (she literally mapped six specific pain points daily) to endless medical treatments across continents, Gemma's healing journey dramatically shifted when she discovered the mind-body approach through Dr. John Sarno's work. Within three months, she experienced her first pain-free day – not by fighting harder against her pain, but by understanding its true origins.

What makes Gemma's approach uniquely powerful is her focus on personality strengths. Rather than viewing traits like perfectionism and high achievement as problems to overcome, she helps clients recognize these as fundamental aspects of themselves that simply need balancing. Using the Gallup Strengths Finder assessment, she guides people to leverage their natural strengths while avoiding the burnout that contributes to physical symptoms.

"I realized there was a direct correlation – on days when I couldn't express my 'Achiever' strength, I'd get pain. And on days when I used it too much, I'd also get pain," Gemma explains. This insight led to her development of the "4P" coaching framework: Pain understanding, Personality insights, Past experiences, and Practical tools – a comprehensive approach that meets each client exactly where they are.

Whether you're mapping your own pain patterns obsessively or feeling lost in an endless cycle of treatments, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective on recovery.

Connect with Gemma here:

Website - https://gemmamcfall.com/

Free Self Assessment - https://gemmamcfall.com/free/

LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/gemmamcfall

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gemmamcfall/

Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com

Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ

And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy

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Your body speaks in sensations, not words, and chronic pain or illness can be its desperate cry for safety. When your nervous system feels threatened—whether from past trauma, prolonged stress, or childhood adversity—it generates protective symptoms as alarm bells.

Most of us respond to these signals with frustration, anger, and self-blame, creating a vicious cycle that only heightens nervous system dysregulation and intensifies symptoms. Breaking this pattern requires a fundamental shift in how we communicate with the hurt parts of ourselves. This episode explores the cognitive dimension of that shift through self-kindness phrases—gentle wishes like "May I care for myself during this moment of suffering" or "May I accept myself just as I am"—that provide an alternative to the harsh self-talk perpetuating our pain.

These phrases differ crucially from positive affirmations because they acknowledge our struggles while opening possibilities for healing. When combined with deep breathing and regular practice, they begin rewiring our automatic responses to symptoms. Through Tanner's personal story of childhood bullying and subsequent perfectionism, we see how understanding the origins of our nervous system patterns allows us to provide precisely what our younger selves needed but didn't receive—acceptance, belonging, and unconditional worth.

Ready to transform your relationship with chronic pain and illness? Practice the guided self-compassion meditation in this episode, and join us next week as we explore the somatic dimension of creating safety through touch, movement, and breathwork. For additional support, check out our digital course with comprehensive resources on nervous system regulation and self-compassion: https://www.mbodycommunity.com/

Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com

Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ

And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy

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The moment someone tells you "you're just too sensitive," a little piece of you might shrink inside. That dismissal of your experience happens far too often for the 15-20% of us who identify as highly sensitive people. But what if your sensitivity isn't a weakness to overcome but an important aspect of who you are—one that deserves understanding, especially when chronic pain enters the picture?

Sensitivity creates a unique relationship with pain. Your heightened awareness of both internal and external stimuli means your nervous system processes the world differently. Like a smoke alarm with the sensitivity dialed up, your brain might trigger pain signals more readily than others. This doesn't make your pain any less real; it simply means your path to healing might look different too.

Throughout this episode, we share personal stories about navigating life as sensitive people (our whole household qualifies—except perhaps our fearless cat, Hermione!). Tanner opens up about his experiences from childhood through adulthood, from feeling overwhelmed in locker room roughhousing to managing financial stress differently. These aren't stories of weakness but illustrations of how differently our nervous systems can be wired.

The good news? Understanding this connection unlocks powerful healing possibilities. Rather than fighting against your sensitivity, we explore how embracing it while developing regulation skills creates lasting relief. Through embodiment practices, safety signals (like breathwork and movement), and gradual exposure to overwhelming stimuli, you can teach your brain new patterns while honoring your sensitive nature.

Your sensitivity likely gives you gifts others don't share: deeper empathy, creativity, meaningful connections, and an appreciation for beauty's subtleties. As you listen to this episode, we hope you'll begin to see your sensitivity not as something to overcome, but as an essential part of you that—when properly understood—might be your greatest strength in overcoming chronic pain and creating the life you truly desire.

Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com

Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ

And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy

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