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From Pain to Freedom: My Journey to Healing and Helping Others

For 25 years, I lived with debilitating chronic pain—RSI, knee pain, and a long list of other diagnoses. I know what it’s like to feel trapped, searching for answers, and wondering if things will ever get better. But I also know that healing is possible because I’ve experienced it myself. Now, my mission is to help others move from pain and fear to freedom and well-being.

Life isn’t easy. I’ve navigated career pressures, parental estrangement, anxiety, loss, and the relentless demands of family life—all while dealing with chronic pain. It’s exhausting, and I understand how easy it is to put everyone else’s needs first, even when our bodies are desperately trying to get our attention. But I’ve learned that real healing happens when we start listening—to our emotions, our fears, and our body’s signals. We can change how we respond to stress, set healthier boundaries, and bring our nervous system back into balance.

My turning point came when I discovered the work of Dr. John Sarno through the Curable podcast. Everything suddenly made sense. I immersed myself in the science of mind-body healing and finally understood that my pain wasn’t just physical—it was deeply connected to my emotions and nervous system. With the help of a Pain Reprocessing Therapist, I found freedom from chronic pain for the first time in decades.

Having already spent years as a hypnotherapist and mindfulness teacher, I knew I wanted to support others on this journey. I trained as a SIRPA practitioner and Embodied Processing Practitioner so I could help people like you—people who feel stuck, exhausted, and unsure where to turn.

I want you to know this: Your body isn’t broken. Your nervous system has adapted to life’s stresses—whether from childhood experiences, trauma, or everyday pressures—but it can also heal. The brain is neuroplastic, and your mind-body system knows how to restore balance. I’m here to help you tap into that wisdom so you can move from surviving to truly living again.

Let’s take this journey together.

Maria

Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
― Nelson Mandela

I overcame over 25 years of chronic pain after realising my pain conditions (diagnosed incorrectly as due to "wear and tear") were in fact due to false signals from the brain and an oversensitive nervous system that was out of balance. In learning the tools to overcome this pain, I also overcame my anxiety.

Cutting edge science has proven that neuropathic pathways in the brain are the most common cause of chronic pain. Despite this, the mainstream medical system ignores this and hence the outlook for most people with chronic pain is bleak. This is the reason I want to reach out to as many people as I can, as too many people are suffering for years and years without support, relief or understanding.

Science has proven that most chronic pain is caused by a combination of stress, trauma, Adverse Chilhood Events (ACEs), fear and preoccupation with symptoms. This approach helped free me of pain and other symptoms and now I want to help you too.

Learn more about my chronic pain on my blog and on my other website.

My Journey to Heal from Chronic Pain

The Mind and Body: One Powerful System

The mind and body aren’t just connected—they are one integrated system. You cannot truly heal one without addressing the other. Our thoughts and emotions don’t just shape our mental health; they directly impact our physical well-being.

At the heart of this connection is the nervous system, particularly the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which controls involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and our response to stress.

• When we experience stress, trauma, or negative emotions, the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight mode) kicks in, flooding the body with stress hormones. Over time, this can lead to chronic pain, tension, digestive issues, anxiety, and burnout etc.

• When we feel safe and relaxed, the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest mode) takes over, allowing the body to heal, restore balance, and thrive.

But what happens when we get stuck in survival mode?

—chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, high blood pressure, stress, IBS, CFS and so on.

The good news? You are not broken, and you don’t need fixing. Your nervous system simply needs the right support to return to a state of balance and ease.

Using a combination of breathwork, hypnotherapy, mindfulness, emotional processing, somatic work and other tools, I help guide you out of chronic stress patterns so you can finally reclaim your health, energy, and peace of mind.

It’s time to bring your mind and body back into harmony

Effective tools

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is about being fully aware of whatever is happening in the present moment, without filters or the lens of judgement.

Mindfulness techniques can help you to turn towards and respond to emotions, negative thoughts and sensations in a more helpful way.

Read more here...

Somatic Therapy / Embodied Processing

The bottom-up method for healing trauma and nervous system dysregulation.

Read more here...

Mind-Body Science

I am passionate about the mind-body (and spirit), and so keep up-to-date with research and literature around neuroplasticity, mind-body wellbeing and psychology, so I can apply effective tools to help you change.

Hypnotherapy

In hypnotherapy, we use Hypnotic trance to access the subconscious mind and to bring about change.

There are different approaches to hypnotherapy and you can learn more about hypnotherapy here.

Breathwork

Breathwork is a powerful practice that uses intentional breathing techniques to regulate the nervous system, reduce stress, and promote overall well-being

EFT Tapping

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), or “tapping,” is a method where you tap on specific acupressure points while focusing on a stressful thought or feeling, aiming to calm the nervous system and reduce emotional intensity.

Life long learning

MSc Health Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology and Sociology

Hypnotherapy Diploma / HPD

Mindfulness Teacher Training - Level 2

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

Diploma in NLP

SIRPA Practitioner (Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners’ Association)

Embodied Processing Practitioner

Education

SIRPA Practitioner

Have any questions?

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me

Working with Maria is ... the first and only time that I felt truly un-judged, un-critiqued, and fully allowed to just be me. And that wasn't just a feeling she brought to our sessions, it is a feeling that she gifted to me and I now get to carry with me always, from with in. It was the first time I didn't feel like there was something in me to "fix". What a powerful thing to be able to gift someone. I had originally started working with Maria due to some chronic pain and skin issues. Within the first 6 six that was all but resolved.

"thank you so much Maria. ... I have been sleeping really well now, which has made such a difference to my life. I can't tell you how thankful I am to get my life back!"

Happy clients

"Maria, thank you so much for all your support over recent months; our sessions were such a comfort to me during a very anxious and stressful period and it was a relief to be able to talk to such a caring person who could offer such constructive advice! The sessions eased my anxiety considerably and I now feel much more in control."

“Massive thanks to you for helping me get my life on track. You have made an enormous difference to me - in how I am and how I relate to others. Thank you so very much."

"Maria held a gentle, spacious and safe container for a wonderful session for me, which allowed me to explore my sensations and emotions in my body and also helped me tap into a deeper place to strengthen my inner resources and felt sense of who I am"

"I'm amazed at how effective the sessions have been and eternally grateful to you for helping me change my life for the better."

"Maria was great! She was very easy to talk to, the session flowed great. I gained a lot of valuable insight that surprised me."

"I got a huge amount of benefit from my sessions with Maria. She was very calm which put me at ease. ,,, at all times I felt supported and safe. The experience was tough but amazing. I felt as though I was really listened to and Maria was excellent in her approach and I felt so much better after the session and it really helped me clear some significant blockages in my body."