The Mind-Body Couple

Today, Tanner hosts solo. He shares a personal relapse story where the return of familiar leg pain caused a major trauma response - spiralling anxiety, shame, more pain, and suicidal thoughts.

Luckily, the story doesn't end there! Tanner shares the breakthrough that occurred, where he stopped forcing healing, let go of all the pressure he was putting on himself, and found his way back to self-compassion and safety.

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 neuroplastic, not structural. 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 changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by MBody Community Inc. 

Tanner and Anne run a group therapy practice, Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

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

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

Disclaimer: The information provided on this podcast is for general informational and educational purpose...

Tanner & Anne share 6 surprisingly common situations that can trigger chronic pain and other neuroplastic symptoms.

From travel, to family, to grocery shopping, we discuss a practical way to retrain the brain and nervous system so these moments feel safer, over time. 

Learn:

• How to view pain/symptom increases through a neuroplastic lens
• How graded exposure works, to retrain the brain and reduce avoidance
• Explore how you can use safety signals, somatic tracking, and calming self-talk to build corrective experiences
• Consider how to pace the work with consistency and self-compassion 

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 neuroplastic, not structural. 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 changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by MBody Community Inc. 

Tanner and Anne run a group therapy practice, Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

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

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

Disclaimer: The information provided on this podcast is for general informational and educational purpose...

Tanner and Anne explore how chronic pain and symptoms quietly take away spontaneity and replace it with fear-based planning and calculation, meant to protect from flare-ups.

We start with an important question: “If symptoms disappeared, what would life look like?”

From there, we discuss avoidance reduction and reclaiming freedom.

• Understand how hypervigilance, fatigue, grief, isolation follow symptoms, and how the world shrinks
• Learn why long-term avoidance becomes a danger signal in neuroplastic pain/symptoms
• Hear examples of how graded exposure to spontaneity can occur with small, concrete, paced steps.
• Celebrate “small” healing wins that are actually big nervous system shifts 

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 neuroplastic, not structural. 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 changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by MBody Community Inc. 

Tanner and Anne run a group therapy practice, Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

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

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

Disclaimer: The information provided on this podcast is for general informational and educational purpose...

Tanner & Anne unpack 3 subtle habits that can keep your nervous system stuck in danger mode, even when you are doing everything you can to heal neuroplastic pain & symptoms.

We share how to spot these patterns in real time and how we retrain the brain with awareness, helpful redirection, and gentle exposure back into life. 
• The brain’s constant “safe or danger” scan and why symptoms increase scanning 
• Catching obsessive checking, testing, and reassurance seeking 
• Using awareness and helpful distraction to teach safety 
• The certainty trap and how it fuels overanalyzing and control 
• Why you do not need 100% belief to make progress 
• How avoiding life teaches the brain that life is unsafe 
• Pacing exposure, expecting bumps, and building safety

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 neuroplastic, not structural. 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 changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by MBody Community Inc. 

Tanner and Anne run a group therapy practice, Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

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

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

Disclaimer: The information provided on this podcast is for general informational and educational purpose...

Tanner and Anne share five personal, practical signs that helped Tanner recognize his chronic pain and symptoms were neuroplastic rather than structural.

We explain why collecting this evidence builds real hope and supports an effective path toward recovery.

Tanner's top 5 signs:

#1 Recognizing that his symptoms were driven by emotions, as showed up during a prolonged period of stress.

#2 The spread and movment of Tanner's pain didn't make physical sense, helping him see that it was caused by the brain and nervous system - physical
damage and disease shouldn’t behave that way!

#3 Tanner noticed that pain was rising with delayed onset, meaning it felt ok during an activity, only to flare up later - this also didn't make physical sense!

#4 Tanner noticed his symptoms were tied to his daily mood and emotions, helping him realize his nervous system state was directly influencing his symptom-level.

#5 They were inconsistent! Tanner has a lot of strict rules when he was in pain, but he started to realize that the pain wasn't behaving predictably and the rules could be broken.

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 neuroplastic, not structural. 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 changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by MBody Community Inc. 

Tanner and Anne run a group therapy practice, Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

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

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

Disclaimer: The information provided on this podcast is for general informational and educational purpose...

Tanner explains how danger self-talk can keep the nervous system dysregulated by continually reinforcing a sense of danger. When your nervous system is dysregulated, your brain naturally moves toward worry, negative biasing, and problems. This is reversible! But the intervention requires more than just targeting thoughts.

We guide a simple practice to watch thoughts with distance, shift into the body, and coach the nervous system toward safety.

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 neuroplastic, not structural. 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 changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by MBody Community Inc. 

Tanner and Anne run a group therapy practice, Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

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

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

Disclaimer: The information provided on this podcast is for general informational and educational purpose...

We read out the kinds of comments so many listeners have heard:

 “it’s all in your head,” “just push through,” “you look fine”

We unpack why those words  spike fear, isolation when you're dealing with chronic pain and symptoms.

We share a story from early in our relationship, when a vacation we hoped would reset everything turned into a painful turning point. It’s messy and honest. We talk about how both experiences can be true at once. The person in pain deserves compassion and validation, and the supporter may also feel overwhelmed, confused, or helpless.

You’ll leave with practical communication tools you can use right away, plus a reality check about safety: when open conversation helps, and when certain relationships or providers are unlikely to change. We end with a hopeful strategy we’ve seen work again and again building a mind body team by educating the people who support you, so your recovery tools like somatic practices, graded exposure, and brain-based approaches make sense to everyone at home.

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 neuroplastic, not structural. 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 changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by MBody Community Inc. 

Tanner and Anne run a group therapy practice, Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

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

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

Disclaimer: The information provided on this podcast is for general informational and educational purpose...

Tanner and Anne share a personal story and discuss how important communication and understanding is, when it comes to reducing chronic neuroplastic pain and symptoms.

We explore how to shift from frustration and invalidation to  teamwork by: 

• Learning the mind-body model together
• Reflecting on who can help you feel emotionally safe
• Building a mind-body team that includes friends and family 

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 neuroplastic, not structural. 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 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, one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

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

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

Disclaimer: The information provided on this podcast is for general in...

In today's episode, Tanner and Anne provide ideas on how to get to the root cause of your chronic pain or symptoms.

Neuroplastic pain/symptoms occur when there's a sense of danger and dysregulation in the brain and nervous system - not due to physical disease or damage. So it makes sense to ask - what's creating this sense of danger?

You'll learn about pain/symptoms can be fueled by:
• Prolonged high stress, including perfectionism and people pleasing
• Childhood adversity and trauma as sensitizing factros
• Pathological views of the body fueled by medical ideas, Googling, ChatGPT, fear, and avoidance 
• Emotional resistance
• Dysregulated responses to feeling pain/symptoms throughout the day.

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 neuroplastic, not structural. 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 changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by MBody Community Inc. 

Tanner and Anne run a group therapy practice, Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

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

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

Disclaimer: The information provided on this podcast is for general informational and educational purpose...

Dr. Howard Schubiner just might be the most experienced and knowledgable physician on the planet, when it comes to the research and treatment of neuroplastic pain and symptoms. We're honoured to have him join us! 

Howard sits down with Tanner to teach and share about his new book, Unlearn Your Pain.

You'll hear about:
• Howard's path into mind-body medicine and why this work challenges the status quo 
• What his new, comprehensive Unlearn Your Pain book provides readers, including neuroscience, an exploration of specific conditions (not just pain!), plus evidence-based treatment 
• Predictive processing - how the brain creates our experiences (sometimes incorrectly) in an effort to help us
• The role of belief and confidence in healing, and how that "click" can happen
• Key signs that suggest neuroplastic symptoms, after medical causes are ruled out 
• Anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and depression as neuroplastic conditions - and why treatment principles overlap 

Preorder Dr. Schubiner's latest book here:

https://www.amazon.ca/Unlearn-Your-Pain-Recovering-Depression/dp/0593994361/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cvbjtQFOl7jwFIyUyF8ou3RirwMcT96jsAsw_R5VaLiXB3kBjxW-9mQrP-S8MJ_TKT-rOizNpTTz5VKiugKM0V-f51H5Wma4ErRK8-ZG5Tzsuhm0FxOHzICS2MjqS0nOjVMVKo7qqI4nHD2G3SZSJJYgQ_qQLOWAmVA09avMK5uYWOHjTqEu6oRqBg8FQrw0ebSNUqK2n1va56oKORtEF-ipNOMEXWHbRqvpDs2eYQkCwau7_M1JV9ilh_UrMmin_2uNd-Ch1sjmJKTaYrfn-DM1q-77ct4f-yz8nSdX6nQ.2FPlIMtVoNa9e3l1ZkGRPHbpbCWn3nqu9_9213ryK20&dib_tag=se&keywords=unlearn+your+pain+by+howard+schubiner&qid=1777923581&sr=8-1

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 neuroplastic, not structural. 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 changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by MBody Community Inc. 

Tanner and Anne run a group therapy practice, Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

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

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

Disclaimer: The information provided on this podcast is for general informational and educational purpose...