Here’s how the cutting edge Seraphic Approach switched off my pain signals - and how you can use it to live an active life without limitation too…
(From an NHS nurse turned pain-free advocate for an adventurous, active lifestyle!)

For 18 years, I lived with chronic pain and the fear that my body was broken. Today, I’m chronic symptom free, medication-free, and back to the adventures I love long days out trail running, hula hooping and saying yes to anything active with my family and friends.
Recovery didn’t come from endless fixes. It came from understanding the mind-safety-pain connection. Now, I help other active explorers break free from pain and rediscover the freedom to move, climb, run, ride, and live fully again.
You are not broken. Recovery is possible. But it all starts with the mind and not the body.


I know what it feels like to think pain has stolen the life you love. But I also know recovery is possible, because I’ve lived that too…
For almost 18 years, I lived in a body that felt unpredictable, overwhelming, and fragile.
Chronic neck, back and leg pain, migraine, blurry eye and jaw pain followed me everywhere. Nights were filled with insomnia and restless legs. Anxiety and intrusive thoughts hijacked my mind. Even simple adventures, hiking in the sun, cycling down a trail or swimming felt impossible. Bright light was unbearable, my vision blurred, and the world itself felt too loud, too much.
So I sought out specialists…
Doctors gave me labels: fibromyalgia, ADHD, chronic pain syndrome, and other “lifelong conditions.” The message was always the same: there’s no cure just manage the symptoms.
That symptom management led me to yoga, chiropractors, physios, mobility routines, steroid injections, painful radiofrequency nerve oblations, TENS machines, supplements and other expensive solutions. Most of which didn’t work at all. Some of which only provided temporary relief.
For someone who feels most alive when they’re active, it felt like the life was being choked out of me.
I didn’t give up though…
So I kept going…
I tried everything. Endless mobility routines, medications that dulled but never healed, therapies and protocols that offered only brief relief. Still, the pain persisted. Strange symptoms came and went numb fingers and toes, migraines with aura, jaw / ear pain that made it impossible to lie on my right side. I’d wake up stiff, exhausted, and already defeated.
And then, something shifted…
I started looking in the direction of the brain and the mind, not the body.
This couldn’t be the answer? Could it?
Inspired by the work of Dr. Sarno and the Three Principles I began to see my symptoms differently. They weren’t caused by structural damage at all, but by neural pathways created when the brain feels unsafe. And when the brain learns safety again… the body can let go of pain.
Here’s the crazy bit…my pain levels started to improve in a way that they hadn’t done before.



I I spent a fortune on certifications. I read endless books. My life became consumed by one goal: change my brain so that it no longer feels the need to send pain signals to my body.
I combined a few different disciplines together and...soon...everything fell into place.
These days...
• I wake up refreshed, ready to move, no stiffness, no long routines.
• I spend my time trail running for as far and as often as I choose without pain.
• I exercise again with freedom again.
• My vision is clear, I enjoy sunlight, and the migraines are gone.
• The anxiety and intrusive thoughts have lifted.
• I sleep deeply, naturally, without medication.
• I’m invited on podcasts and more to speak about why mobility, stretching and more traditional approaches to pain don’t last.
• I work with everyone from elite level athletes to older individuals who want to just exercise without pain.
This recovery didn’t come from forcing change, chasing the right protocol, or endlessly “fixing” my body. It came from understanding how the mind and body truly work together and how safety, not struggle, creates healing.
So often long lasting pain begins in one of two ways that can be summed up in one word: trauma.
Either an individual injures themselves and causes trauma to a body part.
Or, they experience a traumatic period in life.
These two events can essentially cause a “switch” to flip in the brain where it turns on pain signals…and then forgets to turn them off.
There’s a complex reason for this that is all based in science.
The problem is, you can’t stretch, mobilise, strengthen, supplement or click your way out of pain when the problem is the switch being turned on in the brain, not the body itself.
How do you know if the switch is the likely cause of your own pain?
This question…
Have you experienced periods in the past, or now, where you did not feel safe? I don’t mean walking down a dark alley at night.
I mean a deep sense that there was something wrong with your body or that you were mentally or physically at threat in some way?
Negative childhood experiences…painful adult experiences…injuries…they can all switch this pain signal on and in some people, people like me and likely you if you’re reading this site, we’re more prone to it staying stuck on.
I can help you figure out for certain if this is your problem if you are willing to just have a free coaching session with me.


Since my transformation from pain to power I’ve…
Came In 3rd place as a solo female 100-mile ultra runner at Endure 24 Leeds 2022 – Proving recovery and resilience even at the most challenging distances.
Since then I've continued to take on challenges that inspire me, with total freedom and confidence including 100-mile ultramarathons in 2023 and 2024, alongside multiple marathons and ultras.
Helped runners achieve marathons, ultra-races, and active lives despite pain and health challenges.
Supported as a runner for the Snowdonia 100-mile ultra, proving recovery is possible at the highest level.
Featured on podcasts discussing pain recovery, mindset shifts, and athletic resilience.
Now, I guide other active people, hikers, runners, climbers, cyclists, swimmers, gym enthusiasts who feel limited by pain or experiencing strange, unexplained symptoms.
So I repeat: You are not broken. You are not stuck. Recovery is possible no matter how long it’s been.
I’m living proof. And I’d love to help you find your way back to the trails, the mountains, the open water, and the freedom of movement you love
I know some people reading this will want to see a little more about myself and my credibility. So here’s a brief breakdown of how my unique experiences, credentials and background led to the Seraphic Approach being created…
Accredited Coach (CCh IWS, IGH3P) A certified professional in coaching and the Innate Wellbeing Specialist (IWS).
ILM Professional Coaching & Mentoring Qualification – Training that equips me with the best coaching tools for lasting change.
NLP Practitioner – David Key – Trained in neuro-linguistic programming, helping to shift thoughts, emotions, and behaviours effectively.
Registered Paediatric Nurse / Specialist Public Health Nurse Health Visitor with (27+ Years NHS Experience) With my vast healthcare background, I understand the full spectrum of wellbeing and recovery. I am a clinical lead nurse working 2 days a week in the NHS.
Go MAD Thinking – Accredited Master Coach – Trained in Go MAD Thinking to empower individuals to unlock their potential.
ICF Accredited Coach - The Coaching Masters – With additional certification in coaching techniques, I bring a broad toolkit to help my clients achieve transformation.
Studied 3 Principles coaching, TMS/mind-body healing, and pain science.
Trained with Dr Schubiner one of the best in mind-body recovery, nervous system regulation, and pain reprocessing techniques.
Featured annually as an external coach at Leeds Beckett University, guiding students in coaching and mindset principles studying counselling and mental health.
Hundreds of books read on psychology, mindset, pain science, and human potential.


“Jo has helped and guided me through many mind body symptoms.
I was part of a competitive sports team (Rounders )Training regular and playing competitive matches. I would seem to regularly get injuries . One particular injury was a pulled hamstring which had me out of action for a while. With Jo’s knowledge she helped me unpick what was really going on in my subconscious mind and how I was manifesting mind body symptoms linked to anxiety and stress and past beliefs which I was holding onto. After Jo’s coaching I was able to realise many beliefs which i couldn’t have seen. Jo had me running 5k again and back able to train injury free and she gave me the new understanding regarding mind/body symptoms.
Jo is an incredible Coach, who is very inspirational. she has overcome many challenges in her own life which makes her the perfect Coach.
Jo has helped me through some challenging times in my life and shown me I really can do and achieve anything, heal anything, anything is possible. Jo has helped me accomplish lots of goals which without her guidance I wouldn’t have thought would be possible.
Jo really is a very unique coach who really puts you at ease and makes you feel so uplifted and able to tackle any challenges you have in your life. Any goals you want to achieve, Jo is the coach who will 100% be able to help you achieve them.”
Dawn Tate, UK


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Gary Smith, UK

“Having not run for over 8 years, at the tender age of 54 years, I decided in January last year to run The Great North Run half marathon in September last year.
I enlisted the support of Jo, a tried and trusted expert runner to get me over the line. We met religiously twice a week and slowly built up from a mile to eventually 10 miles on a Saturday morning.
Jo was patient, positive and always there with a non confrontational and supportive approach. Even on my worst days, I went because she would always be there with a smile and her words of wisdom to get me through the run, always knowing that I would feel amazing once I had finished.
If you are looking for a compassionate, resilient and expert runner to coach you to your optimum fitness, Jo is your girl!”
Grainne Eloi -UK

“As a former military man and having ran my own way for years I thought I knew it all, I was wrong.
Jo helped me break down the mental side of ultra running and look at it from a different perspective. This helped me return to the Lakes and complete a race I had previously failed."
MICK PENFOLD


“Jo has been amazing and such good support she helped me realise what I wanted to achieve and how I was going to do that, I’ve had many health issues over the years and Jo has coached me through them every step of the way, she has provided support in both my business and personal life, she has helped me achieve things that i didn’t believe were possible, Jo was always there to give me a guiding hand and she helped me achieve my first 5k. Thanks Jo x."
Emma Stone

“I found the coaching very helpful in aiding my recovery from the position I was in. After losing everything including my job, home, marriage and lacking confidence, motivation and self-esteem, I needed to regroup and get my life back up and running. I also needed to regain my love for running ultras which has returned and gives me a better focus. It has also helped me find my new partner and assists me in looking after her!.”
Owen Goldsmith, UK

“This was a really valuable session for me Jo, thank you. By helping me to revisit things it really helped me to feel confident that I can achieve a sense of being in the moment and feeling holiday ready my hope is that I can then apply this beyond my holiday and utilise the strategies at other time when needed. I feel that you are really skilled in being able to draw things out of me and I feel really comfortable chatting to you about anything.”
MICHELLE BROADY, UK
“Joanne has been able to unlock answers that I did not know were there. The sessions just flowed and without realising I was able to unpick some beliefs that were untrue.
Joanne was able to help me to find a step by step goal that was achievable.
The coaching conversations were insightful and supportive but pushed me to challenge myself.
I am surprised how quickly we were able to find the answers at the start it was hard to know what I wanted to do with my future career when I am content in my current role.
Helpful exploratory open questions were used to find the answers.
The coaching sessions were a joy and I looked forward to them each time.
Joanne has a pleasant approachable dynamic manner and her delight in coaching shines through.
I hope Joanne continues to use her fabulous creativity in her coaching sessions with others.”
Estelle Myers, UK
“From my first marathon, ultra marathon to 24 hour endurance event, Jo has provided me with invaluable guidance, support and motivation.
There was never a time I doubted my ability to take on any of these challenges thanks to Jo’s coaching.
Jo’s ability to focus on a positive mindset made the impossible possible, I will forever be grateful for this. Who knows what the next challenge will be!
It goes without saying, Jo is an absolute beacon of inspiration and positivity. The world needs more Jo’s in it!.”
Jessyca Morgan, UK

I know you're likely skeptical as when you're in pain you often try tons of things that don't work. That's why I offer a 100% free session so I can prove to you the Seraphic Approach can be your solution to overcoming pain and rediscovering your athletic, active self...you don't need to stay stuck and trapped with your symptoms!
Click the button and schedule in a free Seraphic session. I'm here to help!
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