Episode 091: When Nothing Else Works: Kylie Hicks on Trauma, Touch, and Trust

For massage therapists, working with chronic pain clients can be both challenging and deeply rewarding. In Episode 91 of the Folding Towels Podcast, David and Jackie speak with Kylie Hicks, a massage therapist who has spent over twenty years developing a particular approach to treating people who are living with chronic pain. Based in Mildura, Victoria, Kylie delves into the intricate connections between trauma, physical pain, and the power of therapeutic touch. Her approach is both practical and profoundly empathetic, emphasizing the importance of seeing each client as a whole person rather than just a collection of symptoms.

From Headaches to Chronic Pain: Kylie’s Journey

Kylie began her massage therapy career by helping people with headaches, a focus that quickly evolved into treating more complex cases of chronic pain. “Chronic pain clients were kind of, I never advertised, so they kind of found me,” she explains. This natural evolution of her practice revealed the limitations of conventional massage techniques for dealing with long-term, unresolved pain patterns.

“Everything I learnt was hands-on in my business with a client,” Kylie says. “If a client walked in with an issue that no one had taught me, I had to learn on them.” This hands-on, client-focused approach became the cornerstone of her practice and a gateway to her deeper work with trauma-informed therapy.

The Trauma Loop and Its Role in Chronic Pain

A significant portion of Kylie’s work involves identifying and addressing trauma loops — lingering emotional or physical responses to past injuries or experiences. “Trauma is linked pretty much to any chronic pain client who walks in because how can it not be?” Kylie notes. This trauma doesn’t have to be a catastrophic event. It can be anything that overwhelms the nervous system to the point where it doesn’t know how to respond effectively.

For many of her clients, the trauma loop keeps them stuck in a cycle of chronic pain. “They may have had an injury that was quite simple, but whether it was scar tissue or a traumatic event, it healed — yet three, four, five months later, they still have pain,” she says.

Kylie’s approach involves helping clients reconnect with their bodies, identify trauma loops, and work through them using a combination of therapeutic touch, emotional awareness, and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). “If the emotions come up, they’re meant to,” she says. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t.”

Touch as a Tool for Trust

One of the most profound elements of Kylie’s practice is her emphasis on touch as a tool for rebuilding trust. For clients who have been on a long journey of seeking pain relief, the simple act of being touched with care and intention can be transformative.

“So many of my clients walk in the door and they’ve been to myos and physios, they’ve been on the medication loop,” she says. “My last headache client’s got three neurologists, and they’re all disagreeing about medications. And I go, has anyone actually touched you? No.”

Kylie’s focus on being hands-on allows her to connect with clients on a deeper level, creating a space where they feel seen, heard, and acknowledged. “The worst thing that as a therapist we can do is not touch that,” she adds. “And so many of my clients walk in the door and they’ve been to everyone, but no one has actually put hands on them in a therapeutic, compassionate way.”

Individualised Onboarding and Long-Term Care

Unlike therapists who focus on short-term fixes, Kylie emphasizes the need for structured treatment plans that unfold over weeks or even months. For her, the first appointment is less about immediate pain relief and more about understanding the client’s history and setting realistic expectations.

“I never, ever give them false hope,” Kylie asserts. “Let’s just see how we go. There is no, ‘I’m going to fix you in one session.’”

Her intake process involves mapping out the client’s pain history, identifying patterns, and developing a tailored treatment plan that addresses both physical and emotional aspects of pain. This includes regular check-ins and reassessments to track progress and adjust the plan as needed.

“Chronic pain is my thing,” Kylie says. “If you’ve had it for three months and it’s still there, come back and see me. Then it will make sense to me.”

Blending Bodywork and NLP

Kylie has also incorporated neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) into her practice, a decision she made after recognising that many of her clients’ pain patterns were deeply embedded in their beliefs and emotional responses.

“Chronic pain obviously has physical patterns, but it also has emotional patterns,” she says. “If you want to be able to make a real difference and completely reprogram chronic pain, you have to do both.”

For Kylie, NLP is a way to address these patterns in a non-invasive manner, gently helping clients reshape their narratives around pain and regain a sense of control.

Sustaining the Therapist’s Well-being

Working with chronic pain and trauma clients can be emotionally exhausting. Kylie acknowledges that she has had to learn how to protect her own mental and emotional health to avoid burnout.

“There was a point where I got empathy burnout,” she admits. “I wasn’t walking my own talk.” To prevent this, Kylie has established firm boundaries, such as stepping away from the treatment room during breaks, using cold water to reset between clients, and maintaining a clear line between work and personal life.

“The other thing is, if I get too embedded in it, I could be thinking about that client in a week, in two weeks, in three weeks. And they might have moved on from where they were the following day,” she explains. “It’s not mine. It’s their belief. It’s their journey to go through.”

Conclusion: A Compassionate Approach to Pain

Kylie Hicks has developed a therapeutic approach that blends bodywork with emotional awareness, creating a powerful space for clients to explore and heal from chronic pain. By focusing on the connections between trauma, touch, and trust, she helps clients untangle long-standing pain patterns while empowering them to reclaim their bodies and their lives.

For massage therapists, Kylie’s insights are a compelling reminder that effective treatment goes far beyond technique. It’s about truly listening to the client’s story, acknowledging the impact of trauma, and fostering a therapeutic relationship built on trust and compassionate touch.

To learn more about Kylie’s work and her courses, visit Kylie Hicks Coaching. And to hear the full conversation, tune in to Episode 091 of the Folding Towels Podcast.