Kris Joy Sutton, MPS, NBC-HWC, CPMC
Your Pain Guide
Kris Sutton gets it. As someone who has lived with chronic pain most of her life, she’s been there, done that, and got the T-Shirt.
To the edge and back.
One autumn night, Kris was on the verge of taking her life from the pain. She was dealing with four migraines a week. Her neck felt like it was being stabbed by a hot poker. Electric pain shot down her left leg. And unbeknownst to her, thyroid cancer was secretly brewing in the background. That was the final straw that made her finally say, “enough.”
Kris walked away from her work and realized she could not simply trudge on with a smile on her face anymore. Things had to change.
Kris’ headaches began in childhood and then escalated to full-blown migraines by age 19. The pain grew with horrid menstrual cramps that were dismissed by medical professionals. It wasn’t until age 40 that she would get an endometriosis diagnosis and two surgeries to take care of the pain.
When Kris was 13 years old, her back went into a spasm for the first time, and her neck went into a spasm at age 19. That type of pain continued, on and off over the years. In her 30s, her hip and knee began to give her trouble as well.
Kris Joy Sutton, MPS, CHWC
Your Pain Guide
A Glimmer of Hope
Kris was first drawn to the mind-body connection in the nineties to assist with her chronic pain challenges. Initially teaching a form of mind-body education called the Alexander Technique, Kris felt a sense of calm and a reduction in pain.
Because she felt such relief, she followed her initial life path as a creative theatrical performer, and she became a traveling corporate comedy speaker. However, the high stress and pressure of that life began to take a toll on her body and mind.
Kris tried everything. Medical. Alternative. Eastern. Western. Kris’ pain journey became a rollercoaster of medical appointments, medications, healers, surgeries, supplements, bodyworkers, therapies, and scans.
Finding Calm
Six months after stopping everything that autumn night, the dust began to settle. Kris had a spinal fusion. She also had her thyroid removed. She was cancer-free but still dealing with pain.
She had a random thought, “I wonder if there’s such a thing as a pain coach?” Indeed, there was. Working with a Pain Coach helped her to find clarity and hope. It also reconnected her to the calm she once felt when she learned the Alexander Technique.
Kris began to learn about the latest in neuroscience and tools to calm her nervous system, which helped to change her pain experience. She began to make lifestyle changes that reduced her pain and improved her quality of life.
Inspired by what she learned, Kris then attended the training to become a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and Pain Management Coach.
Combining her training as a Certified Pain Management Coach with her lifelong experience as a chronic pain patient, Kris is pleased to share Pain Resilience tools that can change your experience of pain while you create a life you desire.
Training and Certification
- National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach
- Certified Pain Management Coach
- Certified Health and Wellness Coach
- Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center Certificate
- Certified Mindfulness-Based Pain Reduction Practitioner
- AmSAT Certified Teacher of the Alexander Technique
- Master of Professional Studies in Communication with Honors, University of Denver