Chronic Pain

Living with chronic pain can feel overwhelming.

Pain is much more than a physical ailment or illness. It is an experience – and often viewed through a negative lens which in turn causes stress, anger, anxiety and frustration. Chronic pain can cause us to withdraw and isolate in relationships. Quality of life is impacted, including impaired sleeping and changes in eating. Questions such as “why me?” and “how can I live like this?” drive you into a downward spiral and ultimately contribute to a further negative relationship with the pain. Though therapy cannot take away the pain, it can help you create a more positive outlook to living with pain, not be as burdened by the pain experience and foster a more empowering worldview.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness are just a few of the approaches that I use to help manage pain. CBT identifies and challenges negative thought patterns, develop healthier coping strategies and change behaviors that are worsening the pain. ACT helps in developing a different relationship to the pain experience, which includes a less negative outlook. Mindfulness is used to observe the pain without judgment.

Here are just a few examples of chronic pain that I work with:

 Arthritis
 Fibromyalgia
 Back & neck pain
 Nerve damage
 Headaches/Migraines
 Autoimmune disorders

How I Help Clients Manage Their Chronic Pain

You don’t have to let chronic pain control your life. While therapy cannot take the pain away, it can help change how much power it has over your thoughts, emotions, and daily functioning. In our work together, I use evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to address unhelpful thought patterns and coping habits, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to build a more flexible and compassionate relationship with pain, and mindfulness practices to help you respond to physical sensations with less reactivity. I invite you to reach out and begin developing a more sustainable and empowering way of living alongside pain.