I’ve never talked to anyone. I’m used to handling things on my own. Aren’t people who go to therapy weak?
Not at all. Pain management psychotherapy is designed to reduce your attention to you pain and illness, while acknowledging your distress, to help you experience your pain and illness differently, in a more manageable way. It also helps you to improve the quality of your life and your self image.
What’s the difference between talking to you or my best friend or family?
The difference is between someone caring about your pain, but maybe not knowing how to cope with it, and someone who has the training and experience to do that same thing professionally. It can assist you in communicating with your family about pain, and in changing feelings of hopelessness to those of hopefulness.
Why shouldn’t I just take medication?
Medication alone cannot solve all issues. Pain management psychotherapy is an alternative or a complement to medicine for pain management, depending on your physician’s treatment plan. Psychotherapy can help you to maintain or reduce the use of pain medicine, and to tolerate levels of discomfort that seem otherwise intolerable. The techniques used are ones that can be practiced at home, so that life becomes increasing more comfortable.
How does it work? What do I have to do in sessions?
Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. I tailor my therapeutic approach to your specific needs using the following techniques:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- EMDR
- Relaxation Therapy
- Hypnosis for Pain Reduction
- Family Interventions
- Flexible Individual Treatments
How long will it take?
Each pain patient has a unique context in which he/she experiences pain and/or illness, therefore, treatment is individualized to include the components that are most likely to be effective.