Counseling for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is definitely not "all in your head" and almost always has a specific medical cause. It is also very difficult to control, and many people don't tolerate the side effects of medications and other treatments well. Counseling can be used as a complementary treatment because stress increases and worsens pain, and pain itself creates stress, which causes more pain. Counseling for pain management is about freedom from this cycle. Clients learn to understand the relationship between stress and pain, allowing them to decrease both.

What to expect

Counseling is provided in a relaxed atmosphere and focuses on helping you feel comfortable right from the beginning. The first few sessions are spent getting to know one another, understanding the problem thoroughly, and clarifying goals. Although some techniques may help right away, counseling typically works more slowly than other treatments but often has more lasting positive effects.

Clients experiencing pain or other medical conditions will be asked to have a full medical workup if they have not already. Angela often collaborates with your other medical providers; in the first session you'll be asked to give written consent for Angela to contact them, allowing a multidisciplinary team approach.

Approach to counseling

Angela uses Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, an approach shown to be highly effective in reducing chronic pain. Mindfulness is often defined as "awareness of present experience with acceptance." Through techniques taught in session and practiced at home, clients develop new strategies to work with pain, tension, and discomfort, with a growing sense of freedom and new options. Many are able to release unnecessary tension held in the body, work with pain that can't be released, and learn from emotions entangled with uncomfortable physical sensations. Angela may also use family systems and cognitive approaches to examine how thoughts and habits around pain affect your experience of it.

Mindfulness definition from The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems by Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD.

Or call (919) 868-6242.

In-network with BCBS, Aetna, Cigna/Evernorth, and CareSource. Fees & insurance.