This is a brief summary of what I do as a Pain Psychologist in my private practice.
I assume you are here because you suffer from chronic pain, or you want to help someone else who does. I am a licensed and board certified clinical psychologist and I specialize in clinical pain management. I have been doing this work since 1991. I provide counseling, psychotherapy, clinical hypnosis, hypnotherapy, and psychological evaluations. I also teach people self help strategies for pain management. In fact, I myself suffer from chronic pain. I have Fibromyalgia, Sjogrens Syndrome, Spinal Stenosis, Scoliosis, Degenerative Disc Disease, and multiple disc bulges.
My goal is to help you better manage your chronic pain and associated emotional stress. I do this with people everyday and I employ a variety of non-drug modalities — e.g., education, talk therapy, guidance counseling, problem solving therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation therapy, energy healing, and clinical hypnosis and hypnotherapy.
Pain Management Psychotherapy (PMP) counseling sessions are 50 minutes in length for a regular session, and 100 minutes for an extended session. Your first visit with me is an initial consultation. PMP counseling is subsequently provided based on an individualized treatment plan formulated at your first visit.
Common issues that are addressed in PMP counseling include:
- Discovering safe and effective non-drug methods, such as hypnosis, that can relieve your pain
- Evaluating and treating any depression and anxiety that can make pain worse
- Improving your pain coping and stress management strategies
- Helping you learn effective relaxation skills and self hypnosis for pain management
- Helping you eliminate self defeating habits
- Educating you about the proper and safe use of pain medications
- Evaluating and treating any anger issues and feelings of isolation or alienation
- Coming up with a plan to improve your physical functioning,
- Helping you improve your interpersonal relationships
- Helping you decrease and control mood swings
- Helping you deal more effectively with family tensions
- Diminishing boredom
- Addressing any substance abuse issues
- Resolving any emotional issues that may underly and maintain your persistent pain.
* * * Everyone needs help at some point. Thank you for coming here for help. * * *