A 55-year-old female sought pain psychology support due to severe emotional distress, anxiety, and embodied trauma, which were hindering her recovery. She had a history of extensive childhood abuse and had been dealing with complex medical issues for over 10 years, including chronic pelvic, head, neck, back, and abdominal pain, autoimmune disorder, and gastrointestinal problems.
Her medical and pain management included pharmacological treatments, procedures, and physical therapy. Despite many years of talk therapy, it had not led to effective reductions in chronic fight-or-flight responses or neuromuscular protective bracing. We focused on the specificity of pain psychology in addressing centralized pain processing to lower pain intensity. This in no way implies pain is “in one’s head”, as is sometimes suggested by non-specialized practitioners, but rather uses targeted interventions based on empirically proven pain neuroscience.
We developed a treatment plan that combined both top-down and bottom-up approaches—an essential component of pain psychology. This integration involved cognitive-behavioral techniques alongside somatic interventions and psycho-physiological regulation methods, such as breathing exercises, relaxation practices, and the Safe & Sound Protocol (a sound therapy program to reduce sympathetic overdrive). We also incorporated acupuncture, starting with non-needle point stimulation combined with somatic tracking, breathing, and guided visualization. Once desensitization was achieved, we gently progressed to needle use.
The progress was remarkable. She experienced a sense of safety in her body that had been previously unattainable. Over time, habituated fear postures softened, leading to substantial improvements in her response to medical treatments and physical therapy. She was able to manage her pain and symptoms more effectively on a day-to-day basis. Most notably, she resumed traveling and reconnecting with professional and creative aspirations.