A 50-year-old female sought pain psychology support after enduring debilitating anxiety and depression following several traumatic accidents. She had been living with complex chronic pain for eight years, which included headaches, migraines, neck, back, and hip pain, as well as hypermobility and dysautonomia.
Her medical and pain management treatment involved pharmacological interventions, procedures, and physical therapy. Through a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment, we uncovered the profound impact of persistent pain on her life, including deep-seated fears and unresolved childhood trauma that had compounded her suffering.
Together, we developed a holistic treatment plan that incorporated pain education, cognitive-behavioral strategies, stress and pain management techniques, family counseling, and engagement with community groups and resources.
Specifically, we focused on trauma processing, cognitive restructuring, somatic awareness, pain reprocessing, breathing exercises, tension reduction, and activity pacing. We also introduced therapeutic programs such as the Empowered Relief workshop from Stanford (now offered at MPM), the Manhattan Pain Medicine Support Group, and several techniques including Safe and Sound Protocol, Tapping/Emotional Freedom Technique, Binaural Beats/Bilateral Stimulation, and Biofeedback. These interventions aimed to reduce sympathetic and vagal responses, desensitize the nervous system, and restore a sense of safety.
As treatment progressed, she became more confident and empowered in managing and reducing both emotional and physical distress. She was also better able to navigate medical care. Over time, feelings of embodied fear, shame, guilt, and isolation greatly diminished, allowing her to rebuild her life.
