Psychosocial Treatment for Chronic Pain

Many medical practitioners treat pain exclusively as a medical problem. At Wholeview, we think of pain as a biopsychosocial condition. With this philosophy, we pay careful attention to the psychological and social aspects of pain within the context of a medical disorder. Psychological treatment can provide people with tools to better control the experience of pain. Our treatment also focuses on helping people learn ways to manage all aspects of self-care so that they are best able to understand and use pain management techniques.

Wholeview therapists help patients understand how to organize and manage daily routines and encourage them to do so – both to improve overall functioning and to reduce reliance on pain medications. We also help patients learn and practice various techniques to reduce anxiety and pain throughout the day and at the end of day when falling asleep.

Individual sessions include techniques developed by Stanford University’s Beth Darnall, PhD, who is widely known for her work in designing psychological treatments specifically for people with chronic pain. Her research validates the effectiveness of specific techniques for pain management including diaphragmatic breathing, meditation, and progressive relaxation. These and other strategies help patients reduce stress levels, muscle tension, and emotional distress — all with the goal of reducing pain.