Pain psychology in Richmond, VA
A New Form of Pain Management
You feel alone
No one understands how difficult it is just to get through your normal daily activities or participate in your favorite hobbies
You're frustrated
The doctors don’t have a good explanation for why you’re in pain. You’ve tried a number of pain treatments, or even surgeries, but everything seems to have minimal or temporary relief.
You feel broken
You can’t do the things you used to do. Your body feels like it’s breaking down. It feels like you can do less and less over time.
Your pain is real - and so is the emotional weight that comes with it.
Therapy for chronic pain can help you feel more in control and get back to the things that matter.
Learn to:
⟡ Make sense of the chronic pain cycle - understand how stress, emotions, and habits can make pain better or worse.
⟡ Find new coping skills – to help reduce flare-ups and the emotional toll of pain.
⟡ Improve sleep and energy – so your body and mind get the rest they need.
⟡ Get back to what matters – step by step, reconnect with activities and relationships that bring meaning to your life.
⟡ Support your emotional health – address feelings of frustration, sadness, or anxiety that often come with long-term pain.
What is Chronic Pain?
01 | Pain is complex and serves the purpose of being your body’s natural ‘alarm system’
Most people think of pain as a signal that something in the body is hurt or injured — like an alarm going off to protect you. When you cut your finger or sprain your ankle, the alarm sounds, and once your body heals, the alarm turns off.
02 | Chronic pain works differently
Instead of turning off when the body heals, the alarm system in your brain and nervous system can stay “stuck on.” This doesn’t mean the pain is “all in your head.” It means your nervous system has become extra sensitive, sending out pain signals even when there’s no new injury.
03 | Chronic pain is resistant to treatment
Because of this overactive alarm, chronic pain can last for months or years, and it often doesn’t improve with medical treatment alone. That’s why learning about how pain works — and how your brain and body process it — is such an important part of managing it.
04 | Therapy helps you re-wire the alarm system
The good news is that, just like the alarm system can become overactive, it can also be retrained. Through therapy, coping strategies, and lifestyle changes, you can help calm your nervous system and regain a greater sense of control over your life.
