Pain Reprocessing Therapy: From Pain to Empowered
50 million adults in the US alone are reported to suffer from chronic pain (that number jumps to 1.2 billion adults globally!). Chronic pain defines our lives, limits what we can do, and perhaps most importantly, limits what we think we can do.
The old paradigm for solving chronic pain tells us that something’s wrong with your body, that something’s broken and you need to fix it. Pain is a thing to conquer.
That’s a high-intensity, stress-inducing experience that has us constantly on the search for the right procedure, the right exercise, the right person that can fix us.
The reality is that the old paradigm hasn’t worked, and doesn’t work for the vast majority of chronic pain sufferers. It increases stress and urgency, which accentuates your pain.
Recent advances in neuroscience are redefining what we know about chronic pain. We now know that most often our bodies are NOT broken, and that the majority of chronic pain is neuroplastic – pain caused when the brain misinterprets safe signals from the body as if they’re dangerous.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy was recently featured on the Today Show! Check out their segment here.
The new paradigm understands that your pain doesn’t live in your body; it lives in your nervous system. Your body is not broken. We simply need to teach your brain that your body is safe.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a research-validated, mindfulness-based system of psychological techniques that retrains the brain to respond appropriately to signals from the body, breaking the cycle of chronic pain.
By teaching your brain to interpret the everyday signals it receives from your body as safe, you can turn down the volume on your pain, reduce the intensity and stress pain causes, and take back control of your body, your activities, and your life.
My Pain Reprocessing Therapy practice gives you the know-how & agency to build this safety & solve your chronic symptoms in four key ways:
Cognitive — Building your base of understanding of modern pain science and how it applies to you & your symptoms.
Somatic — Developing your ability to mindfully explore what’s happening in your body through the lens of curiosity, openness & ease.
Behavioral — Skillfully crafting actions together you can take to get back out in your world, doing the things you want to do again.
Emotional — Life’s experiences, challenges & the habits we create to thrive often have a role in developing or maintaining chronic symptoms. Using Hakomi Mind-Body Coaching tools, we build awareness of those influences and create new, better habits to help break the symptom cycle.
This is not a one-size-fits-all practice. It’s a custom-tailored and holistic mind-body approach to solving your chronic symptoms based on your unique strengths and learning edges.
Here’s a sample of recent client results:
“PRT was a full 180-degree flip on how I perceived my pain; my days are now significantly easier & more enjoyable to get through than they were. Knowing that I am not injured and that there is nothing physically wrong with my body has been so freeing. I feel more excited for the future and feel like I have control over my body again. Once again, I can’t thank you enough for these sessions and how much you have helped me.” -- Danny J.
"I have happily discovered that 80% of the time when I notice pain in my back, I am able to resolve it completely. The other 20% I can at least reduce it considerably. One time my partner and I were having a heated discussion regarding construction plans, I felt that pain rising drastically and was able to turn it around very quickly. (Side note it helped to turn around the discussion as well.)" -- Gail L.
"After the PRT Program I now feel that my pain is not a permanent feature. Even if I feel the pain sensations, I know it’s fairly temporary, and my body has the ability to 'reset.'" -- Patrick H.
"My body is hurting far less. I realize now that my thoughts and sensations are generated and that I can breathe and slow down when they come up and be with them, then let them move." -- Natalie F.
Excited for the possibilities?
You can get a taster here by checking out my “Somatic Tracking 101” blog and signing up to receive your free guided practice.
If you’re interested in Pain Reprocessing Therapy in Austin, and worldwide via Zoom, let’s chat to answer your questions and determine if PRT is the right fit for you.