Chronic pain occurs for many reasons. Regardless of its cause, chronic pain is exhausting, debilitating, and can lead to mental health issues such as isolation, depression, and suicidal ideation.
Available Treatment Options
Therapist interventions for chronic pain include the therapist validating the person. People with chronic pain may feel alone or unheard because their loved ones have heard (often repeatedly) about the pain. Not feeling heard could make them feel small, unimportant, or unworthy. On the contrary, a therapist’s job is to sit with the person and their pain. To recognize it, name it, and validate the person’s experiences with it.
Group therapy can also be helpful for people with chronic pain, as it is comforting to recognize other people are experiencing the same thing. Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, or breathwork, can be helpful for individuals with chronic pain.
Therapists Who Specialize in Helping Those Who Struggle With Chronic Pain
If you are easily overwhelmed, have feelings of chronic anxiety or depression or are struggling to find balance or purpose in your life, I can help. I specialize in reducing anxiety, overcoming depression, healing trauma, and recovering from addictions and co-dependency. In our time together, we will focus on alleviating distressing symptoms while addressing underlying causes. As greater awaren...
Life stressors can undermine an individual's functioning and ability to engage in day-to-day life, and I like to work collaboratively with clients to introduce healthier and more adaptive ways to view themselves and their world. I primarily work with adults that are experiencing anxiety, depression, adjustment to life changes, and those seeking to explore and change unhealthy thought patterns a...
Emotional pain and struggle can be an imposing obstacle on a path to wellness, but these obstacles can be identified and removed with care and attention. Struggling to be in the moment and enjoy the day or week without symptoms may seem difficult right now, but there is always a way out. The fact that you are reading this says that something inside you is saying enough, so continue to reach out...
There are many laughters and joyous moments that are taken away by life's stressors. My passion is to support individuals, couples, and families by helping them strengthen their connection with one another and themselves. I do so by amplifying strengths and interjecting humor to overcome challenges be it relationships, substance use, or other struggles that comes up. I collaborate with clients ...
Everyone has core beliefs that are often formulated at an early age, and can refer to a cognitive construct such as "I don't belong" or "people can't be trusted." When someone is anxious the core belief of "I am a failure" could be activated. When activated these beliefs are experienced by the individual as absolute truths. Although we may "believe" them,the good news is these thoughts are larg...
NOW OFFERING MEDICATION MANAGEMENT IN ANKENY AND AMES. At Clear Brook Counseling Professionals, we work together to provide you the therapy - family, couples, or individual that will deliver the best results for your unique needs. We believe life has meaning, and every moment is worth living. That's the end goal. At Clear Brook you'll experience a team of counselors, proven treatment, and...
Individuals, couples, adolescents and young adults benefit from talking with someone who is objective, empathetic & supportive-- exploring concerns, gaining insight, and learning coping skills to become more resilient. In this stressful world, mental health concerns effect us all. I make therapy a conduit for people to recognize and use their own strengths and help them develop coping skills to...
You struggle with life and feel alone or perhaps overwhelmed with other people or responsibilities. You could use someone to help map out a plan or to find strength. Feeling alone or overwhelmed is very human and much a part of being alive. As your therapist, it is my work to be with you to face these issues, so you do not feel alone. You can find the strength to face challenges. You want to ma...
I specialize in sex therapy and work with clients experiencing issues related to sexuality including performance anxiety, sexual dysfunction, or problematic sexual behavior. We will examine the triggers in your life and find resources to help you manage your challenges when they arise. My work is informed from a social and sexual justice perspective. In addition to my work as a sex therapist, I...
Do you feel overwhelmed with life? Is your relationship falling apart? Do you sometimes wonder where the parenting manual is? Is the trauma of your past haunting you? Then I would like to talk to you. I believe in empowering clients to be the best person they can be! I will be your biggest fan, your best listener and maybe the only person in your life that believes in you or your relationship....
Welcome! The fact that you are reading this indicates a desire for change! I've worked with a variety of people, problems & life difficulties. I began working with adolescents in various settings. For the past decade I've focused more on outpatient therapy with adolescents, adults, and the geriatric population. You are not broken! There is nothing to fix, rather I can help guide you to make the...
For the past 33 years, I have helped people of every age group deal with a variety of issues. Although Equine Assisted Therapy is not clinical counseling, the use of animals facilitates problem solving skills, self awareness, and life skills like no other . Most clients have tried therapy on multiple occasions and nothing has worked. They found that this type of experience of self exploration w...
In psychotherapy, the therapist and client commit to work together to facilitate change. My goal is to provide a safe and nonjudgmental space as we focus on issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, adjustment, sexual identity/LGBTQ concerns, and traditional/non-traditional relationships. My approach to therapy is both holistic and mindful. I view the client as a whole, focusing on the need t...
Anyone who has ever experienced trauma cannot overlook the excruciating pain and fear it instills in the body and mind. Such pain, if left unattended may morph into depression, anxiety, chronic physical pain, and profound sense of loss and continuous grief. It can mask our identity and destroy our lifestyle. We turn out to be disoriented, stuck, and confined. Our lives become foreign to us. We...
