Seeing a psychologist about pain does not mean that the pain is in your head

Pain controls me and my life.

My quality of life is worse because of pain.

No matter what I do, the pain won’t go away.

If that sounds like you, here are 5 Things to consider about living with pain:

Pain doesn’t only affect your body; it also affects you emotionally, impacts your relationships, can cause depression and anxiety, and can make pain worse.

Pain isn’t always curable, but you can maximise your coping strategies and quality of life to continue doing many of the things you care about.

Not all pain means damage or harm. Pain can occur without tissue damage and persist long after the body has healed. Pain changes how nerves and the brain communicate and process pain. Misfiring nerve signals can continue to tell the body that there is damage even after the damage has healed.  

Changing how you think about pain can change your life and help you do more things you love. If chronic pain doesn't necessarily signify additional harm, and if you’re not satisfied with what medication can do, what are your options? Is there a way to change your relationship with pain," adapt to it, and learn to manage it? Of course, this is easier said than done, but we can help …

Living with persistent pain can mean you feel alone, frustrated, discouraged, and disappointed. Persistent pain affects thousands of Australians, many of whom have found that surgery and medication have limited impact. One in five Australians of all ages experiences pain, and this figure increases to one in three among those over 65; that’s a lot of us …

We’re here to support and listen to your “painful” journey. We can spend time:

Painting a complete picture of your pain so that we tailor the treatment to you, taking into account how the pain began, how you view the pain and what you have tried in the past.

Explaining current pain science so that you understand the latest pain research in areas such as neuroplasticity and physical activity activates neuroplasticity.

Exploring how to manage pain more effectively using strategies such as pacing and pain modulation, adjustment to physical limitations and sensations of pain

Learning to relax your body rather than “holding” to manage pain.

Re-training the signals between your brain and body.

Focusing on increasing your quality of life so you do more of what you care about.

Let us work with you on how to maximise active involvement in positive life experiences despite the presence of pain.

We're here to help you manage pain to help living a life you love.