Chronic Pain Support Groups in East Melbourne, VIC

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Connect to yourself and others through supportive musical experiences in a small group setting with a Registered Music Therapist. No musical experience is needed. Groups can be tailored to meet the needs of specific groups, including people living with chronic illness, cancer, mental ill-health and more. Groups are held in person in Coburg, or online, depending on the group's preferences. Please get in touch to express your interest.
Hosted by Dr Kate McMahon
Registered Music Therapist, PhD
Verified Verified
Group meets in Coburg, VIC 3058
I specialise in using evidence-based music and counseling approaches to help you build confidence, manage big emotions and cope with life's challenges. You might be looking to cope with chronic illness, depression or anxiety, or to connect better with yourself or someone else. You might want to loosen the impact of trauma on your life, or build confidence. You might be looking for a therapy that goes beyond words and taps into the wisdom of your body and creative soul. I bring 7 years of experience working with people across a range of life experiences, and a dedication to work with you to improve your life.
(03) 8338 4138 View (03) 8338 4138
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based, user-friendly program that brings the principles of mindfulness meditation into everyday life by teaching specific skills and practices to help break cycles of anxiety, stress, unhappiness and exhaustion.
Hosted by Ingrid Jolley
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, AASW
Verified Verified
Group meets in Thornbury, VIC 3071
Ingrid works with individuals experiencing a range of issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, grief, relationship issues and adjustment to life changes. She is particularly interested in supporting activists and people experiencing eco-distress. She works collaboratively with people on a short term or long term bases. Ingrid assists people to recognise and build on their strengths, process emotions and identify and relate to thoughts and patterns in helpful and compassionate ways. This therapeutic process offers the opportunity to heal, grow and transform in ways that people value and that promote overall wellbeing.
(03) 7037 8335 View (03) 7037 8335

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Chronic Pain Support Groups

How does chronic pain therapy work?

Engaging with a psychotherapist to help treat chronic pain does not mean that one’s pain is all in their head. Therapy for chronic-pain patients has been shown to benefit both the mind and the body, targeting physical symptoms and increasing daily functioning. In other words, for many, addressing their emotional health through therapy affects their physical health. A therapist can help a client challenge unhelpful thoughts about pain and develop new ways to respond to it, such as distraction or calming breathing techniques. Studies have found that therapy can be as effective as surgery for certain cases of chronic pain and many doctors recommend trying psychotherapy in advance of considering invasive surgery.

What are the most effective treatment options for chronic pain?

Stress, anxiety, depression, catastrophising, ruminating, lack of activity, and social withdrawal all make chronic pain worse. Addressing these issues, research shows, can help people gain control over their pain symptoms. Therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy, biofeedback, and mindfulness-based stress reduction, along with greater pain-management education, have been found to help people reduce fear and disability.

Are there new treatments for chronic pain?

Many cases of chronic pain, particularly those involving back pain, remain medically unexplained. But there is evidence that changes in the brain or nervous system are caused by previous physical ailments such as tissue damage; in such cases, the brain may continue to send out pain signals despite the physical cause having healed. To aid patients under these circumstances, a recently developed treatment known as pain reprocessing therapy (PRT) is designed to help the brain “unlearn” this response. A PRT practitioner helps individuals to reduce the “threat value” of their ongoing pain signals until they can reappraise them as less threatening and fear-inducing. They also help an individual to develop new emotional regulation skills.

How long does therapy for chronic pain take?

There is no set timeline for recovery from chronic pain, especially as there may be a range of physical and psychological causes for any individual’s discomfort, but most patients should expect to see a therapist for a number of weeks or months, typically spanning at least 12 sessions. Studies of pain reprocessing therapy found that many individuals’ experience of pain lessened in eight sessions over four weeks.