Chronic Pain Therapists in Toronto, ON
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Chelsea Sherrington
Psychologist, PsyD, CPsych
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I specialize in supporting people impacted by chronic or life-threatening
illness
, including cancer, HIV,
chronic pain
, headache, chronic tension, IBD, IBS, and pelvic
pain
conditions.
I am a clinical and health psychologist with experience in a wide range of presenting concerns, including depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, and difficulty coping with stress. I have a particular focus on the intersection of physical and mental health, and support those dealing with chronic or life-threatening
illness
and grief, as well as those impacted by mood changes and difficulty coping around the time of pregnancy and early parenting. I aim to be a warm, dynamic, and engaging therapist, and use an integrative approach which draws on cognitive behavioural (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), existential, and relational approaches.
Elizabeth Arbour
Registered Social Worker, MSW, RSW
Verified
Verified
I am a Registered Social Worker (RSW) and psychotherapist and I provide virtual therapy to folks living with anxiety, depression, and/or
chronic pain
.
Feeling stuck or weighed down by anxiety or depression? Do you sometimes feel alone and as though everyone else seems to be doing better than you are? Perhaps you constantly worry about the future and wonder how you will manage, or frequently have the thought, “I am not good enough.” Are you feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope? I firmly believe that everyone deserves support when they are struggling and that no one should have to deal with such challenges on their own. I can help.
Ann Schnurr
Registered Psychotherapist, RP
Verified
Verified
My ideal clients are challenged with depression, anxiety, anger issues,
illness
and stress. Their goal is to relieve their symptoms so that they can live a more fulfilled life.
Jessica Ward
Registered Social Worker, BSW, MSW, RSW
Verified
Verified
I work with adults and young people in Ontario who are looking for support as they navigate challenging circumstances in their lives, with a special interest in supporting the mental health of young adults who are affected by
chronic pain
and/or
illness
. My other areas of focus include anxiety, depression, work-related stress, bullying, and managing difficult life transitions. Whatever your therapy goals, I am here to support you in gaining a deeper understanding of yourself and to support you towards developing a more compassionate relationship with yourself.
Sara Trought
Registered Psychotherapist, RP, MA
Verified
Verified
I also have experience treating individuals in
chronic pain
.
I am a registered Psychotherapist who employs a holistic approach to therapy which is tailored to meet the needs of the individual, drawing mainly from two models: Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy will help you to recognize and change your thought processes that are resulting in negative emotions and undesirable behaviours. We will work together in attempt to understand why and how you are doing what you are doing. This will then enable you to be able to recognize and change your behavioural patterns and thoughts.
Lindsay Burns
Pre-Licensed Professional, MSc, PhD, Cand
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I help individuals cope with major
illness
, manage
chronic pain
, achieve career goals, and heal from the effects of abuse, discrimination, and trauma.
As an individual therapist practicing at the Centre for Psychology and Emotional Health, I adopt a warm, collaborative, and strengths-based approach that will encourage you to draw from the wisdom of your unique life experiences to make deep and lasting improvements in your overall well-being, relationship functioning, motivation, health, and resilience. I provide evidence-based treatments, including Emotion Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy. I am currently completing the final stages of my PhD in Clinical Psychology and Graduate Diploma in Health Psychology at York University.
Dennis Keefe
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), BA, MA
Verified
Verified
I am a former athlete who now experiences limited mobility due to chronic
illness
.
I have always been a big advocate of jumping into action and finding ways to address problems through concrete, focused strategies. I also honour the important need to foster compassion, validation and understanding as a foundation with my clients before this occurs. I am available to help adults presenting with a broad array of mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem, relationships and life purpose. I also have a specialized focus of helping clients with
chronic pain
, chronic
illness
and disability. I am honoured to take part in the change process with anyone who is open to doing deep personal work.
Centre For Psychology And Emotional Health
Psychologist, PhD, CPsych
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
During her training she has gained experience working with people with a wide range of psychological issues, including mood disorders, and anxiety disorders, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, perfectionism,
pain
, insomnia, bereavement, low self-esteem, stress, emotional regulation, adjustment to life transitions, and relationship issues.
Annabelle strives to create a safe, non-judgmental environment, where she and her client can work together collaboratively to establish the client’s specific treatment goals. She approaches sessions with emotional attunement and empathy, which she considers to be very important for understanding the client’s journey. She uses evidenced-based therapies within the context of client-centered care. She is trained in delivering individual and group-based interventions in the following modalities, cognitive-behavioural therapy, CBT for insomnia, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, and mindfulness.
Andrika Rook
RP , BA, OPC, Dipl, Psych
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
Andrika is Shift’s top
pain
specialist. She supports people who are living with
chronic pain
, high performers who are navigating major life changes, and athletes who are managing
chronic pain
. Andrika will meet you where you’re at and, with humour and wisdom, help you become the best version of yourself. Andrika specializes in helping people manage
pain
and injury, especially athletes and people with chronic conditions. She understands that injury and
illness
often come hand-in-hand with anxiety, depression, and stress.
Shauna Gray
Registered Psychotherapist, MA, RP, R-DMT, Reg#, 004488
Verified
Verified
What do we do when we feel how we are experiencing our selves and our world isn't working? Counselling is a positive, effective and proactive way to achieve the changes you want for yourself and for your life, be it as a partner, parent, professional, or an individual who wants to personally grow. I take pride in providing a trusting, warm and supportive environment, where insightful, client-focused, and pragmatic therapy can benefit my child, teen and adult clients. Some of my specialties include anxious and depressed mood, parenting struggles, divorce, individual challenges,
chronic pain
, brain injury, and trauma.
The Design Your Life Centre
Psychologist, PhD, CPsych
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
As a Clinical Health Psychologist with over 15 years of experience, I am skilled at helping people navigate and overcome life's big challenges, particularly those affecting their physical health. I am currently applying my expertise in health psychology to infertility counseling. I am an expert clinician in the treatment of
chronic pain
, depression, anxiety, PTSD, adjustment to loss and change, and improving motivation for making healthy lifestyle changes. I also provide psychological skills training to those wanting to improve their performance in sport, the performing arts and demanding professions.
Ida Radan Centre For Psychology & Emotional Health
Registered Psychotherapist, MEd, RP
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Another focus of my interest is helping reduce the suffering of individuals who are living with chronic muscular-skeletal
pain
.
Welcome! It is a privilege to support my clients. I am intentional in creating an atmosphere of safety and hope during consultations by bringing kindness to the therapy space, and a desire for developing an authentic connection. I can support you overcome issues with depression, anxiety and chronic worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, family conflict, relationship issues, lack of assertiveness and boundary difficulties, anger issues, low confidence and self-esteem, insomnia, trauma, grief and loss, adjustment to
illness
and injury, life changes, workplace difficulties, and discrimination.
Adam Brotherwood
Registered Social Worker, MSW, RSW
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Adam has provided counselling for over 10 years working with adults, children, youth, and families in Los Angeles and Toronto. He is a highly experienced Social Worker with specific experience in rehabilitation and
chronic pain
, providing counselling in regards to anxiety, depression, crisis, addoption, trauma, and life change.
Rob Nolan
Psychologist, PhD, CPsych
Verified
Verified
i) regulate distressing thoughts and feelings due to stress, anxiety or depression; ii) reduce
pain
, fatigue or traumatic stress; iii) manage anxiety or fear associated with a medical or dental procedure; iv) plan and maintain lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, smoking and weight management, and most importantly v) improve your quality of life.
My therapy practice helps people who are trying to prevent or manage health problems and who are concerned about emotional distress or their ability to function optimally at work or in social activities. My approach to therapy as a Psychologist has been enriched by my experience as an Associate Professor in Medicine and Psychology, and as a Clinical Researcher and Senior Scientist in a major university teaching hospital. I am dedicated to working collaboratively with each person. I provide cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational counseling to help my clients feel ready and confident to:
Waitlist for new clients
Chris Lepage
Psychologist, PhD, CPsych
Verified
Verified
In therapy, my goals are to help my clients achieve the change they seek and make it last. I support my clients in becoming free to live fulfilled, according to their values, not their problems. Many of my patients come for treatment of their mind-body conditions, such as
chronic pain
, irritable bowel syndrome, and headaches, to name a few. Others come for help with depression, anxiety, and emotional difficulties related to life changes. Sometimes, my clients seek help when a problem is not so clear to them. Whatever their reasons, what is common among my clients is this: they are ready for change.
Delanie Nusca Registered Nurse Psychotherapist
RN, Psychotherapist, BScN, CON(C)
Verified
Verified
I have many years of experience working with patients who experience distress, depression, trauma, and chronic
illness
(specifically cancer).
Welcome to your wellness journey. Some journeys are more challenging and complicated than others. You may feel yours is just that and more. Or, you may feel that it’s not. Whatever it is, you are here looking for someone to help you get through it.
Melinda Krynen Hill
Registered Psychotherapist, RP, MEd, MPH
Verified
Verified
I work with people recovering from injury and those living with
chronic pain
/
illness
.
Hi, I’m Melinda. My approach to therapy is both holistic and practical. I can help build your resilience to stress, connect you to valuable resources and empower you with skills and strategies to improve your quality of life and the joy you find in it. In our sessions, I draw from several therapeutic modalities, such as: Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, as best suited to your needs. My goal is to support you to live a more comfortable and fulfilling life.
Eva Svoboda
Psychologist, MA, PhD, CPsych
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
Dr. Eva Svoboda is a co-founding psychologist at Toronto Brain Health. She has significant experience treating individuals with persistent symptoms following concussion (e.g., headaches, sleep problems, low stress tolerance, anxiety, irritability, low mood, noise/light sensitivity), providing rehabilitation to those with acquired brain injury (e.g., stroke, brain tumor, epilepsy), and therapy for personal development, anxiety, stress, insomnia,
chronic pain
, depression, OCD & trauma. Her approach is compassionate and client-centered. Her treatment is informed by research in neuroscience, rehabilitation & psychological therapy.
Online Psychotherapy, Meditation and Mindfulness
Registered Psychotherapist
Verified
Verified
Mindful awareness is a skill set that can reduce feelings of
pain
and suffering while expanding our capacity for meeting life’s challenges with flexibility, confidence and ease.
I help clients build practices that nurture spontaneity, creativity, wisdom, and fun. As an experienced psychotherapist, meditator and trained mindfulness coach, I work with individuals, couples and professionals invested in systematically learning and applying secular meditation techniques to a broad range of high-level goals related to performance, physical, mental, and emotional health, behaviour, relationships, psychospiritual growth, and service. Working one-on-one means we can focus on supporting the areas of your life most ready to grow. Strategies can be adapted, and various therapeutic modalities are drawn upon.
Anne Hampson
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, RSW
Verified
Verified
Models that I utilize include:
Pain
Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Solution Focused Therapy.
I am a therapist who utilizes different approaches depending on the needs of my client. I have years of experience working in the addiction and mental health field and have worked with men, women, and youth of all ages. My areas of expertise include working with chronic and neuroplastic
pain
, addiction, PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorders
See more therapy options for
Chronic Pain Counsellors
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.