Chronic Pain Counselling in N9
Dr Aishwarya Sambath
Psychologist, DCounsPsych, HCPC - Clin. Psych.
Verified Verified
London N9
I am a Chartered Counselling Psychologist based in Central London. I work with a wide range of emotional difficulties and aim to work towards making a positive change. I appreciate the challenges and stresses life can bring and will aim to work with you by creating a safe, warm and non-judgmental space, whilst using evidenced-based psychological interventions to make sense of your difficulties, reducing your pain and increasing your wellbeing. With 9 years’ experience of counselling and mental health work within the NHS, private and charity sector, I have gained extensive knowledge and skills working with multiple difficulties
I am a Chartered Counselling Psychologist based in Central London. I work with a wide range of emotional difficulties and aim to work towards making a positive change. I appreciate the challenges and stresses life can bring and will aim to work with you by creating a safe, warm and non-judgmental space, whilst using evidenced-based psychological interventions to make sense of your difficulties, reducing your pain and increasing your wellbeing. With 9 years’ experience of counselling and mental health work within the NHS, private and charity sector, I have gained extensive knowledge and skills working with multiple difficulties
Uniquely Designed Counselling
Counsellor, MBACP
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
London N9
I hold the CPCAB Dip in Therapeutic Counselling. I am an integrative therapist & my specialism is in adoption support for adults who have experienced the care system on any level. This can be from being an adoptee, birth/forever parent, birth child with adopted/fostered sibiling or grandparents etc. I am registered with Barnardo’s. I provide a safe, non-judgmental & confidential space for all struggling with low self-esteem, anxiety, stress, trauma, abuse, adoptiin, family & life problems issues to start cultivating tools that will equip them to deal with life’s problems, build stronger resilience and feel healthier mentally.
I hold the CPCAB Dip in Therapeutic Counselling. I am an integrative therapist & my specialism is in adoption support for adults who have experienced the care system on any level. This can be from being an adoptee, birth/forever parent, birth child with adopted/fostered sibiling or grandparents etc. I am registered with Barnardo’s. I provide a safe, non-judgmental & confidential space for all struggling with low self-esteem, anxiety, stress, trauma, abuse, adoptiin, family & life problems issues to start cultivating tools that will equip them to deal with life’s problems, build stronger resilience and feel healthier mentally.
Psychology for Success
Psychologist, PsychD, HCPC - Couns. Psych.
Verified Verified
London N9
Do you feel like you are struggling with life? Are you feeling anxious or depressed? Perhaps you are experiencing relationship or work-related problems or have noticed that you tend to fall into the same emotional traps again and again? Taking some time out to explore your thoughts and feelings and develop strategies for moving your life forward could be of long-term benefit to you. I am more than happy to support you with your journey.
Do you feel like you are struggling with life? Are you feeling anxious or depressed? Perhaps you are experiencing relationship or work-related problems or have noticed that you tend to fall into the same emotional traps again and again? Taking some time out to explore your thoughts and feelings and develop strategies for moving your life forward could be of long-term benefit to you. I am more than happy to support you with your journey.
Erin Hope Thompson (Online Sessions Available)
Psychologist, HCPC - Clin. Psych.
Verified Verified
London N9
I offer both in-person and online therapy. I have over ten years’ experience working in the mental health sector, helping people overcome and manage their difficulties, be it in their personal or professional lives. I specialise in working with anxiety, depression, OCD, bereavement, health difficulties, and relationship counselling. I work with both adults and young people and can incorporate a number of different therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, systemic therapy, Acceptance and Commitment therapy, schema therapy, and compassion focused therapy.
I offer both in-person and online therapy. I have over ten years’ experience working in the mental health sector, helping people overcome and manage their difficulties, be it in their personal or professional lives. I specialise in working with anxiety, depression, OCD, bereavement, health difficulties, and relationship counselling. I work with both adults and young people and can incorporate a number of different therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, systemic therapy, Acceptance and Commitment therapy, schema therapy, and compassion focused therapy.
Burcu Akar
Psychotherapist, MSc, MBACP
Verified Verified
London N9
Starting therapy can feel unnerving, often it takes time and courage for one to take the first step. Often this initial anxiety about starting therapy can be down to, in part, not knowing what to expect. An initial session, often referred to as an assessment, can be a way of knowing whether or not you and I would like to start working together. Perhaps there are specific things in your life that are bothering you, or maybe you are not sure about why you are feeling the way that you are. Therapy is a place where we can think together in a confidential space.
Starting therapy can feel unnerving, often it takes time and courage for one to take the first step. Often this initial anxiety about starting therapy can be down to, in part, not knowing what to expect. An initial session, often referred to as an assessment, can be a way of knowing whether or not you and I would like to start working together. Perhaps there are specific things in your life that are bothering you, or maybe you are not sure about why you are feeling the way that you are. Therapy is a place where we can think together in a confidential space.
See more therapy options for N9
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.