Chronic Pain Counselling in Edinburgh
See all counsellors in Edinburgh
Dr Kim Kemp
Psychologist, PsychD, HCPC - Clin. Psych.
Verified
Verified
Living with a visible or invisible long term
illness
can impact on your thoughts, feelings and behaviour and affect your relationships, wellbeing and ability to function. I’m comfortable having difficult conversations about health and medical conditions, treatments, symptoms and the effect they have on your mental wellbeing. Psychological support can help you manage these challenges and get on with living a good life. Psychological support can also be helpful when you are receiving medical care or surgery. Collaborating with me before and after you have medical treatment or surgery can maximise your coping strategies and recovery.
Not accepting new clients
Dr Emily McBride
Psychologist, PhD, HCPC - Health Psych.
Verified
Verified
Are you seeking a safe space with an experienced psychologist? You might be feeling overwhelmed, low, frustrated, guilty, or anxious. Perhaps you feel you've lost part of your identity, impacting on your sense of purpose and self-worth. I know it can be incredibly hard to express what you truly feel and need to others. I offer a compassionate space for you to work through current issues, as well as difficulties from your past. I specialise in supporting people with long-term conditions (e.g.
chronic pain
, cancer, diabetes), and also work with a range of wider issues (e.g. PTSD and trauma).
Dr Lisa Reynolds, Clinical Psychologist
Psychologist, HCPC - Clin. Psych.
Verified
Verified
I understand how difficult it can be to take first steps to beginning therapy, but together we can develop and work towards goals that are meaningful to you, to help you move forward in life. I work with adults and older adults, and my special interests include physical health problems, particularly
chronic pain
and gynaecological difficulties, anxiety disorders, low mood, grief and loss, and sleep problems.
Waitlist for new clients
Gemma Price
Counsellor, MBACP
Verified
Verified
Hello. I am a counsellor and physiotherapist working face to face and online. I specialise in helping people with anxiety, stress and burnout, bereavement and loss and issues related to health and
illness
. Are you finding you anxiety overwhelming? Are you living with
chronic pain
or a long term health condition? Have you been given a new diagnosis? I know that these experiences can feel confusing and scary. It is not unusual to feel a sense of loss or anxiety about the future. It can be a lonely place and you may feel unseen and misunderstood. All of this can effect your relationships, work and life choices. I can help you.
Caroline Marlow
Psychologist, PhD, AFBPSsS
Verified
Verified
Having musculoskeletal injury and
chronic pain
can be tough, especially when it affects how you feel, how you feel about yourself, and stops you doing the things that you love and are important. But research shows that the brain controls our recovery and that those who understand their
pain
hurt less. I’m a personable psychologist who specialises in injury and
chronic pain
. I can help you answer your questions about injury and
pain
, and put you back in control of your recovery and being you again. My support uses the latest
pain
science research and provides a unique blend of
pain
education, psychology, and wellbeing promotion.
Ute Wenkemann
Counsellor, MSc, BACP
Verified
Verified
My counselling experience includes working with anxiety, depression, bereavement, abuse and neglect, living with
illness
, loss and transitions, questions around identity, sexuality, and relationships.
Beginning counselling can be a challenging choice. I offer a space, in which we can explore this choice together, recognising your needs from and hopes for counselling. I work on the basis of a trusting working relationship, from which we can observe rather than judge what might be going on for you. Together, we can reach an increased awareness of the options available in the areas of life that are troubling you.
Edinburgh EH3
& Online
Maggi Scott
Counsellor, BACP
Verified
Verified
From my own life experience & personal development trainings and counselling career, I have a deep compassion and understanding that underpins my work as a therapist supporting people experiencing emotional suffering and difficult circumstances.I have supported clients with many different issues and situations and can offer a wide range of helpful things such as teaching breathwork and visualisations for practising outside sessions. i have extensive experience working with clients experiencing struggles with bereavement, chronic
illness
, depression, anxiety and trauma.
NourishPsychology
Psychologist, HCPC - Clin. Psych.
Verified
Verified
I offer a service to people looking for help to: manage their weight, to manage stress and emotional struggles and to engage in positive habits and reduce unhelpful habits to improve health and well-being. You may have struggled in your relationship with food for many years and would now like help to make life-long changes for better health and so that you can be slimmer and/ or fitter. You may have experience of: physical health conditions and
pain
, mental health problems and/or trauma during your childhood and/or in adulthood
Christiane Kelegher
Psychotherapist, MSc, HCPC-Art Therap.
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I work with whatever my clients bring into the therapy room and have a particular interest in personal identities and how my clients wish to be seen and accepted in the world. This includes identities around chronic
illness
and disability, as well as around gender, sexuality and relationship diversity. I do not work as a blank mirror but instead use my knowledge and training to create a dialogue between me and my clients.
Dr Hannah Ranaldi
Psychologist, HCPC - Health Psych.
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Do you need someone to hold a safe, non-judgemental space where you can better understand your current circumstances and how to move forward? I specialise in working with clients who are looking for support with their mental health, physical health, and overall wellbeing. Some clients want to change specific health behaviours, such as weight management by exploring their relationship with food and exercise. Other clients are looking for support adjusting to changes in their health, such as the menopause, or a specific diagnosis or condition. I have experience supporting long-term health conditions,
chronic pain
and long-covid.
Alan Freeburn
Psychotherapist, MSc, GMBPsS
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I also help a lot of clients learn how to manage
chronic pain
more effectively as well as working with athletes, musicians and others who may have performance anxiety and confidence issues such as the yips or Focal Dystonia.
Hi, I'm Alan and I have over 20 years of experience as a hypnotherapist and an applied psychologist working in adult mental health in the NHS. Much of my work focuses on helping people deal with anxiety whether that is a general anxiety, phobias or more difficult anxieties such as trauma or OCD. My approach is a combination of the best parts of the NHS recommended treatments for various conditions along with the use of hypnosis and cognitive hypnotherapy to enhance the effects of these.
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Hi! I believe everyone has the right for decent relationships (with friends, family and partners) as it has tremendous influence in their quality of life. Many things influence the way people behave in relationships - I am here to help you explore what might be getting in the way of you getting the relationships you want. I work with all sorts of issues in relationships and sexual difficulties, and will offer you a non-judgmental environment while facilitating the therapeutic process for self-discovery and actualisation.
Oriana Johnson
Counsellor
I also have lived and professional experience with
chronic pain
and
illness
- including post-covid recovery.
I am a qualified person-centred counsellor. Person-centred means the therapeutic process is centred around you. I offer a private space, without fear of judgement or expectations - which are perfect conditions to work together to get what you want from counselling. My sessions are purposely laid back, where you and I are both free to be ourselves in this space. I offer a discount to counselling/psychotherapy students who need sessions for their studies.
Dr Louise Roper
Psychologist, HCPC - Health Psych.
Verified
Verified
I can help by supporting clients to manage chronic
illness
and the changes that go with chronic
illness
(E.
I am a Principal Health Psychologist (part time) in the NHS who supports people with chronic
illness
, including Long Covid. I also support people with issues with their sleep, people with chronic fatigue & those with
pain
. I would like to help you get back to the life you want to live and support you to live well despite what is going on for you at this point in time.
Busy Minds Counselling
Counsellor, MSc, MBACP
Verified
Verified
I have a keen interest in working with ADHD, Autism, complex trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, disabilities, anger, cancer and
chronic pain
/ health related issues.
I am Katie Johnston and I run Busy Minds Counselling in Perth, Scotland. As a neurodivergent counsellor, I enjoy working within a pluralistic framework which draws from different modalities to support clients needs and challenges in therapy. Our work together will explore your needs and is not defined by one way of working with at times the need to " think out of the box" and find new ways to approach challenges and sticking points in life.
Tammie Martin
Counsellor, MBACP
Verified
Verified
At times life can be difficult to navigate, with challenging events arriving unexpectantly. The road ahead can become unclear, and anyone can struggle making positive choices to improve their unique situations for the better. The first beneficial step towards seeking help is always the biggest. As a registered BACP counsellor adhearing to a code of conduct, I can respectfully help you to explore possible options should you decide to take that step in self improvement.
Jane Edwards
Psychotherapist, MSc, MBACP Accred
Verified
Verified
Are you struggling with anxiety or depression? Unhappy, experiencing relationship problems, feeling alone or held back by trauma or bereavement? Are you seeking counselling for a child or young person? Therapy can be short term, 4-6 sessions and we can work together in a highly focused way, including exploring strategies if you wish to. For some, longer term therapy is preferred. In this we can explore issues in greater depth and you can be supported to make lasting changes in your life. For children, therapy happens in the midst of play and craft activities.
Morgan Mitchell Emdr
Counsellor, GMBPsS
Trauma can include life-threatening events or simply moments where you were overwhelmed and felt helpless. A troubling or terrifying event has an impact on the whole person – it is held in the body, changes ways of thinking, and often comes with an overwhelming set of emotional and behavioural responses. At times, these changes and responses are unhelpful and seriously affect people’s quality of life and their ability to move forward. Working together, we explore and come to understand your current responses. We identify tools that you can use to rebuild your life in a way that works for you.
Pagoda counselling services
Counsellor, MBACP
Verified
Verified
I am a person centred therapist offering bespoke counselling to anyone seeking support and help. I believe that in our work together we can facilitate change to allow you to reach your full potential.
Tom Lawrence
Psychotherapist, MHGI
Verified
Verified
If you are suffering from anxiety - depression/low mood - stress - anger problems - panic attacks - phobias - low self-esteem - self-harming - eating disorders - post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, including military) - addiction (all kinds) - obsessions (OCD) - sleep problems - relationship problems, I can help. Difficulties can often be resolved within only a few sessions – sometimes just one – and in this way can provide good value for money.
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.