Chronic Pain Therapists in Santa Monica, CA
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Don M Goodman Inc
Psychologist, PhD, CCHt, CDMHRS
Verified
Verified
I am on staff at UCLA as chief
pain
psychologist in the Orofacial
pain
department and I have offices in Santa Monica and Thousand Oaks.
I believe anxiety and stress to be the foundation of many issues we all face. My first goal is to help my patients reduce stress thereby decreasing
chronic pain
, depression and even the ravages of disease and
illness
. By developing rapport and trust and then utilizing healthy coping skills, the goal of anxiety reduction can be achieved. Its important to remember that we are engaged in a collaborative process where we learn to accept, resolve, move on and let go. I find that mindfulness, meditation and breathing is highly effective in decreasing anxiety and depression.
Ida Vandaei
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
Are you hoping to find a solution out of a specific problem? Are you looking to make improvements in your life but just don't know where to start? Do you struggle coping with a chronic
illness
or
chronic pain
disorder? Do you find yourself feeling "stuck", unmotivated, or unable to experience the same joy as before? Are you constantly worried about something bad happening? Are you having difficulty sleeping? Have you experienced a loss, whether it's the death of a loved one or the loss of a future life you imagined? Is your relationship on the rocks or suffered broken trust? Is anxiety taking over your life?
Jeanne Melvin
Occupational Therapist, OTRL, MFT
Verified
Verified
I help clients learn how to manage
chronic pain
without daily
pain
medications and to help clients with sleep disorders (all types) learn to sleep deeply and wake rested without sleeping pills. I also help clients with complex medical diagnoses to develop wellness programs. I have been the Director of four
chronic pain
program. I have been providing Behavioral Sleep Medicine therapy or the UCLA Sleep Medicine Programs for 16 years. My approach to correcting sleep disorders encompasses neurocognitive self-regulation, mindfulness, breathing training, mind control to stop mind racing,sleep education and classic CBT for insomnia.
Waitlist for new clients
Brenda Heidrich
Psychologist, PhD, CTRT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I currently am on staff at UCLA Orofacial
Pain
Clinic in Westwood, CA .
I work with individuals and couples experiencing anxiety, depression and relationship concerns. Anxiety and stress are also often the underlying issues of depression and physical ailments such as Headaches, Back
Pain
, IBS and
Fibromyalgia
. My approach is mindfulness based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Reality Therapy.
Colleen Perry
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT
Verified
Verified
Colleen Perry, M.F.T., is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California (MFC38937).Most people come to see a therapist because they are in emotional
pain
, physical
pain
, or both, as one often creates the other. I understand how vulnerable this can make you feel, so I am committed to giving my full attention and respect to the unique experience of each client. It is for this reason that I maintain a small “boutique” practice, where I listen to what you want for your life and together we create a course of treatment that meets your goals and needs.
Marilyn S Jacobs
Psychologist, PhD, PsyD, ABPP
Verified
Verified
I am a clinical psychologist specialized in the care of patients with physical
pain
. I provide psychological evaluation and individual/family psychotherapy. I rely upon a variety of therapy methods - psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral and existential. My hope is to help people suffering with the emotional consequences of physical
pain
to improve insight, coping and acceptance. I can also provide pre-surgical psychological evaluations as required by insurance for invasive
pain
and other medical procedures. I collaborate with health care providers. I also provide psychotherapy to non-
pain
patient for general emotional issues
Dr Joshua Prager MD, MS
MD, MS
Verified
Verified
Ketamine for Depression, Anxiety, and PTSD. Our treatment program helps patients address the many symptoms resulting from Complex Regional
Pain
Syndrome (CRPS) as well as the effects of anxiety and PTSD. Our program includes low-dose ketamine infusion to help patients manage CRPS symptoms and improve functional abilities. Our primary goal of ketamine and functional
pain
management is to treat anxiety, depression, and resulting effects associated with acute and
chronic pain
.
Cheryl Feldmann
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
Verified
I believe in your capacity to change and to fully live and enjoy your life. Relationship struggles,
illness
, addictions, and many other obstacles may be blocking your way to a fully actualized experience. For over 20 years I have helped people overcome their obstacles, come to a new understanding of their choices and relationships, and experience a new freedom. When given a nurturing environment, people flourish. I provide a therapy that is active, warm, and at the same time challenging enough to help you achieve your goals and reach an enjoyment of life that you didn't know was possible.
Wendy S. Schmelzer
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
Late life is often a dynamic time and one of transition. For many older adults, it is fraught with
illness
, loss and emotional and physical challenge. But it can also be a time of enormous potential. With fewer obligations, long time personal goals can finally be realized and difficult family relationships repaired and healed. Evidence suggests that it's possible to make change at any stage of life. Together through the collaborative process of psychotherapy, we will work towards your goals using an integrated approach that includes psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, and solution focused strategies.
Carol Fred
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
I continue to see people diagnosed with cancer and other serious
illness
.
I have had over 25 years of experience helping people deal with anxiety, depression and traumatic experiences. Creating a safe, trusting relationship is the basis of productive therapy and healing. I am an empathetic listener who uses a variety of approaches to help people reach their goals.
Dr. Doug Polster
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
Verified
I specialize in treatment of anxiety, with a focus on high performers (athletes, executives, entrepreneurs) as well as individuals with
chronic pain
(e.
My clients come to me for practical, tangible guidance and support on how to overcome the challenges they face. I use an evidenced based approach, combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, that helps clients regain control of their lives, reduce unhelpful racing thoughts, and develop resiliency and confidence. Unlike traditional "talk therapy," where much your time is spent discussing vague concepts, my approach is to create realistic, attainable solutions and help you identify the roadmap to achieve them. About half of my practice involves working with teens/young adults and half with adults.
Hannah Bystritsky Johnson
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
Maybe on the outside everything seems fine, but on the inside it's hard to feel hopeful and find motivation to keep going. Suffering can be invisible. I get it - because I’ve been there, through my own healing journey and with extensive training and professional experience. If you are feeling stuck in a vicious cycle that you don’t know how to break - call me. My areas of speciality including working with people living with chronic
illness
/
chronic pain
, health anxiety, depression, and OCD. I know from personal experience, how living with a chronic condition can impact every part of your life and how debilitating it can be.
Rebecca Stein
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
I have extensive training in anxiety,
pain
management, work burnout, ADHD, and relational grief/loss.
Do you find yourself completely avoiding or “numbing out” because things seem so overwhelming? Do you find yourself so “revved up” to do things, to only later find yourself completely burned out? Do you feel like you can’t enjoy life because there is a constant pressure to do things and “do them right?” I help YOU manage these heavy feelings, learn coping strategies, and begin discovering “what’s right with you.” I have empowered many clients at UCLA Medicine, The
Pain
Psychology Center, and The Relational Center feel in order to truly heal. I am a Certified ADHD Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP).
Envision Wellness Counseling
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
We are passionate about helping women who are faced with various challenges related to infertility, postpartum, women's health, and chronic
illness
. Our team of therapists uses their specialized training and lived experience to customize ways to best support you during this time.
Emily Elson
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified
Verified
We develop defenses to that
pain
which eventually stop serving us and often create new problems.
I believe you should like your therapist and feel like you’re making progress, rather than just spinning your wheels. A clinician’s knowledge, approach, and personality are key to achieving that, so I offer free 15 minute phone consultations in order to determine if we’d be a good fit. I have over 20 years experience treating adults, teens, and couples in the areas of anxiety, depression, relationships, and general self-growth. My other specialties include: mindfulness, integrative health, introversion, and highly sensitive people.
Lea Carranza
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MS, AMFT
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
When you are feeling disconnected from your experience it can be confusing & overwhelming. We can work on this...together. It can be frustrating when the go-to mindfulness practices aren't doing the trick. You're eager for skills to cope better. Some parts of you my feel comfortable in the "stuck-ness" while other parts know you deserve a full and joyful life. I work with you to address the
pain
, hurt, and/or traumas holding you back from experiencing life fully. It's messy, confusing, and painful. That's probably why you're here - and that's okay. I'm here to navigate through these issues with you.
Dr. Minoo Shilati
Marriage & Family Therapist, PsyD, LMFT
Verified
Verified
The privilege of working with clients is the way each individual strength and barrier is presented in a session. An ideal client is one who is open to the therapeutic process and recognizes the art of healing through time, directed interventions and collaboration. Therapy and the therapist are tools, meant to magnify your process and highlight the route in feeling cared for and attended to with me. I do not require the "perfect" client, I seek the curious wonderment that recognizes the wisdom in their
pain
but open to the hope in their heart.
Kenneth Rasmussen
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
Verified
My experience with a variety of types of patients and disorders, including depression, anxiety, severe mental
illness
, personality and behavioral disorders, has given me a background for understanding your unique issues.
In your search for a therapist, you will want someone who both understands what you are going through, and who is passionately committed to working with you to figure out where you want to go and how to get there. Therapy is above all a process and journey of self discovery which requires a guide who is patient and supportive, and at the same time encouraging and persistent to help you understand your self and the often hidden patterns of your life and relationships that hold you back.
Steven Bradshaw
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT, SEP, CGP, MA
Verified
10 Endorsed
Verified
10 Endorsed
I work with high-potential and highly sensitive beings, some of whom feel stuck and burned out. I've discovered personally how somatic therapy revitalizes the organism and resolves long-term psychological issues at their true source, the body. In particular it can shift anxiety,
chronic pain
, depression, loneliness, and imposter syndrome. It works to restore the nervous system to a state of healthy regulation, energy, flow and feeling at home in your body. This provides a foundation of authentic self-esteem that becomes the basis for a meaningful career and a network of healthy relationships—a life that feels great on the inside.
Rachel Fintzy Woods
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA
Verified
Verified
I work with people who struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, emotional eating, codependent relationships, and physical
illness
/injury (including long Covid, other post-viral syndromes, stroke, and traumatic brain injury).
Do you struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, and not feeling "good enough"? Are you unhappy with your weight, food, and your body image, or compulsively overeat? Are your relationships unfulfilling? Have you lost touch with (or feel you've never found) your inner wisdom? Do you struggle with chronic
illness
? If so, there is hope. Together we can bolster your resilience, courage, and ability to make constructive changes in your life. As a relationship specialist, I can also help you to improve your communication skills and relationship dynamics, so you can connect better to other people - and to yourself.
See more therapy options for Santa Monica
Chronic Pain Therapists
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, catastrophizing, 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 behavioral 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.