Photo of Joe Cox, LMSW, Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Joe Cox
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LMSW
Verified Verified
Winooski, VT 05404
I understand therapy as the means by which we transform who you think you should be into an appreciation of who you are and how you came to be. I don’t seek to cure you but only to help you become more effective at caring for yourself. Diagnoses are used only to help you connect with communities or to develop more effective self-care. We will not seek to fix you because you are not broken. While this process of self-acceptance is powerful for anyone, I recommend it for young adults (16-25) or for people experiencing neurodiversity, complex trauma, suicidality, personality disorder, or treatment-resistant illnesses. All are welcome!
I understand therapy as the means by which we transform who you think you should be into an appreciation of who you are and how you came to be. I don’t seek to cure you but only to help you become more effective at caring for yourself. Diagnoses are used only to help you connect with communities or to develop more effective self-care. We will not seek to fix you because you are not broken. While this process of self-acceptance is powerful for anyone, I recommend it for young adults (16-25) or for people experiencing neurodiversity, complex trauma, suicidality, personality disorder, or treatment-resistant illnesses. All are welcome!
(802) 798-5839 x213 View (802) 798-5839 x213
Photo of Nathan Fosdick, LCMHC, MS, Counselor
Nathan Fosdick
Counselor, LCMHC, MS
Verified Verified
Winooski, VT 05404
Living a human life is fraught with painful experiences, just by its nature, and not because people are doing anything wrong. Whether that manifests as sadness, loneliness, guilt, shame, boredom, numbness, stagnation, anxiety, or fear, when these feelings show up, they can leave us feeling trapped and powerless in the face of the challenges of life. My goal is to provide a non-judgmental environment in which people can feel free to build awareness of their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, habits, and relationship dynamics. This awareness provides the basis for personal transformation.
Living a human life is fraught with painful experiences, just by its nature, and not because people are doing anything wrong. Whether that manifests as sadness, loneliness, guilt, shame, boredom, numbness, stagnation, anxiety, or fear, when these feelings show up, they can leave us feeling trapped and powerless in the face of the challenges of life. My goal is to provide a non-judgmental environment in which people can feel free to build awareness of their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, habits, and relationship dynamics. This awareness provides the basis for personal transformation.
(802) 992-8304 View (802) 992-8304
Photo of Avery Grey, MA, Counselor
Avery Grey
Counselor, MA
Verified Verified
Winooski, VT 05404  (Online Only)
Not accepting new clients
Change can be hard sometimes, but also rewarding and empowering. I am always honored to be a part of each client’s change process. Our collaborative work will focus on your hopes, goals, and the tools you already have to help you achieve them. We will identify unhelpful thoughts and patterns and work to restructure them to your benefit.
Change can be hard sometimes, but also rewarding and empowering. I am always honored to be a part of each client’s change process. Our collaborative work will focus on your hopes, goals, and the tools you already have to help you achieve them. We will identify unhelpful thoughts and patterns and work to restructure them to your benefit.
(802) 487-8160 View (802) 487-8160
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.