Chronic Pain Therapists in 61114

Photo of Ruth Anderson, Psychologist in 61114, IL
Ruth Anderson
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified Verified
Rockford, IL 61114
Our small group practice of dedicated and compassionate therapists offers therapy for mood struggles, relationship challenges, self-harm, trauma recovery, chronic illnesses, chronic pain and more.
I have immediate openings! ! I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist. I specialize in Health Psychology with an emphasis on helping individuals who have experienced major medical events and acute/chronic medical difficulties or changes. I understand how scary such changes and adjustments can be, and am here to help you process and move forward with your life. I also am experienced in treating anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, functional disorders, mood swings and bipolar disorders, relationship challenges, grief, and struggles specific to those with neurodevelopment differences such as autism.
Our small group practice of dedicated and compassionate therapists offers therapy for mood struggles, relationship challenges, self-harm, trauma recovery, chronic illnesses, chronic pain and more.
I have immediate openings! ! I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist. I specialize in Health Psychology with an emphasis on helping individuals who have experienced major medical events and acute/chronic medical difficulties or changes. I understand how scary such changes and adjustments can be, and am here to help you process and move forward with your life. I also am experienced in treating anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, functional disorders, mood swings and bipolar disorders, relationship challenges, grief, and struggles specific to those with neurodevelopment differences such as autism.
(779) 246-3520 View (779) 246-3520
Photo of James J Ryan, Counselor in 61114, IL
James J Ryan
Counselor, MSW, LCSW, BCD
Verified Verified
Rockford, IL 61114
Hypnosis empowers the mind to treat pain, medical and sleep problems, fears, addictions, anger reduction and many other concerns.
Exploring strategies for life change is a fascinating endeavor. I partner with clients to help them create significant transformations, i.e. help change their point of view about problematic concerns, change behaviors that need to be increased or decreased and change longstanding destructive patterns to new life enhancing choices. I rely heavily on scientific findings to facilitate human change. There are varieties of effective traditional and modern psychological treatments such or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Cognitive behavioral therapy is the gold standard for anxiety, depressions, phobias and fears.
Hypnosis empowers the mind to treat pain, medical and sleep problems, fears, addictions, anger reduction and many other concerns.
Exploring strategies for life change is a fascinating endeavor. I partner with clients to help them create significant transformations, i.e. help change their point of view about problematic concerns, change behaviors that need to be increased or decreased and change longstanding destructive patterns to new life enhancing choices. I rely heavily on scientific findings to facilitate human change. There are varieties of effective traditional and modern psychological treatments such or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Cognitive behavioral therapy is the gold standard for anxiety, depressions, phobias and fears.
(815) 290-0882 View (815) 290-0882
Photo of Jennifer Mary Wilson-Bimrose, Psychologist in 61114, IL
Jennifer Mary Wilson-Bimrose
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified Verified
Rockford, IL 61114
I work with clients of all ages. I feel that it is very important for prospective clients to get the correct diagnosis the first time in order to develop a well suited treatment plan. If psychological testing is warranted, I am an effective and efficient evaluator that will focus on the appropriate treatment to get you on your way faster. My goal is to empower each person I come in contact with and to help them realize their potential.
I work with clients of all ages. I feel that it is very important for prospective clients to get the correct diagnosis the first time in order to develop a well suited treatment plan. If psychological testing is warranted, I am an effective and efficient evaluator that will focus on the appropriate treatment to get you on your way faster. My goal is to empower each person I come in contact with and to help them realize their potential.
(815) 975-3291 View (815) 975-3291

See more therapy options for 61114

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.