Photo of Cindy Griffith, Licensed Professional Counselor in Washington County, VA
Cindy Griffith
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC, LMFT, CSAT, Author, Speaker
Verified Verified
3 Endorsed
Abingdon, VA 24210
Cindy believes humans are physical, mental, emotional, sexual and spiritual beings thus the goal of therapy is to obtain health in all areas of one's being. I believe a client takes the first step to healing as soon as the counseling appointment is made. It's a privilege to observe transformation in a client on the road to hope and healing by focusing on the strengths from within the client. It is exciting to watch a couple go from the brink of divorce to a marriage better than ever.
Cindy believes humans are physical, mental, emotional, sexual and spiritual beings thus the goal of therapy is to obtain health in all areas of one's being. I believe a client takes the first step to healing as soon as the counseling appointment is made. It's a privilege to observe transformation in a client on the road to hope and healing by focusing on the strengths from within the client. It is exciting to watch a couple go from the brink of divorce to a marriage better than ever.
(276) 300-4422 View (276) 300-4422

Online Therapists

Photo of Alan Willard, Marriage & Family Therapist in Washington County, VA
Alan Willard
Marriage & Family Therapist, PhD, DMin
Verified Verified
Blacksburg, VA 24060
When life hurts, I can help. Are you struggling with difficulties that have you feeling depressed, angry, worried, or guilty? Are your relationships at home or work in trouble or conflict? I help individuals and couples who are facing a variety of issues such as depression, anxiety, anger, infidelity, pornography, coping w/chronic illness, sexual problems, PTSD, OCD and much more. I started out my professional career as a church pastor, and in my 40's transitioned into becoming a counselor/therapist. I guide people to get over problems and to be their deeper, higher, and more loving, compassionate self.
When life hurts, I can help. Are you struggling with difficulties that have you feeling depressed, angry, worried, or guilty? Are your relationships at home or work in trouble or conflict? I help individuals and couples who are facing a variety of issues such as depression, anxiety, anger, infidelity, pornography, coping w/chronic illness, sexual problems, PTSD, OCD and much more. I started out my professional career as a church pastor, and in my 40's transitioned into becoming a counselor/therapist. I guide people to get over problems and to be their deeper, higher, and more loving, compassionate self.
(540) 361-6887 View (540) 361-6887
Photo of Season Childress, Licensed Professional Counselor in Washington County, VA
Season Childress
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC
Verified Verified
Taking new clients for neurofeedback only. If you are interested in pursuing EMDR in 2025, I am happy to put you on my waiting list. If you are wanting more immediate or long term therapy, I can refer you to another practitioner in my practice. Have you had a traumatic incident(s) and still experiencing the symptoms? Are loss of sleep, unexplainable emotions, low self esteem, poor concentration or panic keeping you from enjoying your life? You may be working with a therapist and feel that your brain will just not allow you to implement the strategies. Trauma wires the brain, neurofeedback and EMDR rewire it.
Taking new clients for neurofeedback only. If you are interested in pursuing EMDR in 2025, I am happy to put you on my waiting list. If you are wanting more immediate or long term therapy, I can refer you to another practitioner in my practice. Have you had a traumatic incident(s) and still experiencing the symptoms? Are loss of sleep, unexplainable emotions, low self esteem, poor concentration or panic keeping you from enjoying your life? You may be working with a therapist and feel that your brain will just not allow you to implement the strategies. Trauma wires the brain, neurofeedback and EMDR rewire it.
(540) 328-9526 View (540) 328-9526
Photo of Mary Mcintosh, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in Washington County, VA
Mary Mcintosh
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, BCBA
Verified Verified
(540) 305-3543 View (540) 305-3543

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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.