Chronic Pain Therapists in Oakland-Winchell, Kalamazoo, MI
I am experienced in and enjoy working with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. I believe no one should have to walk alone through the challenges and difficulties of life. I consider it a privilege to provide support and encouragement to others while helping them to find the hope and healing God offers through His love and grace. I stress the importance of the therapeutic relationship as the means in which to help others gain personal growth and strength in order to live the life God has called them to live. I have been married 33 years and have four adult children.
I am experienced in and enjoy working with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. I believe no one should have to walk alone through the challenges and difficulties of life. I consider it a privilege to provide support and encouragement to others while helping them to find the hope and healing God offers through His love and grace. I stress the importance of the therapeutic relationship as the means in which to help others gain personal growth and strength in order to live the life God has called them to live. I have been married 33 years and have four adult children.
My 30+ years of experience include mental health, substance abuse and pain management.
Sometimes life challenges us with difficult circumstances and painful emotions. At these times we may not be able to see our way out with any clarity. A compassionate guide can be helpful. I have a deep respect for one's capacity to heal and I invite the integration of mind, body, spirit and emotions into this process. I explore with you the themes in your life that create blocks to feeling centered and fulfilled. While it is important to hear what you are saying, it is also important to hear what you are not saying, providing a deeper kind of listening.
My 30+ years of experience include mental health, substance abuse and pain management.
Sometimes life challenges us with difficult circumstances and painful emotions. At these times we may not be able to see our way out with any clarity. A compassionate guide can be helpful. I have a deep respect for one's capacity to heal and I invite the integration of mind, body, spirit and emotions into this process. I explore with you the themes in your life that create blocks to feeling centered and fulfilled. While it is important to hear what you are saying, it is also important to hear what you are not saying, providing a deeper kind of listening.
Ryan Strong
Licensed Professional Counselor, MA, LPC
1 Endorsed
Oakland-Winchell, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Waitlist for new clients
The pain you feel is a calling, an invitation to deepen and live as a truer expression of your authentic Self.
Your situation is not unworkable. Trauma, stress, and mental health struggles are part of life. What you make of these elements is your contribution to the art of living, an art form that often demands practice and growth. I provide a compassionate, non-judgmental space, as well as the tools and knowledge to help you realign with the deepest parts of yourself. My ideal client is ready to overcome hesitation, move forward and re-establish authentic living. I will assist you in shifting away from endless cycles of struggling against yourself towards living intimately with the natural joy available to you in this life.
The pain you feel is a calling, an invitation to deepen and live as a truer expression of your authentic Self.
Your situation is not unworkable. Trauma, stress, and mental health struggles are part of life. What you make of these elements is your contribution to the art of living, an art form that often demands practice and growth. I provide a compassionate, non-judgmental space, as well as the tools and knowledge to help you realign with the deepest parts of yourself. My ideal client is ready to overcome hesitation, move forward and re-establish authentic living. I will assist you in shifting away from endless cycles of struggling against yourself towards living intimately with the natural joy available to you in this life.
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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.