Chronic Pain Therapists in Nashville, TN
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Katie Casey
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC, MHSP, MA
Verified
Verified
I love working with clients with issues that hinder their daily lives: PTSD,
chronic pain
/
illness
, mood disorders, codependency, and much more.
Therapy is all about healing. Healing from the past, old wounds, thoughts or feelings that aren't serving you anymore. So often, we have learned various ways of living to get through the days, to cope, but it's surviving and not truly living. For most, facing those things seems scary and that fear keeps them from living the life they want. I see my role as a therapist is to foster a space of safety so healing can occur. Through compassion, honesty, and ultimately connection, I work with my clients to help them move towards their best selves.
Jennifer Knowles
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC, MHSP(T), CCFP
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
While I work with all types of clients, I have special training in
chronic pain
and
illness
, complex trauma, complex grief, and end of life counseling.
I work with clients from all walks of life and with a variety of concerns and lived experiences. My approach to therapy is through a polyvagal-informed, body-based lens incorporating therapeutic modalities designed to attend to biological systems as well as core thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. Clients who are interested in achieving a better understanding of the body/brain connection and who would like to address
chronic pain
, tension, and trauma in the body will find help here. My goal is to restore ease and empower you to connect with your own innate healing abilities.
Catherine Harris
Art Therapist, MA, ATR-BC, RYT 200
Verified
5 Endorsed
Verified
5 Endorsed
Offering sessions in Art Therapy to support chronic
illness
, grief and loss, and burnout. Throughout our lives, loss can show up in many forms: the loss of a job, the loss of a relationship, the loss of health, the loss of fertility, and of course the loss of life. All of these experiences can have the same intense effects as the death of a loved one. They can leave us feeling shattered, lost, and alone. Our modern-day way of life does not provide us with the rituals or guides we need to properly care for ourselves, find relief and support, and effectively grieve these losses when they occur. I understand, and I’m here to help.
Not accepting new clients
Maria McLaughlin
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
Congratulations on taking this step in your journey towards health and healing. It is my goal to help create a safe, nonjudgemental space for my clients to build a more compassionate relationship with their own
pain
and suffering. When we take a more compassionate and loving stance with our own
pain
, we can then begin to feel more empowered to move towards the things that we most deeply value and desire in life. You matter, your voice matters, your
pain
matters. It would be my honor to walk with you on your journey.
Dawn Ducote
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, CCTP
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Therapy can help you move through the
pain
and stress to the future you desire.
Therapy should be a safe place for you to work on goals, gain skills to better deal with life challenges, and/or to take back your life from the effects of trauma, depression, or anxiety. I customize my style for each individual and use evidence-based interventions to help you reach your goals. We can work together to help you find understanding, and catalyze growth and healing. I worked in the corporate world for 10+ years, and understand the struggles of managing a team, proving your worth, and finding time and ways to care for your soul.
Doug Taylor
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC-, MHSP, NCC
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
Your current
pain
and struggle need not define who you are.
I work with clients wanting to heal from all kinds of painful experiences and challenges in their lives. Often what brings someone into therapy, their current struggles, are symptoms of an underlying unresolved experience which has thrown life out of balance. Anxiety and depression, for example, frequently are a pattern of being stuck in a state of imbalance, following a significant loss, heartbreak or trauma. The goal of therapy is to restore the natural integrity and balance within clients, empowering them to lead creative and fulfilling lives.
Carrie Wilkerson
Pre-Licensed Professional, MA, MMFT
Verified
Verified
Hi, I’m Carrie. Whatever is happening in your life right now, we can face it with care and find authentic, effective ways to handle it, together. For over 20 years, I’ve worked with individuals, groups, organizations, and communities in making positive change. I have also experienced my own healing journey from childhood abuse and family dysfunction, so I’m intimately familiar with the terrain. My life’s passion is for healing trauma; transforming
pain
into wholeness; helping my clients develop their unique gifts and path; and nurturing relationships back to health; and that’s what I’ve trained to do.
Melissa T. Dees
Counselor, MA, LPC, MHSP
Verified
6 Endorsed
Verified
6 Endorsed
Many people struggle with conveying compassion toward themselves and their own
pain
.
Thoreau said "There are a thousand hacking at the branches to every one striking at the root." In therapy, I believe our most valuable work is striking at the root of issues rather than hacking merely at the many branches/symptoms of the root. This latter approach often leads to resolving one manifestation of a problem only to experience new manifestations down the road. Whether the symptoms are anxiety, depression, addictions, or maladaptive relationships, it is worthwhile to examine the deeper sources of our
pain
. One of my primary roles will be to provide a steadfast ground of compassion, patience, and truth for your work.
Patrick Michael Nitch
Licensed Professional Counselor, MEd, LPC, NCC
Verified
13 Endorsed
Verified
13 Endorsed
All of us experience
pain
. Often, the ways we have learned to cope with the
pain
and trauma of life can disconnect us from parts of ourself—our emotions, our needs, our wants—in a way that we find ourself in a cycle of suffering. Our therapists provide support in breaking that cycle of suffering by helping to reconnect us to all parts of ourself and to help heal those parts so that no matter what may arise in life, it is possible to find joy and peace.
Nicki Sindle
Licensed Professional Counselor, MA, LPC, MHSP, EMDR II
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
As needed, I use EMDR to help clients release trauma, fears, & stored
pain
from adverse experiences.
Asking for help and deciding to begin therapy is a difficult decision, requiring courage and strength. I commend you on taking the first step toward feeling better, self-awareness, and personal growth. My goal is to empower clients to make positive changes in their emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical health. As clients learn to identify & reprocess their negative beliefs, they are able to make personal improvements in lifestyle choices & relationships. I aim to provide a physically and emotionally safe and caring environment for clients to engage in a interactive process to ultimately make the positive changes they wish for.
Abby Graham
Pre-Licensed Professional, LPC(T), MEd, NCC
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Hi, I’m Abby. I help people experiencing
pain
and disconnection meet their difficulties with curiosity and compassion. Experience working with psychiatric crises and people diagnosed with severe & persistent mental
illness
taught me that presence, connection, & wholeheartedness is possible amid deep emotional
pain
. “You know that the antidote to exhaustion is not necessarily rest? … The antidote to exhaustion is wholeheartedness.” - David Whyte
Not accepting new clients
Erin Kelly
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Regardless of what brings you here, I won't claim to understand exactly what you're experiencing or that I have all the answers. While I believe that you are the expert on your life journey, I can offer professional support and share tools to help you peacefully navigate obstacles along the way. I work with all types of life experiences, but specialize in supporting individuals coping with a wide range of
chronic pain
conditions (e.g., POTS, EDS, IC, IBS,
fibromyalgia
, cancer) and illnesses. I also have expertise in the relationships between trauma and
pain
, mind-body psychology, and diversity/identity.
Callie Cox
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
One of my favorite song lyrics right now is from the Lumineers, "it is better to feel
pain
than nothing at all." My work with clients looks like providing them someone to walk through the
pain
with so that they can create room for the joy that will follow. I work with clients through the attachment and emotional lens to help them create love and relationship that feels safe again.
East Nashville Counseling
LPC Intern
Verified
Verified
With an abundance of life experience, is my hope to walk with you through life's challenges whether they be family related, relationships, marriage, career, child rearing,
illness
, divorce, grief or any combination of these.
Now accepting new clients! Evening and weekend options. My goal as a counselor is to really listen to you, to hold safe space for you, to understand your struggles, to consider possible sources of stress, and to help you craft goals to make your life better. Who am I? I am a lifelong learner, a working mother, and a funny and supportive friend and family member. People who know me well will tell you that I am strong, determined, straightforward, and kind. I truly believe that I can be a valuable resource for you.
Not accepting new clients
Michele M Panucci
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I also have expertise with treatment of
chronic pain
using the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for
Chronic Pain
protocol.
Do you currently struggle with a painful or even traumatic past? I believe in active acceptance as the most effective path towards change. Through a focus on values, clients learn to accept a difficult past towards a vital life in the present. To their credit, most clients have already tried to "get rid of" difficulties before therapy. They typically make the decision when realizing that their well-worn coping tools don't work and they're overwhelmed. Ideal clients are ready to actively engage in a collaborative process challenging them to let go of control/avoidance strategies towards a committed life in the present.
Dan LaVelle
Licensed Professional Counselor, MS, LPC, MHSP
Verified
4 Endorsed
Verified
4 Endorsed
I specialize in
Chronic Pain
, Anxiety, Trauma, Grief, Depression, and Existential Issues.
My goal is to utilize the individual strengths of all clients for the sake of enabling them to accomplish their goals, overcome hardships, and live up to their fullest potential. This possibility is readily available to all willing to adopt new perspectives and practices to their day to day lives. I am passionate about meeting clients where they are for the sake of discovering the perspectives and interests that make people excited about the lives they live. I am credentialed as a Licensed Professional Counselor/Mental Health Service Provider.
Kate Springer
Pre-Licensed Professional, MMFT
Verified
Verified
I believe that most of the
pain
we carry around stems from different aspects of grief and loss.
I am passionate about working with couples and individuals through major transitional stages of life to bring healing from issues of self-worth, core-identity, separation and divorce, anxiety, depression, trauma, major life transitions, grief and loss, spirituality, communication difficulties, conflict management, relational trauma, sexual abuse, and co-dependency. I have completed advanced training to support individuals challenges in the perinatal life phase (conception- postpartum) biological, psychological, and social ramifications that accompany this season of life. My passion is to provide a safe, nurturing environment.
Michelle Hilton
Pre-Licensed Professional, NCC, LPC, MHSP, (Temp)
Verified
Verified
Chronic perfectionism, while helpful in the short term, can lead to stress, relationship issues, and chronic
illness
/
pain
down the road.
Are you feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious or depressed? Maybe you've been having thoughts of not being good enough or questioning your identity. You might be the kind of person who is used to having it all figured out and can usually manage things on your own, but lately it’s been feeling like too much to handle. Stress is starting to negatively impact your relationships, work, and health. Trying to carry this weight can be physically and emotionally exhausting especially when you’re trying to do it alone. That’s where I come in.
Ginamarie Guarino
Licensed Professional Counselor, LMHC, LPC, MHSP
Verified
Verified
My name is Gina and I'm a licensed counselor helping people in Tennessee and Florida. I believe everyone, no matter the situation, can heal and become their best selves. I am here to help you work through your
pain
, frustrations, anxieties, and successes! From therapy with me, you will feel safe and secure to discuss what is on your mind. I can help you work through challenges like anxiety, stress, work issues, and low self-esteem and I help couples and families learn healthy ways to communicate with each other. I can help you find your voice by teaching boundary-setting skills, and I also help people who are grieving find peace.
Katharine Marie Nicodemus
Psychologist, PsyD, HSP
Verified
Verified
Specialty areas include anxiety disorders, trauma exposure, traumatic brain injury,
pain
management, hypnosis and visualization techniques.
I believe that when a patient comes to see a therapist, they often ask these questions. "Will I feel safe, will I be heard without judgment and can this unknown person be trusted?" The therapeutic relationship is the most profound, protected, and valuable asset created between the psychologist and the patient. I am in awe of my patients courage and their ability to trust, so that the issues grappled with can be explored and understood, and that ultimately they can begin to heal and grow in ways that are both needed and desired.
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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.