Making Sense of Pain- What’s Psychology Got to Do with It?

Led by Dr. Amber Johnston Clinical Psychologist, Neuropsychologist, and founder of Healthy Mind Psychology this talk explores pain through a psychological and neurophyslogical lens to review old medical narratives around chronic pain conditions and how the field is changing. The role of multidisciplinary work is expanding, though clients often still have stigma about psychological services meaning their pain is “all in their head.”  

This talk aims to help clinicians working with the population communicate the newest neuropsychological understanding of the complexity of chronic pain to provide a more effective, compassionate, and evidence-informed approach for this growing population. We will look at current NICE Guidelines for the treatment of chronic pain conditions, including guidance from the British Psychological Society and the International Association for the Study of Pain, as well as new theories building their research bases.

This talk explores the science of pain through the lens of mindbody connections, drawing on the latest theories of neurophysiology and clinical psychology to understand pain more holistically. Chronic pain treatment needs to move away from solely traditional biomedical avenues to understand that pain isn’t just a signal from the body but a whole-brain experience shaped by factors including stress, neuroinflammation, memory, predictive processing, trauma, environment and lifestyle. By bridging neurophysiological science with clinical psychology practices, I aim to help clinicians have deeper understanding of complex pain conditions to guide their patients to see treatment options beyond pills and surgeries. I will also explore the psychological therapy modalities currently recommended for these clients and expand to explore why additional modalities have new popularity.

After attending this course delegates will be able to…

• Explain the traditional biomedical belief around pain and newer understanding of pain as a perception constructed by the brain
• Appreciate different types of stress and inflammation factors and how each can impact whole body functioning, exacerbating pain experience
• Understand how psychology services (and modalities beyond CBT) offer a valuable adjunct to a treatment team, including
  which areas of functioning are being targeted with different modalities within the pain experience

Suitability
This course offers 3 CPD points suitable for Psychologists, mental health professionals, healthcare professionals, therapists, anyone involved in the care of those with chronic pain conditions.