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Resources for Patients:
Curious why psychologists are involved in pain management? Hear Psychologist Beth Darnell, PhD provide a brief overview:
Daniel Bruns PsyD provides a thorough description of the complexities of pain and outlines the manner in which some “unexpected” treatments work.
Useful Resources:
Here’s a great page dedicated to explaining pain psychology and it includes several tips for coping with pain
The Pain Toolkit (https://www.paintoolkit.org/)
The Pain Toolkit in an award-winning organization whose website offers a wealth of pain self-management resources for free or for nominal print cost (e.g., $2). Developed by a peer with lived experience with successful pain management.
There are approximately 50 different videos on pain self-management at this link, with separate categories for patients and medical providers: https://www.paintoolkit.org/resources/useful-videos
American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) (http://theacpa.org)
The ACPA is dedicated to peer support and education for individuals with chronic pain and their families so that these individuals may live more fully in spite of their pain. Their website includes free pain management tools (print and electronic), local support group information, and a resource guide for chronic pain treatments.
Recommended Books:
ACT-based
- Living Beyond Your Pain: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Ease Chronic Pain © 2006 by Joanne Dahl and Tobias Lundgren
CBT-based
- The Pain Survival Guide © 2005 by Dennis Turk, PhD and Frits Winter
- The Chronic Pain Care Workbook © 2006 by Michael Lewandowski, PhD
- Less Pain, Fewer Pills: Avoid the Dangers of Prescription Opioids and Gain Control Over Chronic Pain © 2014 by Beth Darnall. Includes a guided, binaural relaxation audiofile and CD
- The Opioid-Free Pain Relief Kit © 2016 by Beth Darnall, PhD. Includes a guided, binaural relaxation audiofile and CD
Pain Science Book (pain education)
- Explain Pain by David Butler and Lorimer Moseley
Chronic Pain Self-Management
- Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain © 2015 by Sandra LeFort, Lisa Webster, Kate Lorig, et al.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
There are several great resources for learning MBSR, Here’s a link to a free resource.
Tips for Finding a Pain Psychologist Near You:
Where to Start: Check out APA’s Psychologist Locator Page
** Do you have a suggestion or reference you would like to see added here? Please email sfhpwebeditor@gmail.com, with heading: Pain Psychology Page. Thank you!
Resources for Psychologists:
Chronic Pain Resources:
Hunter, C.L, Goodie, J.L., Oordt, M.S., & Dobmeyer, A.C. (2016). Integrated behavioral health in primary care: Step-by-step guidance for assessment and intervention 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Robinson, P. & Reiter, J. (2015). Behavioral consultation and primary care: A guide to integrating services 2nd ed. New York: Springer.
Robinson, P. J., Gould, D. A., & Strosahl, K. D. (2011). Real behavior change in primary care. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Strosahl, K., Robinson, P., & Gustavsson, T. (2012). Brief interventions for radical change: Principles and practice of focused acceptance and commitment therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Thorn. B.E. (2017). Cognitive Therapy for Chronic Pain: A Step-by-Step Guide 2nd ed. New York: Guilford Publications.
Literacy-Adapted Manuals for Chronic Pain
Introduction to Literacy-Adapted Materials
National Clinical Practice Guidelines relevant to Pain Psychology:
- American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) 2017 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) Practice Guidelines for Chronic Pain. Chronic Pain. MDGuidelines. Westminster, CO: Reed Group, Ltd; 2017. Available at: www.MDGuidelines.com.
Editor-in-Chief: Kurt T. Hegmann, MD, MPH, FACOEM, FACP; Assistant-Editors: Jeremy J. Biggs, MD, MSPH, Matthew A. Hughes, MD, MPH; Evidence-based Practice Chronic Pain Panel: Steven D. Feinberg, MD, MS, MPH (Chair), Gerald M. Aronoff, MD, DABPM, DABPN, FAADEP, James Ausfahl, MD, Daniel Bruns, PsyD, FAPA, Beth D. Darnall, PhD, Rachel Feinberg, PT, DPT, Jill S. Galper, PT, Med, Lee Glass, MD, Robert L. Goldberg, MD, FACOEM, Scott Haldeman, DC, MD, PhD, James E. Lessenger, MD, FACOEM, Steven Mandel, MD, Tom G. Mayer, MD, Russell L. Travis, MD, FACS, FAADEP, Pamela A. Warren, PhD, Thomas H. Winters, MD, FACOEM
- American Chronic Pain Association ACPA Resource Guide to Chronic Pain Medication and Treatment: An Integrated Guide to Physical, Behavioral and Pharmacologic Therapy. Co-Author: Darnall BD. Project Lead: Steven Feinberg, MD. ©2017 Edition https://www.theacpa.org/uploads/documents/ACPA_Resource_Guide_2017.pdf
Training Opportunities and Webinars:
National CME Workshops
- “Psychological Approaches to Managing Pain.” Web archived, for purchase. Institute for Brain Potential. This is a 6-hour CME workshop developed and delivered by Dr. Beth Darnall. http://www.ibpceu.com/content/pdf/PMPCAS17.pdf
Webinars
- “Reducing Catastrophizing to Prevent and Treat Chronic Pain” by Beth Darnall. Free and archived online: https://www.wwdpi.org/Webinars/Pages/Webinar.aspx?wbID=151 Hosted by the Work Wellness and Disability Prevention Institute of Canada.
Commonly Used Measures for Pain Psychologists:
Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation List of Psychological Tests Commonly Used in the Assessment of Chronic Pain CO psych tests 2015
List of Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation approved functional and psychological tests QPOP_Table_of_approved_tests
Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) Psychological Evaluation Information:
Dan Bruns, PsyD developed this SCS Primer and Glossary as well as a great resource which outlines Spinal Cord Stimulators and Related Therapies.
Graduate Schools, Internships and Postdoctoral Fellowships specializing in Pain Psychology:
IASP has a great resource here, providing a list of pain schools and other educational opportunities
Postdocs:
New Orleans VA Postdoctoral Residency in Health Psychology with emphasis in Chronic Pain
Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship with an emphasis in Pain and Psycho-Oncology at the Tampa VA. Additional information
Postdoctoral Fellowship in neuroscience and/or psychology with a focus on pain science, Department of Pain and Translational Symptom Science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Additional information
Geisinger – Postdoctoral Fellowship in Behavioral Pain Management, Danville, Pennsylvania (https://www.geisinger.org)
Pain-Focused Organizations/Resources:
Academy of Integrative Pain Management
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM)
American Chronic Pain Association
Cleveland Clinic Pain Management
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)
Society of Behavioral Medicine– Pain
** Do you have a suggestion or reference you would like to see added here? Please email sfhpwebeditor@gmail.com, with heading: Pain Psychology Page. Thank you!