2011 NZ Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting
Early notice for the 2011 NZ Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting – confirmed speakers Prof Eugene Carragee and Dr Lance McCracken. Click here for more details
Talking pain – seeking validation: Social interaction in pain
While we might laugh about the so-called typical ‘I will fix it’ response of some men when their partners talk about problems (when what the woman really wants is a hug), it seems that much of our research into pain behaviour, particularly verbal expressions of pain, has missed something. I’m not a major reader of … Read more
Links to online CBT resources
I have occasion to look for online resources from time to time – this week it’s been anxiety and CBT self-help, so I’ve been strolling through the internet and located some really great, evidence-based sites with excellent resources. First one GET.gg – here Over 100 downloadable worksheets, all pdf documents, including ACT, Vicious Flower circle, … Read more
Friday Funnies!
As the onset of winter approaches, it’s time to grab every opportunity for humour, fun and silliness. I think it’s vital – all that black winter clothing is so depressing maybe the flat mood is just because of having no colour! While the weather today is chilly, crisp and not too bad – I can … Read more
Values and outcomes in pain management: occupational therapists only
Two editorials from Pain this week have me thinking about my original occupational therapy profession, and the values that I quite clearly internalised in my formative years as a therapist. I’ve noticed recently an increase in the attention given to individual goals, values and context in studies looking at disability and pain management – for … Read more
An accidental form of control: when mindfulness produces happiness ACTing Well, Living Well iv
I’ve had some success while working with a man I’ll call Peter. He’s got chronic pain, and has been incredibly fearful of what it might mean – in fact, you’d probably call him a classic catastrophiser because each time his pain flared up he immediately thought it was something like cancer and he would rush … Read more
Act-ing Well, Living Well iii : Acceptance & Willingness
One thing that strikes me as very different about the ACT approach is the very different way therapists are encouraged to respond to difficult emotions. Part of ACT is to encourage acceptance of, and ‘sitting with’ negative thoughts or emotions or sensations rather than attempting to change them or ignore them – and in my … Read more
A dilemma – ACT-ing Well, Living Well
As part of looking at ACT, I’ve been looking at values and committed actions that people are taking (or could take) to make their lives rich and fulfilling. I’m currently mulling over what to do in a case where the client I’m working with is actually quite happy with his life, and given that we … Read more
Act-ing Well, living well ii
The second in a series about ACT and its use in pain management from an occupational therapy point of view. My last post (here) talked about ACT and ‘doing what matters’, or ‘valued action’ – this involves identifying what is important to a person, then helping them do it, while being careful not to encourage … Read more
ACT-ing well, living well i
For some time I’ve been learning more about ACT – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (normally pronounced ‘act’, not A – C – T). While I have to admit that I have been flummoxed by relational frame theory, a behavioural theory of human language and cognitionthat underpins ACT (go here for a tutorial that may enlighten … Read more
