Clinical skills training

Connecting at a human level to help people living with pain live well

In a social media and online world, what makes my content and training different?

I started Healthskills blog in 2007 because I wanted to help clinicians learn about how to help people with pain live well. I know that not all pains respond to treatment: some people will need to learn how to live alongside their pain. I know this because I’m one of them.

Even when pain responds to treatment, at least for a while we need to learn to do things in the presence of pain.

This is where my training courses (and my blog) come in.

All my courses begin from a place of compassion – and a dash of humility. I don’t pretend that miracles happen as a result of learning what I teach, but what I do know is that people with pain will know they matter if we develop skills of being willing to listen well, communicate with heart, and to understand key concepts.

I’ve spent 30-plus years (well, who’s counting by now?) working clinically, and the last 20 years teaching postgraduates about pain and how we can help. My courses take my blog writing and condense them into practical clinical skills you can use in daily practice.

What my courses are not:

They’re not one-stop-shops. You’ll need to integrate what I teach into your practice – I can’t help much with that!
They’re not about gimmicks. Everything I teach comes from well-researched approaches combined with my clinical experience working in musculoskeletal pain management.
They’re not based on fads or “marketable moments.” My material doesn’t reflect the latest craze – it’s down-to-earth, hard-core, essential skills for pain management. There are no single (or simple) answers in this area of practice.
They’re not simple. You’ll need to dig into who you want to be as a clinician to make the most of my courses.

What my courses are:

Clinicially-relevant. You’ll be able to use what you learn as soon as you see people with pain.
Evidence-based and experience-informed. You can trust that I’ve read the research thoroughly, and then used the approaches personally – both as an experienced clinician, and a person living with pain.
Carefully-designed so you learn the essential elements in a format that is almost like sitting alongside me.
Available to you from the comfort of your own place, and for as long as the Thinkific site is available.

Springboard Facilitation Course

This course will give you the skills to run your own group pain management programme. Springboard is used throughout New Zealand as part of community pain management services funded by ACC, and as part of Health Improvement Practice (HIPs) in Primary Health.

Click the link for more information: click

Pain concepts for practice – occupational therapists

This course will give occupational therapists working in pain management the knowledge needed to understand relevant neurobiology, psychology and sociocultural aspects of pain.

This course is a combination of self-paced online readings, and three online group discussions.

New enrolments being accepted NOW!
Three online ‘live’ Zoom discussion dates: October, November and December, dates TBA

You can begin studying now!

Places will be limited to 20 participants to allow for interaction.

“Interesting and thought provoking material with Bronnie always doing her best to extend your thinking to the next level“

Past student feedback