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Chronic pain affects about one-fifth of American adults (about 50 million people). Recent studies have shown that chronic conditions including neck pain, back pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, gastrointestinal disorders, and many more forms of chronic pain are often not the result of pathology in the structural body. Neuroplastic pain is the result of learned neural pathways in the brain, which is a psychophysiological process that can be reversed.
The brain can experience pain over and over again, and the neural pathways get sensitized and strengthened to a point that acute pain may become chronic. When fear of pain increases, we reinforce that the pain is dangerous, and the body tends to protect itself by sending more pain. This then leads to more fear and a cycle of pain and fear builds on itself which maintains the pain.
This does not mean that pain is imagined or “just in your head.” This is pain felt physically. But it can be addressed psychologically from a mind-body perspective.
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Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a psychological approach that aims to eliminate and resolve neuroplastic pain by retraining the brain to interpret and respond to signals from the body properly. We use a set of techniques and strategies aimed at breaking the pain-fear cycle and lowering the hypervigilance in the nervous system. These techniques aim to help people view their pain as non threatening and reappraising symptoms as caused by non-dangerous nervous system processes.
PRT is an evidence-based treatment. A peer-reviewed randomized controlled trial confirmed and validated the efficacy of PRT for chronic back pain (but it can be translated to other forms of chronic pain as well). Results of the study showed that 66% of participants receiving PRT “nearly or almost nearly pain free” after the course of therapy. 98% of participants had some improvement in pain intensity.
PRT has multiple elements including:
PRT uses somatic, cognitive, and mindfulness techniques to retrain and rewire the neural pathways that maintain. One of the main techniques of PRT is called somatic tracking. Its primary goal is to help correct the misinterpretation in the brain and teach the brain that the symptom it is assessing as dangerous is actually safe. Somatic tracking is a mindfulness technique and will help individuals attend to painful sensations through a lens of safety that helps to reduce fear and deactivate pain signals. The keys to healing neuroplastic pain include internalizing the fact that it is not dangerous and reducing or eliminating fear of the pain or other emotions that keep the brain on high alert.
Again, we want to stress that having neuroplastic pain does not mean that your pain is not valid or that the pain is imagined. The research in this field shows that pain is real, and, because it is learned by the brain, it can be reversed.
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I am blown away! I don’t write testimonials, unless I have been extremely moved by something. I was blessed to work with Brooke on a single session, and before this I was in therapy on and off with multiple therapists for the last 20 years of my life. Brooke was able to do more in one session than many years of work with my previous therapist. She has the true gift of great insight and compassion while also getting straight to the heart of your blind spots and unconscious issues in a way that has truly changed my life.
Skyler J.
There are people who are good at their work there are people like Brooke: who are born to do it. I cannot recommend Brooke more highly. I can only imagine where I would be today if I had started working with her years ago. From the beginning of our session, she knew exactly what tools and questions that would work for my particular psychology and my personal experience. No other therapist has been able to do that or anything close.
What I also really appreciate from our session is Brooke's ability to go directly to the source of the issue while also keeping a very gentle and kind energy with me. I felt very seen, understood, and supported. Everything and more that I could have ever asked for from a therapist. I have a severe trauma history and complex issues she was able to immediately identify and help. If she could help me, I know she can help you too.
Taylor E.
You did more in 45 minutes than my last therapist did in a year.
Jamie
With your help, I've finally started to understand that while my vivid imagination often wants to create terrifying monsters under the bed, in a lot of cases those monsters are nothing more than a heap of decidedly less-terrifying laundry I've avoided for too long that just needs to be aired out and put away. Which is definitely a lot easier than monster slaying. Thank you for shedding light in the dark places I was too afraid to face alone.
Morgan B.
I am extremely fortunate to work with Sydney, who is helping me create real internal change. The talent to listen well is Hall of Fame stuff, and she has that. She then follows with questions, strategies that are organic to the moment. I have come to believe that deep, radical, if occasionally deeply painful change ... and, then, healing can happen. I'm just at the lip of that last part - but would not have gotten there, AT ALL, without Sydney
Ric K.
The best therapist ever! Life-changing 🙂
Catherine H.
Right now, the work is changing my life, sometimes in inches, sometimes in miles.
Ric K.
