Understanding what a pain psychologist does

A psychologist works with you to develop a shared understanding of your pain and collaborates with your treatment team to develop a management plan. Psychological skills/strategies can increase your sense of control and help manage your pain while increasing day-to-day functioning. These strategies include graded exposure to reduce avoidance, changing the way how you view your pain, reducing anxious thoughts and feelings, improving sleep and helping you to manage any other stressors.