How to Manage Chronic Pain- w/ Author Alan Gordon LCSW

Therapy in a Nutshell

Therapy in a Nutshell -Emma McAdam

Mental Health, Health & Fitness, Education, Health & Fitness:mental Health, Self-improvement

4.8 • 657 Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2026

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Alan Gordon is the author of the Way Out, he developed and tested Pain Reprocessing Therapy as an evidence based treatment for Chronic Pain Learn the skills to Regulate your Emotions, join the membership: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/membership In this engaging conversation, Alan and I delve into the concept of neuroplastic pain, exploring how the brain can misinterpret safe signals from the body as dangerous, leading to chronic pain. One speaker shares their personal journey with chronic pain, highlighting the confusion and frustration that arises from conflicting medical opinions and the realization that many people with structural issues do not experience pain. We talk about pain as a real experience, regardless of its origin, and discuss the importance of understanding the brain's role in pain perception. The conversation also touches on the psychological aspects of pain, including how stress and anxiety can amplify pain sensations, and the significance of addressing these mental factors in pain management. Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell FREE Mental Health Resources: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/free-resources Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction. And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services. Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

Transcript

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0:00.0	We did this big study at the University of Colorado Boulder,
0:04.0	where we treated patients with pain reprocessing therapy.
0:07.0	And these were patients who had chronic pain on average for 11 years going into the study.
0:12.0	And by the end of it, after four weeks, 66% of them were out of pain.
0:17.0	And the most remarkable thing to me is there were a number of patients in the study who'd had chronic pain every day for 30 or 40 years. And they were even better by the end of it. I was super surprised to find out that 71% of my audience experiences chronic pain. I had no idea that that many people do, but I shouldn't have been surprised because chronic pain
0:37.7	and mental health conditions are closely associated. Obviously, there's a high overlap. So today,
0:43.2	I'm super excited to have a special guest, Alan Gordon. He's a licensed clinical social worker. He's the
0:48.3	founder of the Pain Psychology Institute. He's the author of The Way Out, a book about pain reprocessing therapy and how you can reprogram
0:56.4	your nervous system to turn down those signals of neuroplastic pain. And I'm just so grateful that
1:02.3	he gave us some time today to talk about how to manage chronic pain. Let's jump in. Welcome back to
1:08.4	another episode of the Therapy in a nutshell podcast. I'm Emma
1:11.7	McAdam and I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist. And this podcast is all about taking
1:16.4	the life-changing but usually kind of complicated topics of therapy and boiling them down
1:21.7	into simple, easy-to-understand concepts that you can use in your daily life. If you find
1:26.6	today's episode is helpful to you,
1:28.3	please pass it on to someone else who could benefit from it as well. Each podcast episode comes from
1:32.7	a corresponding video you can find on the Therapy in a Nutshell YouTube channel. Also, these podcasts are
1:38.0	educational and don't replace the advice or direction you may be receiving from a therapist or other health professionals.
1:43.7	Now please, enjoy the episode.
1:46.2	Well, thank you so much for being willing to be with us today.
1:49.6	I know your time is really precious.
1:51.2	You're having me.
	...

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