Pain Management Psychology
Pain Management Psychology

It is recognised that long term pain has an impact on all aspects of life.

A chronic pain psychologist aims to explore your struggle with pain and how this has affected your life. We aim to discuss strategies for moving forward in a valuable direction.

Acceptance and Mindfulness based approaches: 

These approaches are used to help people move towards a life of greater value despite their pain. Living well with pain is perhaps a more valuable long-term goal than fighting the pain with an endless search for a cure. It is important to recognise barriers that get in the way. 

These barriers can include:

Pain: our natural response to physical pain and emotional suffering is to try to escape or avoid it. We can get trapped in a cycle of repeated actions which no longer work but take great effort.

Thoughts: our brains are constantly busy with thoughts. Sometimes we believe our thoughts so strongly that we struggle to do what is important to us.

Being present: sometimes pain can be so great that connection with the here and now becomes a struggle.
Signposting ways forward:
The initial assessment provides a space to explore and reflect on your experience of living with pain. It also aims to help you consider its impact on your quality of life and wellbeing. 

Many people find that this process is sufficient to open up new possibilities and directions. Additional guidance can be provided to help you to connect with resources relevant to your unique situation and physical problem.

Ongoing therapy can be in one-to-one sessions or in a group setting. Therapy is based upon older concepts of cognitive behavioural therapy and newer concepts of acceptance and commitment therapy. The concept of mindfulness will be introduced and its value in helping us to live better in our own bodies and to improve quality of life and meaningfulness of life. 

Mindfulness is also used to help stress and anxiety reduction, depression and sleep quality all of which can play a large part in the perpetuation and worsening of chronic pain conditions. 
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High quality, effective, efficient, professional care

Direct access to a multidisciplinary team including specialist pain management consultant, anaesthetist, physiotherapists, acupuncturists and psychologist
Providing diagnosis, treatment and management of all acute and chronic pain conditions
Schedule a Consultation

Our Leadership

Dr W Allister 
Dow

Dr W Allister Dow MB ChB FRCA FFPMRCA Surgeon Cdr Royal Navy Rtd. Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management, Royal Surrey County NHS Foundation Trust and Director, Surrey Pain Solutions, BMI Mount Alvernia Hospital, Guildford. 

Dr Lorraine 
Nanke

Dr Lorraine Nanke - Principle Clinical and Health Psychologist, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Lead Psychologist Pain Management, Royal Surrey Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Guildford.

Stephanie 
Wilkins SRP MCSP

Stephanie Wilkins SRP MCSP - After qualifying as a physiotherapist in 2000, Steph has worked in a variety of NHS settings, including the Centre for Defence Medicine in Birmingham. During the past 12 years she has worked in the private health sector treating a variety of acute and chronic disorders
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