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1. Integrate the three core competencies of pain psychology into practice with clients with chronic pain.
2. Appraise the recent literature related to the efficacy of behavioral and medical interventions for pain management.
3. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of pain clients, including psychological factors, degree of distress, quality of life, activities/missions, history, and type/degree of pain/pain interference with quality of life.
4. Assess for suicide risk factors common in pain clients.
5. Utilize CBT, including RET, to help clients overcome cognitive biases that interfere with their ability to make scientifically-based decisions related to their pain care.
6. Employ CBT strategies to address sleep problems in clients with chronic pain.

Understanding Pain, the Pain Client, and Pain Psychology

• Nature and nurture of pain
• Why medical interventions aren’t enough
• Barriers to effective pain management, both global and individual
• Why integrative healthcare is the future of pain management
• Diversity and multicultural considerations to improve the therapeutic relationship
• Limitations of the research and potential risks

Assessment & Case Conceptualization

• 7 components of a comprehensive assessment
• Common mental health co-morbidities
• Model including factors of pain, medications, obesity, distress, evaluations and sleep
• 3 core competencies of pain psychology: medication management, mood regulation, and fitness

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Break Through Cognitive Barriers to Elicit Behavior Change

• 10 powerful biases that sustain client resistance to change
• CBT journaling exercises relative to pain
• Self-monitoring to maximize lifestyle change efforts
• Active coping strategies
• Therapeutic Understanding of Science (TUS)

Rational-Emotive Therapy: Concrete Strategies to Change Thinking, Mood, and Behavior

• Ellis’ “Stinkin’ thinkin”: Problem thinking that increases pain
• How extreme/absolute words limit pain clients’ sense of control and choice
• The “SEAT” exercise (Situation, Emotions, Automatic Thoughts, Turn Around Thoughts)
• Strategies for incorporating science into decisional counseling

Sleep Management: 12 Steps to Improve Both Quality and Quantity of Sleep

• Simplified, accessible CBT interventions for sleep
• Biological, psychological, and socialenvironmental factors
• Setting routines, increasing activity, increasing distress tolerance when not sleeping well
• Documented failure of all sleep medications reviewed

Suicide Risk Assessment & Intervention for a High-Risk Population

• Assessment and screening measures
• Factors that increase suicide risk in chronic pain clients
• Red flags to watch/listen for in every session

Dan Kirschenbaum, Ph.D., ABPP, is a clinical, health and sport psychologist and professor of psychiatry & behavioral sciences at Northwestern University. He is also a consultant for the VA , where he conducts evaluations to determine degree of service connected behavioral health disabilities. He served as director of behavioral health at a thriving multi-clinic pain management practice in the Atlanta area for the past three years (2016-2019). Dr. Kirschenbaum was awarded both Fellow and Diplomate statuses by the American Psychological Association (APA); he also served as president of APA’s Division of Exercise and Sport Psychology. Dr. Kirschenbaum has provided invited addresses at professional conferences world-wide, received numerous grants for research, and consulted with many organizations (e.g., National Basketball Association; Ladies Professional Golf Association; US Olympic Committee; Chicago Bears; WebMD; National Academy of Sports Medicine; Weight Watchers). An accomplished author and speaker, Dr. Kirschenbaum has published 13 books, more than 140 articles and chapters in scientific journals and books, and presented hundreds of professional workshops on a variety of topics, including pain management (e.g., Pain Psychology in Integrative Healthcare – Georgia Psychological Association workshop 3/6/2020), weight management, and sport psychology.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial: Dan Kirschenbaum is a professor at Northwestern University. He is a consultant for the VA. Dr. Kirschenbaum receives royalties from Warren Publishing. He receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.

Non-financial: Dan Kirschenbaum is a Fellow and Diplomate of the American Psychological Association.

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Listed below are the continuing education credit(s) currently available for this non-interactive self-study package. Please note, your state licensing board dictates whether self study is an acceptable form of continuing education. Please refer to your state rules and regulations.

Certificates of Successful Completion are available for email, download and/or printing from your online account immediately following the successful completion of the post-test/evaluation.

**Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of mental health professionals. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your professions standards.

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners. For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

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