Pain Reprocessing Therapy

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) – Online Therapy for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can be deeply frustrating, isolating, and exhausting — particularly when medical tests come back “normal” and treatments haven’t helped in the way you hoped. Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) offers a different, evidence-based approach for working with chronic pain that is driven by the nervous system rather than ongoing injury.

I offer Pain Reprocessing Therapy online for clients in the UK and internationally, integrating PRT within a broader trauma-informed and somatic psychotherapy framework.

What Is Pain Reprocessing Therapy?

Pain Reprocessing Therapy is a psychological treatment developed to help the brain reinterpret pain signals that are no longer linked to tissue damage or structural injury.

Research has shown that, in many cases, chronic pain is real pain generated by the brain as a protective response, even when the body itself is safe. PRT works by helping the nervous system learn that these signals neuroplastic and are not dangerous, allowing pain to reduce or resolve over time.

This is not about “imagining” pain away or convincing yourself nothing is wrong. Pain in PRT is always treated as real — the work focuses on changing the brain’s learned response to perceived threat. If you’ve ever had a doctor tell you there’s nothing wrong with you so you shouldn’t be feeling pain, you may be familiar with the frustration that brings. That does not mean the pain is not real, oh no, it definitely is! What this means is that the pain is what we call ‘neuroplastic pain.’

What is neuroplastic pain?

Neuroplastic pain is pain caused by psychophysiological processes - the mind body connection. Like all things with humans, our brains can make mistakes too. Sometimes you use the wrong word for something, sometimes you trip over your own foot, sometimes your brain misfires and interprets pain where there is no danger. Think of neuroplastic pain like a false alarm- your smoke alarm going off because of the shower instead of a fire. This pain is learned and, in the right circumstances (high-anxiety, high-pressure, high-stress lifestyles), can become chronic.

Neuroplastic pain can also result after an injury. Studies show that most structural injuries are healed after 3 months, but for many people the pain persists. Why? Because our brains have learned that there is supposed to be pain there. The good news is, anything our brains learn, they can unlearn!

Who Pain Reprocessing Therapy Can Help

PRT is most effective for people experiencing primary or neuroplastic pain, including:

  • chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain

  • tension headaches or migraines

  • fibromyalgia

  • pelvic pain

  • repetitive strain injuries

  • pain that began during periods of stress, trauma, or illness

  • symptoms that persist despite medical reassurance

Many of the clients I work with are thoughtful, capable people who have tried multiple approaches and are left feeling confused or disheartened. Often, pain has become intertwined with stress, anxiety, or earlier experiences of overwhelm or trauma.

How I Work with Pain Reprocessing Therapy

I don’t offer PRT as a stand-alone technique. Instead, I integrate it within trauma-informed online psychotherapy, paying close attention to your nervous system, emotional world, and personal history.

Our work may include:

  • education about how pain works in the brain

  • learning to recognise safety versus threat responses

  • gently shifting fear and hypervigilance around symptoms

  • working with emotional responses that may amplify pain

  • building trust in your body again, at your own pace

The work is collaborative, paced carefully, and adapted to you. There’s no pressure to “get better quickly” — paradoxically, safety and patience are often what allow change to happen.

Is Pain Reprocessing Therapy Effective Online?

Yes. Pain Reprocessing Therapy is particularly well suited to online work. Sessions are reflective, relational, and nervous-system focused, rather than physically directive.

Working online allows you to:

  • practice skills in your own environment

  • notice real-time responses in daily life

  • integrate sessions more gently

  • access specialist support wherever you’re based

I work with clients across the UK, including London, as well as internationally.

Ways of Supporting Pain I Offer

For many people, chronic pain doesn’t exist in isolation. Experiences of stress, emotional overwhelm, attachment wounds, or trauma can sensitize the nervous system over time, increasing vulnerability to pain.

My background in trauma-informed psychotherapy and EMDR allows us to hold this complexity with care. We work with pain not as an enemy to fight, but as a signal your system learned for a reason — and one it can unlearn.

PRT can be a powerful part of a broader healing process, particularly when pain has become central to your life or identity.

Pain Reprocessing Therapy

Pain Reprocessing Therapy, PRT can be a standalone practice where we work to address your pain, symptoms and needs around creating a safe environment in your body. I offer PRT online and in-person

Yoga Online and In Person

I teach with my students’ whole being in mind, as such, yoga can be a great support to PRT. By establishing a safe, accessible space, I provide an environment where students can explore their minds and bodies whatever their ability and re-introduce themselves from areas that may have been cut off by chronic pain. More about yoga can be found here.

Psychotherapy Online

Psychotherapy can be supportive in working with some of the emotions or historic situations that may have been happening when the pain started. It’s very common for chronic pain to have started during a difficult time in your life. I offer online psychotherapy and online EMDR to compliment our PRT work

Breathwork Online

Breathwork is a natural support to PRT. Learning to use the breath to work with pain, to stay present and to regulate the nervous system is helpful in rebalancing and making a safe space in the mind and body. More about breathwork can be found here.

What I offer

Intro call

20 minutes | £20 | Should you continue to work with me after your intro call, you will receive a £20 credit towards your first session

50 minutes | £70-140 | I offer sliding scale pricing and take most private insurances. Contact me for more information regarding fees for your circumstances

In person sessions

50 minutes | £70-140 | I work online and offer sliding scale pricing and take most private insurances. Contact me for more information regarding fees for your circumstances

Zoom sessions

Is Pain Reprocessing Therapy Right for Me?

Pain Reprocessing Therapy can support:

  • People with treatment-resistant chronic pain

  • Old injury pain that doesn’t go away

  • Unexplained pain, or pain with no structural origin

  • Pain that doctors don’t understand

  • Anxiety, depression, itching, and other related symptoms

Pain Reprocessing Therapy FAQ

Is Pain Reprocessing Therapy saying my pain is “all in my head”?

No. Pain Reprocessing Therapy starts from the understanding that pain is always real. In many cases of chronic pain, the brain continues to generate pain signals even when there is no ongoing tissue damage. PRT works with the brain’s protective response — not against it — helping the nervous system learn that it is safe again.

How do I know if my pain is suitable for Pain Reprocessing Therapy?

PRT is most helpful for pain that has persisted beyond normal healing time, especially when medical investigations haven’t identified a clear structural cause. Pain that fluctuates, spreads, or worsens during stress is often a good candidate. A consultation can help clarify whether this approach is appropriate for you.

Does Pain Reprocessing Therapy work if I’ve had trauma or high levels of stress?

Yes — and this is often where it can be particularly effective. Experiences of trauma, chronic stress, or emotional overwhelm can sensitise the nervous system over time. My work integrates PRT within a trauma-informed therapy framework, allowing us to work with pain and its wider emotional context safely and thoughtfully.

How long does Pain Reprocessing Therapy take?

There’s no fixed timeline. Some people notice changes relatively quickly, while others benefit from a slower, more exploratory pace. Progress depends on many factors, including how long pain has been present, your nervous system’s sensitivity, and how pain has become woven into daily life. We work collaboratively and adjust as we go.

Is Pain Reprocessing Therapy effective online?

Yes. Pain Reprocessing Therapy is well suited to online therapy. Sessions focus on understanding pain responses, reducing fear, and working with the nervous system — all of which translate well to online work. Many clients find it helpful to practice and integrate this work in their own environment.

Can Pain Reprocessing Therapy be combined with other treatments?

PRT can often be used alongside medical care, physiotherapy, or other treatments, depending on your situation. If you’re currently under medical care, we work in a way that respects and complements that support.