Pain Psychology Services in Kansas
Psychology
Clinical Pain Psychology as an Essential Part of Interventional Pain Care
At Kansas Pain Management, we recognize that chronic pain is a complex condition influenced by both physical and psychological factors. Emotional health, cognitive responses, and behavioral patterns significantly affect pain perception and coping mechanisms.
Accordingly, we provide specialized pain psychology services as an integrated component of our multidisciplinary pain management model.
From a clinical standpoint, all therapy and psychological evaluations are delivered in accordance with established best-practice standards and current research. Our evidence-based approach ensures accurate assessment, appropriate treatment planning, and optimal patient outcomes.
Meet Dr. Paula Harkins
Dr. Paula Harkins, PhD, is a licensed clinical health psychologist with over 15 years of experience specializing in pain management psychotherapy and health behavior change. She is an integral member of our expert team, helping patients develop effective strategies to cope with chronic pain and improve their overall quality of life.
Dr. Harkins’s patient-centered approach combines evidence-based treatments with a deep understanding of the mind-body connection. By tailoring therapy to each individual’s unique needs, she empowers patients to build resilience, enhance coping skills, and regain control of their lives.
The Role of Pain Psychology in Evidence-Based Pain Management
We provide a wide range of psychological services designed to address the mental and emotional aspects of chronic pain, including:
- Pain Management Psychotherapy: Using techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction, Dr. Harkins helps patients develop skills to manage pain, reduce stress, and improve their mental well-being.
- Health Behavior Change: Dr. Harkins works with patients to adopt healthier lifestyle habits, including improving sleep, losing weight, and quitting smoking—all of which can positively impact chronic pain.
- Specialized Treatments:
- Hypnotherapy for pain and anxiety relief
- Biofeedback to improve relaxation and stress management
- Treatment for anxiety, depression, and trauma associated with chronic pain
- Psychological Evaluations:
- Presurgical psychological evaluations
- Opioid risk assessments
- Disability evaluations
- Diagnostic assessments for PTSD, ADHD, and other mental health disorders
How Psychological Factors Influence Chronic Pain Perception
Chronic pain often comes with significant emotional challenges, including feelings of frustration, anxiety, depression, and isolation. Psychological care helps address these challenges by providing patients with tools and strategies to:
- Manage emotional responses to pain
- Build healthier coping mechanisms
- Strengthen relationships and communication
- Enhance overall quality of life
By addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of pain, Dr. Harkins and the team at Kansas Pain Management aim to support patients in living their best lives despite chronic pain.
Research from the American Psychological Association shows that behavioral therapies are highly effective in improving outcomes for patients with chronic pain.
Examples of How Pain Management Psychotherapy Helps Patients
Pain does not occur in a vacuum. Life continues to move on despite chronic pain. Focusing on setting realistic goals, pacing activity, decreasing anxiety and fear of pain, communicating needs to loved ones, and overcoming worry and guilt about any loss of ability after an injury or during recovery are common challenges that patients face with chronic pain. Overcoming these challenges and finding a balance between self-care and meeting others’ expectations are vitally important to coping with chronic pain.
Coping with stressful events is a life skill that people often work on throughout their lives. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, divorce, disability, changing jobs, or financial problems, pain can make those life challenges difficult to manage. Learning to cope more effectively, compartmentalizing, setting goals, and finding enjoyment despite pain is often the focus of pain management psychotherapy.