CHRONIC PAIN
Chronic pain can affect movement, mood, sleep, everyday activities, relationships, confidence, employment, overall wellbeing and day-to-day functioning.
This hub brings together psychology services and educational articles for people wanting to better understand persistent pain, pacing, nervous system sensitisation, flare management and pain psychology.
Chronic or persistent pain continues beyond the expected period of healing or occurs alongside an ongoing health condition. Pain is real and can be influenced by biological, psychological and social factors.
Over time, pain may affect activity, sleep, mood, concentration, confidence, relationships and participation in daily life. Fear of pain, avoidance, overactivity and repeated flare cycles can also make functioning harder.
This hub provides a pathway to a service page for people considering psychological support and an educational article for people wanting to understand how the autonomic nervous system may respond to pain.
This service page explains psychological support for people living with chronic or persistent pain. It has a distinct service focus so that it complements, rather than competes with, this broader hub page.
Learn how psychological support may assist with pacing, pain-related distress, sleep, activity patterns, coping, confidence and participation in daily life.
This educational article provides general information about pain-related physiological responses. It supports the service page without duplicating its treatment-focused purpose.
Learn how pain and threat can influence autonomic nervous system responses, including arousal, muscle tension, breathing, heart rate and protective behaviour.
Psychological support is not based only on the location, duration or intensity of pain.
Assessment and formulation help clarify the person’s health history, pain experience, activity patterns, sleep, mood, coping strategies, relationships, strengths, preferences and goals.
Support may include pain education, pacing, graded activity, work with pain-related fear and avoidance, stress management, sleep strategies, emotional regulation, acceptance-based approaches and practical planning for valued daily activities.
Psychological care does not imply that pain is imagined. Instead, it addresses factors that may influence distress, disability, coping and quality of life.
This Chronic Pain hub provides an overview and helps you navigate the related resources on this website.
The psychology service page explains support options and is intended for people considering psychological care.
The educational article provides general information about autonomic nervous system responses to pain.
You can begin with the resource that most closely matches your current concern and move between the pages as needed.
Chronic pain can overlap with physical health conditions, sleep difficulties and emotional regulation. These related hubs provide separate pathways without duplicating the purpose of the Chronic Pain hub.
Explore psychology services and educational resources relating to adjustment to illness, health-related change and living with physical health conditions.
Explore psychology services and educational information relating to insomnia, sleep disruption and healthy sleep.
Explore resources about managing strong emotions, distress, behaviour patterns and practical strategies for change.
Common questions about chronic pain and accessing psychological support.
This page brings together a psychology service and an educational article so you can find information about chronic and persistent pain in one place.
No. Chronic pain is real. Psychological support addresses the ways pain can interact with stress, sleep, mood, attention, activity, coping and daily functioning.
No. Many people seek psychological support because pain is affecting sleep, mood, activity, relationships or daily functioning, even when diagnosis or medical investigation is ongoing.
This hub organises the broader Chronic Pain cluster. The service page provides more specific information about psychological support and appointment-related care.
Yes. Therapy is available in person at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast or via secure telehealth anywhere in Australia.
Psychology appointments are available for adolescents and adults in person at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast and via secure telehealth across Australia.
For current availability, appointment types and funding information, visit the Appointment Availability page, or book online when you are ready.