Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a psychological treatment for chronic pain. It is based on the understanding that pain is not only a physical sensation but also a threat response - the brain interpreting signals from the body as dangerous.

Over time, the brain can become conditioned to associate certain body areas with danger, even after an injury has healed. For example, if you injure your knee, it may take a few months for it to physically recover, however the brain can continue to associate that part of the body with pain – even when there’s no ongoing damage.

PRT helps to retrain the brain to interpret these sensations as safe. This is done through pain education, guided somatic exercises, and learning to respond to symptoms with a sense of calm and safety – helping to reduce the brain’s threat response and, in turn, the pain.

PRT can be helpful for the pain associated with a wide range of conditions, including:

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

  • Osteoarthritis

  • Chronic back or neck pain

  • Pelvic pain

  • Tension headaches or migraines

  • Non-cardiac chest pain

  • Pain following injury or surgery that persists after healing

  • Medically unexplained pain or symptoms

  • “I was sceptical about the benefits of CBT to be honest, having tried it in the past and not getting much use out of it. But Ashleigh has been great, listening to my story and teaching me tools and techniques.”

  • “I think the most significant positive change has been one of self-understanding. By gaining an awareness of what I feel and why I feel it, I have gained a deeper understanding of myself and my reactions. This has fostered greater empathy for myself, and helped me become more mindful of the decisions I make in my daily life. The skills developed by doing CBT allow me to stop anxious/unhelpful thoughts before they get out of control, and help me to speak to myself more kindly during moments of stress.”

  • “Therapy with Karyn has been very helpful. What I like the most about her approach is that she really listens and personalizes her approach based on your needs. Every session is different and at the same time, there is a sense of progression towards a long-term goal. I would not hesitate to recommend to family or friends.”

  • “Working with Emma after working with other people I feel Emma is understanding and is “human” in response. Therapy isn’t a quick fix and isn’t sold as this, my understanding of that also helps as therapy is a long road to a desired outcome.”

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