Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) in Burnaby
Pain is not always a signal of damage.
Chronic pain can be exhausting, confusing, and deeply disruptive. Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) offers a research-supported way to understand persistent pain, retrain the brain and nervous system’s response to pain signals, and work toward reclaiming quality of life.
This might be a good fit if...
Your pain has persisted beyond expected healing time
Stress, anxiety, or emotions seem to trigger or worsen your pain
Your pain is inconsistent or moves between different areas
You want a mind-body approach to complement medical care
You’re looking for hope and new options
What is Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)?
A different way to understand chronic pain.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy is a structured approach designed to target neuroplastic pain, which is pain that is being maintained or amplified by sensitized pain pathways in the brain and nervous system rather damage that exists structurally in your body.
PRT combines pain science, nervous-system retraining, and specific exercises aimed at helping the brain interpret painful sensations as less threatening.
How Pain Reprocessing Therapy Can Help
More than just managing pain.
When pain has become chronic, fear, anticipation, hypervigilance, and stress can become part of a cycle that keeps the nervous system on alert. PRT works with that cycle by helping you build a greater sense of safety around painful sensations and gradually change the brain’s response to them.
The goal isn’t to tell you that your pain isn’t real. If it hurts, it’s real. The question is whether changing the nervous system’s interpretation of those signals may help reduce the pain and give you more of your life back.
A Compassionate, Collaborative Approach
You're not alone in this.
I live with chronic pain myself, so I understand how exhausting and complicated it can be when your body seems to be working against you. My approach is warm, practical, and non-judgmental, combining PRT with trauma-informed and nervous-system-aware counselling.
We’ll start by understanding your pain history together, talk about what may be contributing to the pain cycle, and move at a pace that helps the work feel manageable. If appropriate, I’ll also guide you through PRT exercises and help you figure out how to practice them between sessions.
Practical Details
Does PRT mean my pain is “all in my head”?
No. Pain is real, regardless of what is causing or maintaining it. PRT looks at the role the brain and nervous system can play in persistent pain, particularly when pain continues after tissues have healed or when structural explanations don’t fully account for the symptoms.
Is PRT the same as regular talk therapy?
Not quite. PRT is a more structured approach that usually includes understanding your pain history, learning about pain science, practicing specific nervous-system retraining exercises, and developing strategies for maintaining progress.
Do I need a referral from a doctor?
No referral is required to book a consultation or begin counselling. However, if your pain hasn’t already been medically assessed, I recommend speaking with a qualified medical professional first to investigate possible structural causes.
I’ve tried other treatments without much success. Could PRT still help?
Possibly. PRT is specifically aimed at the neuroplastic component of persistent pain, so it approaches pain differently from treatments focused primarily on structural causes. Whether it’s appropriate for you will depend on your history and the presentation of your symptoms.
How long does PRT take?
There isn’t one required timeline. The research protocol I am trained with uses eight sessions over four weeks, but in practice the frequency and length of treatment can be adapted to the individual.
Can I do PRT online?
Yes. I offer PRT through secure video sessions to clients throughout British Columbia, and most elements of the approach translate well to online sessions.
I’m neurodivergent. Can PRT be adapted for me?
Yes. My broader counselling approach is neurodiversity-affirming, and PRT can be adapted in its pacing, language, and exercises. Emerging research links neurodivergence, central sensitization, and chronic pain.
What if my pain flares up again?
Flare-ups can happen and don’t necessarily mean that progress has been lost. Part of the work involves preparing for setbacks, understanding what may be happening when symptoms return, and building strategies you can use in the future.
Not sure if Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is right for you?
We can talk about it during your free consultation.