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The individual counseling setting provides the patient suffering from pain an opportunity to detach themselves from painful thoughts and emotions even if the individual is resistant to discussing or thinking about the confusing and unsettling thoughts or feelings associated with a life of suffering from pain. Many times patients suffering from chronic or intractable pain lack the motivation to discuss their pain due to lethargy, low physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy.
Counseling in individual settings can provide powerful mechanisms to bring about change in the person suffering from pain. Individuals suffering from chronic or intractable pain begin to understand their thoughts and feelings and work on changing and adapting their lives to deal with their pain conditions. For individual counseling to be successful, there must be respect and trust between
the individual suffering from pain and the therapist.
The therapist and individual must share responsibility for accomplishing individual goals. Because old attitudes, feelings and behaviors may change, a counselor is the person who facilitates this process and the patient suffering from pain does the work. In no way does the therapist take over the individual's life and tell them what to do. Like a coach, the therapist motivates the person to take their own responsibility for changes. A good therapist listens to the individual in pain. They should express warmth, empathy, be nonjudgmental and attempt to understand the sufferer's pain experiences. The patient suffering from chronic or intractable pain needs to be specific, honest and genuine while conveying their thoughts and feelings during treatment sessions. This enables the therapist to see a true picture of the person's needs and also helps the therapist and other treatment professionals in making an accurate individualized treatment plan. Normally, individual counseling is a process, which involves a few phases.
During the first phase, the individual and therapist attempt to determine areas for change. Sometimes the therapist needs to redefine data for individuals who may appear out of touch with their true feelings or those who avoid taking responsibility for their own actions. This process can be slow and frustrating to patients suffering from pain especially if they are in a hurry to make changes occur. Once the individual's needs and goals are clear, the treatment plan is written out and phase two begins. In the second phase the work of dealing with negative thoughts and emotions begins. These feelings are psychologically draining on an individual and needs to be dealt with because it affects the mind, body's physiology (even the immune system which is essential for healing) and overall well-being. The therapist will educate the individual in pain in how to distinguish and express feelings and emotions that apply to them. Together, throughout therapy the therapist and patient in pain work together to identify any problem areas.
Please Do Not Copy Without Permission Of Author, Dr Patty V, PsyD
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