Photo of Muriel Gold Morris, Psychiatrist in 10010, NY
Muriel Gold Morris
Psychiatrist, MD
Verified Verified
New York, NY 10010  (Online Only)
My 30 years experience as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst has taught me that people who are suffering need an approach that considers them as whole people in the context of their entire lives, their private concerns, family, work, and relationship experiences and problems, and not just for their symptom complexes. As a medical doctor originally, and in my teaching of others, I have always focussed on and addressed the clients' anxieties, depressions, and physical ailments from this broad viewpoint and as a result have found that physical health and well-being improve along with emotional improvement.
My 30 years experience as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst has taught me that people who are suffering need an approach that considers them as whole people in the context of their entire lives, their private concerns, family, work, and relationship experiences and problems, and not just for their symptom complexes. As a medical doctor originally, and in my teaching of others, I have always focussed on and addressed the clients' anxieties, depressions, and physical ailments from this broad viewpoint and as a result have found that physical health and well-being improve along with emotional improvement.
(646) 583-1949 View (646) 583-1949
Photo of Matthew Benjamin Smith, Psychiatrist in 10010, NY
Matthew Benjamin Smith
Psychiatrist, MD
Verified Verified
New York, NY 10010
I have additional experience in treating people with attention deficit disorder, brain injuries, and chronic pain syndromes.
I am a general adult psychiatrist, practicing individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, couple psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and neuropsychiatry. My approach can be described as eclectic and practical. I routinely treat people with mood disorders, anxiety disrders, addiction disorders, and personality disorders.
I have additional experience in treating people with attention deficit disorder, brain injuries, and chronic pain syndromes.
I am a general adult psychiatrist, practicing individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, couple psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and neuropsychiatry. My approach can be described as eclectic and practical. I routinely treat people with mood disorders, anxiety disrders, addiction disorders, and personality disorders.
(646) 832-4841 View (646) 832-4841
Photo of Rhonda Lokireddy, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in 10010, NY
Rhonda Lokireddy
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, PMHNP
Verified Verified
7 Endorsed
New York, NY 10010  (Online Only)
I am here to listen and focus on each person individually. I have been in healthcare for over 20 years so have a vast amount of experience dealing with individuals through many different illnesses, issues, and circumstances. I am currently licensed In New York and Texas and I see patients living in both those states. I use Hippa compliant telehealth platform to complete office visit. Most of my patients like. Please feel free to reach our or email me with any questions. rhondalokireddynp.com
I am here to listen and focus on each person individually. I have been in healthcare for over 20 years so have a vast amount of experience dealing with individuals through many different illnesses, issues, and circumstances. I am currently licensed In New York and Texas and I see patients living in both those states. I use Hippa compliant telehealth platform to complete office visit. Most of my patients like. Please feel free to reach our or email me with any questions. rhondalokireddynp.com
(516) 219-1043 View (516) 219-1043
Chronic Pain Psychiatrists

How does chronic pain therapy work?

Engaging with a psychotherapist to help treat chronic pain does not mean that one’s pain is all in their head. Therapy for chronic-pain patients has been shown to benefit both the mind and the body, targeting physical symptoms and increasing daily functioning. In other words, for many, addressing their emotional health through therapy affects their physical health. A therapist can help a client challenge unhelpful thoughts about pain and develop new ways to respond to it, such as distraction or calming breathing techniques. Studies have found that therapy can be as effective as surgery for certain cases of chronic pain and many doctors recommend trying psychotherapy in advance of considering invasive surgery.

What are the most effective treatment options for chronic pain?

Stress, anxiety, depression, catastrophizing, ruminating, lack of activity, and social withdrawal all make chronic pain worse. Addressing these issues, research shows, can help people gain control over their pain symptoms. Therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, biofeedback, and mindfulness-based stress reduction, along with greater pain-management education, have been found to help people reduce fear and disability.

Are there new treatments for chronic pain?

Many cases of chronic pain, particularly those involving back pain, remain medically unexplained. But there is evidence that changes in the brain or nervous system are caused by previous physical ailments such as tissue damage; in such cases, the brain may continue to send out pain signals despite the physical cause having healed. To aid patients under these circumstances, a recently developed treatment known as pain reprocessing therapy (PRT) is designed to help the brain “unlearn” this response. A PRT practitioner helps individuals to reduce the “threat value” of their ongoing pain signals until they can reappraise them as less threatening and fear-inducing. They also help an individual to develop new emotional regulation skills.

How long does therapy for chronic pain take?

There is no set timeline for recovery from chronic pain, especially as there may be a range of physical and psychological causes for any individual’s discomfort, but most patients should expect to see a therapist for a number of weeks or months, typically spanning at least 12 sessions. Studies of pain reprocessing therapy found that many individuals’ experience of pain lessened in eight sessions over four weeks.