Session | Topics | Content and Patient Activitiesa |
---|---|---|
1 | Assessment, stress and coping model of pain | Discuss attitude and beliefs about chronic pain and patient’s current approach to pain coping; identify relationships between stress, thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and physiology; learn relaxation exercise; complete assigned daily relaxation exercise and thought record |
2 | Behavioral activation | Learn techniques for activity pacing; develop graded activity plan; use goal-setting strategies to set specific physical and pleasant activity goals; assign goal setting activities. |
3 | Identifying negative automatic thoughts | Learn “gate control” theory of chronic pain; learn stress judging coping model of pain; learn types of negative thinking; identify negative thoughts and how they relate to thoughts, feelings, behaviors and physiology; assign daily thought record. |
4 | Changing negative automatic thoughts | Learn techniques for changing negative automatic thoughts to be more realistic; practice reframing negative automatic thoughts; assign daily thought record. |
5 | Changing core beliefs | Learn to identify “should” beliefs and core beliefs; learn techniques for changing core beliefs to be more realistic; practice reframing core beliefs; assign daily thought record. |
6 | Pain coping strategies | Create and use positive coping statements; practice passive muscle relaxation; assign regular positive coping statements and passive muscle relaxation at-home practice. |
7 | Effective communication | Learn and practice expressive writing; learn and practice assertive communication; assign regular at-home expressive writing and assertive communication. |
8 | Relapse prevention | Review skills learned in treatment; develop plan for using skills in future; assign ongoing practice of skills. |