Coping Resource Center

Relief in Reach: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain

Regain Control. Reconnect with Your Life.

You’re stuck in bed again, recovering from a pain flare.

Maybe it was after pushing through your child’s birthday party, or simply from sitting too long at work. Now you’re icing, stretching, and wondering if life will always be this difficult to deal with; worrying in the back of your mind that it might one day get worse. You worry about how your pain might impact your relationships with others and your ability to function in your daily life. You long for the ability to make plans without fear, to feel like yourself again, and to stop living life in short bursts between pain episodes.

Chronic pain can feel like it takes over everything: your plans, your relationships, your work, even your sense of self. It’s exhausting, isolating, and often invisible to the people around you. But there are tools that can help.

Our Chronic Pain Program is for people who are tired of being dismissed or told it’s “all in their head,” and are ready for an approach that’s both compassionate and backed by science. We offer a structured therapy program that helps you feel more in control of your body, your mood, and your life again. So you can do more of what matters to you, even with pain.

This Program Is For You If You:

Live with chronic back, neck, joint, pelvic, or neuropathic pain
Struggle with headaches or migraines
Feel isolated, discouraged, or misunderstood in your pain experience
Struggle with anxiety, depression, or sleep problems related to pain
Are able to enjoy life free from thoughts of pain
Want evidence-based, practical tools to feel more in control of your body and your life

Relief in Reach: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain

What Makes Our Approach Different

Our program combines decades of research with real-world tools, delivered by compassionate clinicians who truly understand pain. We believe you. Your pain is real, and it’s not “all in your head.” Every part of the program is tailored to your unique experience, using science-backed techniques to help you manage pain more effectively. You’ll learn practical, easy-to-use strategies you can apply in everyday life, whether that means attending your child’s soccer game without crashing afterward, getting through a long workday without a flare-up, or managing your energy so you can enjoy a walk, a grocery run, or time in your garden. Most importantly, we focus on helping you reconnect with the parts of life that bring you meaning, independence, and joy.

Feel more in control of your pain in 10 weeks

How It Works

Our structured program typically includes 8–10 sessions, and can be adapted to your needs. Each session introduces new skills and strategies, including:

Relaxation and stress management tools
Improving sleep and increasing energy
Setting values-based goals and building meaning
Improving communication with doctors and loved ones
Practicing acceptance to reduce suffering and increase peace

What You’ll Gain from This Program

Tools to reduce the intensity and emotional impact of pain

Learn how to respond differently to pain when it shows up—so it doesn’t spiral into panic, helplessness, or avoidance.

Skills for calming your nervous system and managing stress

Discover how stress and pain feed into each other, and build practices that help quiet your body’s pain response.

Strategies for improving communication with healthcare providers and loved ones

Gain confidence to advocate for yourself at doctor’s appointments and explain your needs clearly to friends and family—so you feel supported, not dismissed or misunderstood.

A clear plan for engaging in activities and reducing post-activity flare-ups

Use pacing tools to stay active without triggering crashes—so you can keep showing up for the parts of life that matter to you.

Evidence-based techniques to improve sleep

Break the cycle of pain and insomnia with tools to help you fall asleep more easily, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling more rested.

Clarity around your values—and how to live them even with pain

Reconnect with what matters most to you and learn how to build a life that reflects those values, even on the hard days.

Increased confidence, independence, and a sense of control over your life

Walk away with tools and a roadmap—so you’re no longer at the mercy of unpredictable pain, but equipped to navigate it with strength and purpose.

What’s The Cost?

Includes:

Free 15-minute consult session to ensure this is the right fit for you
A pre-program pain analysis
12 Sessions with a Trained Clinician
A comprehensive chronic pain workbook
Symptom Tracker throughout the program (starting, middle, end)

We are out-of-network with insurance. However, For clients who want to use their out-of-network benefits we work with a third-party program called Thrizer who will submit your superbills on your behalf.

Meet Rylea Ranum, Program Facilitator

Supervised Therapist | Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student

Rylea is a supervised therapist and Clinical Psychology PhD student at the University of Houston, specializing in Clinical Neuropsychology. She has training in CBT, ACT, and DBT, and experience supporting adults with insomnia, chronic pain, and other health challenges.

As the facilitator of our specialty programs, Rylea takes a collaborative, evidence-based approach to help clients build lasting skills, improve daily functioning, and reconnect with what matters most.

Relief in Reach: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain

FAQ: What Should I Expect from CBT for Chronic Pain?

Are you just going to tell me to think more positively?

Not at all. CBT isn’t about “thinking happy thoughts” or ignoring your pain. It’s about recognizing patterns, like catastrophic thinking or fear-avoidance, that can make pain worse. We teach you how to respond differently, so your brain and body don’t stay stuck in a pain loop. It’s practical, grounded, and focused on what actually helps.

Will you tell me that I’m just imagining my pain?

No. We believe you. Chronic pain is real, even when it isn’t tied to an injury or visible damage. Pain is complex and often continues long after the original cause has healed. Our work validates your experience while offering tools that reduce suffering and give you more control.

Is this program just about resting more?

Rest matters, but too much rest can backfire—causing more stiffness, fatigue, and depression. We’ll help you find a balance using pacing strategies, so you can stay active without triggering flare-ups. It’s not about pushing through or shutting down, it’s about planning ahead, listening to your body and responding wisely.

I’ve tried everything. How do I know this will help?

That’s completely valid—and we hear it often. Many people haven’t had access to structured CBT specifically tailored for chronic pain, even if they’ve tried therapy before. This approach is backed by decades of research and is considered one of the most effective treatments for persistent pain. It may be the missing piece you haven’t tried yet.

Pain May Be a Part of Your Life—But It Doesn’t Define You.

Start today with a free consultation to learn if this program is right for you.