Health Equity or Cultural Competence CEs!

Chronic Pain: Psychological and Somatic Strategies that Offer Relief and Hope

Presented by: Dreya Blume, LCSW

When: Wednesday, December 2nd, 2026 | 9:00 am – 4:30 pm Pacific Time

Where: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.

Continuing Education Credit Hours (NBCC and NASW-WA approved): 6 Health Equity or Cultural Competence CEs | $190.00 

Chronic pain is more than a physical symptom – it is a complex interplay of body, mind, and emotion that can impact every dimension of a client’s life. Stress, trauma, and persistent tension often amplify pain signals, reinforcing cycles of discomfort, hypervigilance, and emotional dysregulation.

This in-depth continuing education workshop is designed for psychotherapists who want to bring a mind-body lens to chronic pain treatment. Participants will explore evidence-informed psychological and somatic strategies (including mindfulness, grounding, breathwork, guided imagery, hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and body awareness interventions) that help reduce pain perception, support regulation, and foster resilience.

Attendees will learn how to help clients shift their relationship with pain, identify and release tension patterns, and build self-regulation skills. Therapists will leave with practical tools and strategies for combining psychological insight and somatic techniques, expanding their ability to guide clients toward relief, restoration, and improved quality of life.

Workshop Objectives:

• Develop an understanding of how psychological processes and somatic patterns interact in the experience of chronic pain.
• Learn evidence-informed somatic techniques (e.g., grounding, breathwork, body-awareness practices) that can reduce pain-related stress and support client regulation.
• Explore ways to integrate psychological interventions (e.g., cognitive reframing, mindfulness, compassion practices) with somatic strategies for holistic pain care.
• Build skills to recognize and respond to somatic signals of pain and emotional distress, guiding clients in developing self-soothing and regulation techniques.
• Identify culturally sensitive approaches for tailoring mind-body interventions to clients with diverse experiences of pain.
• Learn methods for assessing the effectiveness of combined psychological and somatic strategies in reducing pain and enhancing resilience
• Identify the emotional, mental, and spiritual impacts of living with chronic pain.
  Understand at least ten non-pharmaceutical ways to manage chronic pain.
• Become familiar with the emotional issues surrounding chronic pain.
• Discuss the role of grief and anger in living with chronic pain.
• Explore newer pain management tools such as somatic tracking.
• Identify how to introduce pain management techniques appropriately to clients.