Episode 04: "When Chronic Pain Enters the Room: Responding Effectively when Physical Pain is Reported by Your Clients"
Guest: Dr. Sharon Birman
Physical pain can be tough to address when it is a focus of psychotherapy, and it can be even tougher when it “shows up” unexpectedly like an unwanted guest. In this podcast, our colleague Dr. Sharon Birman shares some practical, evidence-based tips for responding to comorbid physical pain during the course of therapy for other presenting issues. Dr. Birman’s take-home message… don’t be afraid to engage with chronic pain!
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Show Notes:
Sharon Birman, Psy.D., is a Military Behavioral Health Psychologist working with the Military Training Programs at the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. In this capacity, she develops and presents training on a variety of EBPs and deployment-related topics, as well as providing consultation services. She has traveled widely across the United States and OCONUS providing continuing education to civilian and military behavioral health providers teaching a variety of courses including Cognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain, Assessment and Management of Opioids in Military-Connected Populations, Assessment of PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, Military Sexual Assault and Military Family Resilience.
She joined the CDP in 2014 after completing her postdoctoral fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where she was actively involved in CBT and DBT intervention, supervision, and education. She completed her predoctoral internship at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Center, focusing her training on suicide prevention and evidence-based interventions for the treatment of individuals with severe, chronic mental illness. Dr. Birman received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Southern California and her master’s and doctorate degrees in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
20:22 https://www.va.gov/painmanagement/docs/cbt-cp_therapist_manual.pdf
20:30 https://www.va.gov/painmanagement/
21:30 https://www.abct.org/Information/?m=mInformation&fa=fs_CHRONIC_PAIN
Calls-to-action: Attend an upcoming CDP training on Understanding and Treating Chronic Pain
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This podcast is produced by the Center for Deployment Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. In addition, reference to any specific company, products, processes, or services does not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement by the Uniformed Services University, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.