What does Alan do with Amber?
Alan works with Amber on two fronts: First, he uses a left-brain approach to help her see that her pain is coming from her brain and not her body.
What degree does Alon have?
Alon has a degree in neuroscience and was awarded the Certificate of Distinction in Teaching in Biology from UCLA. He is the author of "Breeding Between the Lines" and has appeared on BBC London News, NPR and BBC Radio.
This shows up in people pretty differently. What shows up as back pain for a lot of people might show up as chronic itchiness or chronic fatigue or migraines for someone else. Even though everyone who comes to see you has very diverse physical symptoms, are there certain traits they have in common with each other?
Yeah. Everyone who develops neural pathway pain has a foundation of hyper vigilance. It's kind of a prerequisite.
Right. So it might not be immediately obvious what's happening and what the connection is?
Exactly. And that's one of the things that we're doing with patients - targeting what it is that their brain is perceiving is dangerous, and then we're trying to teach their brain that this thing that they learned was dangerous is actually safe.
The Mind Body Connection: Overcoming Chronic Pain with Alan Gordon
Alan, welcome to the Healing Pain Podcast. It’s great to have you here.
About Alan Gordon
Alan Gordon is a psychotherapist and the director of the Pain Psychology Center in Los Angeles, CA. Alan is an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California, has authored publications on the treatment of chronic pain, and has presented on the topic of pain treatment at conferences and trainings throughout the country.
How Do I Teach My Brain to Deactivate My Pain?
Fear is the fuel that keeps chronic pain alive. But as many pain sufferers know, it's hard to overcome that fear when it feels so powerful and so automatic. In this episode, Alan and Alon explain how to teach your ...
How Do I Feel My Emotions, and How Can That Help My Pain?
Alan and Alon talk about the role of emotions in chronic pain. They discuss the benefits of tapping into difficult emotions, and provide a simple and effective technique for doing so. Alan talks to Ginger and Chris who are having ...
How Can I Heal My Pain by Making My Brain Feel Safe?
In this episode, Alan and Alon explain how making your brain feel safe deactivates chronic pain. Alan talks to Laura, a pain sufferer who's been in "danger mode" for many years. Due to her past experiences (getting bullied as a ...
How Can I Diagnose My Pain Like a Pain Specialist?
In this episode, Alan talks to Howard Schubiner, MD, one of the pioneers of mind-body medicine. Dr. Schubiner has developed a unique protocol to help patients determine whether their pain is caused by their brains, or by a structural problem ...
How Do I Use Both My Left AND Right Brain to Overcome Pain?
In this episode, Alan and Alon explain how you can use your left brain and your right brain together, to overcome pain. The left hemisphere of the brain is generally looked at as our logical side. We use our left ...
Can Changing My Thoughts Improve My Pain?
Many chronic pain sufferers struggle with negative thoughts like self-criticism, pressure, and fear. Not surprisingly, this type of thinking makes our pain worse. In this episode, Alan and Alon explore where these thought patterns come from and how you can ...
How Do I Get to the Root of My Pain?
Living with chronic pain means living with chronic worry. But it's actually this fear, frustration, and despair around the pain that keeps your pain signals activated. Even once you know how destructive these thought patterns are, it’s so hard to ...
