Episode 71: Pain & Identity - Practical Ways to Rebuild the Self
Pain can steal roles, confidence, and connection. Tim and Bart explore how to spot identity loss and how to guide patients toward a values-led, reconstructed sense of self using language, movement, small wins, and co-created experiments.
Why identity matters: chronic pain often causes biographical disruption—a break in the story of “who I am.”
Neuro/psycho frame: predictive processing and the “model of me”—how ongoing threat can dominate self-inference.
Clinician toolkit:
Narrative reframing (precision over catastrophising).
Values clarification (ACT-informed prompts that patients can actually answer).
Small wins & the Three Gifts practice to re-evidence competence and joy.
Co-creation & teams to expand the landscape of affordances.
Vignettes: CRPS-style limb disownership language; makeup/hair example as “new me” exploration.
Micro-experiments: safe, graded role re-entries across movement, connection, work, and creativity.
Resources Mentioned:
Le Pub Scientifique Free Membership (includes Sleep Clinical Action Plan).
Prior conversations with Lance McCracken, Laura Rathbone, Bronnie Lennox Thompson (in the Le Pub library).
Connect & Subscribe:
Le Pub Scientifique—free membership for clinicians & people living with pain. Share the episode if it helped you or your patients.
#chronicpain #identity #ACT #physiotherapy #values #predictiveprocessing #CPPS #CRPS #narrativereframing #rehab
Up to three-quarters of people with persistent pain report sleep problems. Tim and Bart dig into why sleep disruption boosts sensitivity (inflammation, circadian shifts, cortical filtering) and how targeted, realistic strategies can help—far beyond “no screens after 9.” Hear how to triage insomnia type, coach stimulus control and sleep-window tweaks, handle neuropathic night pain (yes, sometimes get up and move), and track progress weekly.
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Episode 69: Catastrophising Isn’t a Character Flaw
In this episode, Bart and Tim explore one of the most misunderstood terms in pain care: catastrophising. More than just negative thinking, this cognitive-emotional process is deeply rooted in attentional networks, threat prediction, and prior experiences.
We cover:
The neuroscience of why catastrophic thinking increases pain
The trap of premature reassurance or cognitive correction
How to work with rumination, not against it
Clinical tools that validate, reframe, and gently open space for possibility
With references to predictive processing, the Fear-Avoidance Model, and years of lived experience, this is a compassionate, grounded take for clinicians wanting to do better by their patients.
🎧 Bonus: Tim shares a personal story of following Michael Sullivan on stage—and what that taught him about catastrophising on both sides of the clinic!
👉 Listen now and reflect on: What’s one change you could make to your language this week?
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Episode 68: When Pain Persists: Reframing Success Beyond Pain Reduction
In this episode of the Pain Podcast, Tim Beames and Bart Van Buchem tackle one of the most pressing challenges in pain care: how do we define success when pain doesn't go away?
They explore why the traditional pain scale often fails people with chronic conditions, and how clinicians can shift the narrative toward life expansion, not just pain elimination. From functional goals to emotional resilience, discover what meaningful progress really looks like — and why celebrating small wins can be transformative for both patients and therapists.
🎧 Topics include:
– Why pain scales aren’t the full story
– Alternative outcome measures that reflect real-life improvement
– Reframing success: from reducing pain to living well with it
– Building trust, confidence, and connection in long-term pain care
Perfect for clinicians, coaches, and anyone supporting people with persistent pain.
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Episode 67: Navigating Difficult Conversations: When Patients Want Quick Fixes
How do we respond when patients want immediate solutions to complex pain problems? In this reflective episode, Tim Beames and Bart Van Buchem explore one of the most common—and most challenging—clinical scenarios: the search for a quick fix.
Expect insights into:
The psychology of urgency and fear in persistent pain
Strategies for building rapport and redirecting unrealistic expectations
Tools and metaphors (like “green vs red glasses”) to reframe pain experiences
Real-life clinical stories that show how to meet patients where they are—without abandoning your professional values
Whether you’re a physio, doctor, or coach, this is essential listening for anyone working in complex care.
🎧 Follow and share if this episode resonates with your practice.
Every episode of The Pain Podcast features interviews with world-leading pain experts, delivering practical solutions for your toughest clinical challenges. You’ll get cutting-edge insights, evidence-based strategies, and actionable advice to revolutionise your approach to pain treatment and transform patient outcomes.
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