Empowered Relief® is a 2-hour, single-session pain management class developed by pain researchers at Stanford University and now offered internationally as part of evidence-based care for people living with chronic or persistent pain. The program is based on principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for chronic pain and teaches practical skills to help you better understand your pain and learn strategies to reduce its impact on your daily life.

Persistent pain is complex. It involves the nervous system, the brain, thoughts, emotions, stress responses, and physical activity patterns. Research shows that when the nervous system remains on high alert, pain signals can become amplified and more difficult to regulate. Education and skill-building that address these processes can play an important role in the medical management of chronic pain.

During this session, you will learn how pain is processed in the brain and body and how stress, muscle tension, and thought patterns can influence your pain experience. The class introduces the concept that while pain is always real, the nervous system can become sensitized over time. Understanding this process can help you develop strategies that support recovery and improve day-to-day function.

You will also be guided through several clinically supported skills that help regulate the nervous system and reduce pain-related distress, including:

• The relaxation response, a breathing-based technique that helps calm the body and reduce pain amplification

• Skills for working with unhelpful pain thoughts, based on CBT approaches that help reduce pain-related distress

• Self-soothing and regulation strategies that help you shift out of pain-focused patterns

• A personalized pain relief plan to support ongoing self-management

These approaches are grounded in cognitive and behavioral pain science and are designed to help retrain the brain and nervous system toward safety and regulation. Clinical trials have shown that Empowered Relief® can lead to meaningful improvements in pain intensity, pain interference, emotional distress, and quality of life for people living with chronic pain.

You will leave the session with practical tools you can begin using right away, along with a clear plan for practicing these skills over time. The goal is to help you feel more confident in managing symptoms, improve daily function, and regain a sense of control over your health.

Empowered Relief® is not a replacement for medical care from your primary provider, but it can be an important part of a comprehensive chronic pain treatment plan.

This session is led by Hayley Alexander (physiotherapist) & Dr. Noah Alexander.

Current patients can book here.