Empowered Relief® is a two-hour pain management program 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. To make the program more accessible, we have divided it into two 60-minute group medical visits.

Session Dates and Times

Part One: Wednesday, September 16, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Part Two: Wednesday, September 23, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Participants must attend Part One in order to attend Part Two. Together, the two parts cover the complete Empowered Relief® program.

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.

Throughout the two-part program, 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 program 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 can 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 can 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 program 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 responding to 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. Barbara Kozminski.

Current patients can book here.