Counseling Clients with Chronic Pain: A Religiously Oriented Cognitive Behavior Framework

Abstract

The experience of chronic pain is largely influenced by core schemas and cognitive processes, including those that are religious in nature. When these schemas are negative, they contribute to the exacerbation of pain and related problems. A framework is presented for the identification of problematic religious schemas and their modification through cognitive behavior strategies.

Spiritual Competency Scale

“…Literature supporting spiritual integration has expanded and rigorous, empirically based research that examines the connection between an individual's spiritual domain and mental health has burgeoned (Nichols & Hunt, 2011;Plante, 2007). As a result, spirituality and/or religion have consistently been linked to improvements in physical health and well-being (Bormann et al, 2006;Lloyd & Dunn, 2007); mental health and wellness (Gill, Barrio Minton, & Myers, 2010); increased quality of life (Saxena, O'Connell, & Underwood, 2002); a buffer for negative life events (Lindgren & Coursey, 1995); and integral to coping with chronic illness (Doka, 2009;Robertson, Smith, Ray, & Jones, 2009).…”

Religiosity, Spirituality, and Mental Health in Portugal: A call for a conceptualisation, relationship, and guidelines for integration (a theoretical review)

“…depression (Agishtein et al, 2013;Pearce & Koenig, 2013); alcoholism and drug abuse (Hodge, 2011 b ;Lietz & Hodge, 2013); eating disorders (Kristeller & Hallett, 1999;Marsden, Karagianni & Morgan, 2007); founded on specific psychotherapeutic approaches, i.e. spiritually modified cognitive therapy (Hodge, 2006); religiously oriented cognitive behaviour therapy (Robertson, Smith, Ray & Jones, 2009); religious cognitive-emotional therapy (Rajaei, 2010); mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (Fresco, Flynn, Mennin & Haigh, 2011); Christian cognitive behavioural therapy (Pearce & Koenig, 2013); developed from the new forms of therapy such as spiritually or religiously integrated, oriented, or accommodative psychotherapy (McCullough, 1999;Pargament, 2007;Sperry, 2012;Ripley et al, 2014); or again coming from the multicultural counselling field (Hage, Hopson, Siegel, Payton & DeFanti, 2006;Savage & Armstrong, 2010;Hall et al, 2011); among many other contributions.…”

Counseling Chemically Dependent Chronic Pain Patients in an Integrated Care Setting

“…In the case of acute pain, the cause is typically identifiable; pain is transient, of recent onset, and treatment is often quite clear. However, if the pain persists for 3 months or more, is ongoing or reoccurring and resistant to treatment, the patient is said to have chronic pain , which can adversely affect a patient's well‐being, level of function, and quality of life (Robertson, Smith, Ray, & Jones, ). Millions of Americans are suffering from chronic pain (National Institutes of Health, ), with an economic burden exceeding $100 billion a year in health care expenses, lost income, and productivity.…”

“…Once control of the addiction is underway, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), considered to be the best approach for treatment of chronic pain, can be used to facilitate improvements in other problem areas (Grant & Haverkamp, ). For example, besides improving coping responses (Vukmir, ), CBT can be useful in addressing dysfunctional beliefs that cause catastrophic thinking (Robertson et al, ). Some factors that influence the pain experience targeted in CBT include muscle tension, muscle deconditioning and atrophy, understanding the pain and fear of additional pain, beliefs about personal coping abilities, impact of negative thinking, and emotional and socioenvironmental factors.…”