Pain Coaching Frequently Asked Questions
Coaching is a nonjudgmental partnership with your coach that focuses on your strengths and solutions, rather than weaknesses and barriers.
You just have to want to get better. At first, you might not even believe that you can. But in that case, your coach will invite you to borrow his/her courage for a while until you’ve grown your own. Our name contains our promise to you—Take Courage Coaching.
Take Courage Coaching has helped many people who have lived for longer than that with chronic and debilitating pain. Check out our website to read some of their stories and comments.
Take Courage Coaching is a partner in your care. While we don’t prescribe medications or do therapies, we do honor your medical directives and are willing to collaborate with your medical providers to get you off to the best start. However, Take Courage Coaching is client-driven rather than provider driven, so you won’t be told what to do or how to do it. But you will discover ways to get the upper hand on your pain and learn how to enjoy life again.
We have Coaches all over the country, but they meet with you by telephone. So access and mobility present no barriers to being coached.
A phone with long-distance calling. A computer is optional but will enable you to receive each week’s topic via email. Without a computer, you can get the lessons by snail mail.
At a time that works best for you and your coach.
Two times per week—privately with your coach and with your group (where the Coach is a facilitator).
Yes, if you want the best possible results. This is where we learn and share pain-management strategies. If this makes you nervous, attend the first few sessions as an observer. When you’re ready, the Coach will help you participate.
We purposely keep the groups small and intimate, but large enough for diverse interaction.
You will meet privately with your coach to discuss what stops you from living without pain running and ruining your life. Your group session is a chance to learn new skills and strategies for coping with pain and reducing the negative impact on your life.
First you will learn some things about pain that may be new to you—some cool brain facts that will help you see pain as more than just a “big pain.” There are a bunch of tools that help you feel your pain less intensely, some that enable you to keep from having pain flares, and others that, over time, might reduce or eliminate your pain. This is why your coach stays with you for a long time.
Your Coach will contact you and together you will arrange your first meeting. You and your Coach will sign an agreement specifically outlining each of your expectations.
Your physician or case manager can refer you for coaching. If they aren’t aware of Take Courage Coaching’s leadership role in chronic pain management, invite them to look at our website and/or contact us. You can also sign up for coaching on your own. Contact us for information on cost and whether your insurance might help you pay for it.
