Chronic Pain Psychologist
Services
Living with chronic pain can affect far more than your physical wellbeing. It can influence your mood, relationships, work, daily activities, and sense of what the future may look like. At Reimagine Psychology, our chronic pain psychologists combine evidence-based psychological strategies with genuine understanding, including lived experience of chronic pain, to help you manage pain and build a meaningful life alongside it.
Living with chronic pain can affect more than your body
Chronic pain can impact your mood, sleep, relationships, work, confidence, energy,
and the way you think about the future.
At Reimagine Psychology, our chronic pain psychologists can help you build psychological and practical strategies
to manage pain in a safe, sustainable, holistic, and evidence-based way.
How a Chronic Pain Psychologist Near Me Can Help
Finding an accessible chronic pain psychologist in your local area can make it easier to access support without needing to travel far. At Reimagine Psychology, we also offer telehealth appointments, providing greater flexibility if travelling is difficult or you prefer to attend sessions from home.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT):
developing strategies to manage unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours that may make coping with pain more difficult.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):
learning to respond differently to pain and reconnect with the activities and values that matter to you.
Schema Therapy:
exploring longstanding patterns that may influence how you respond to pain and difficult emotions.
Solution-Focused Therapy:
identifying practical strengths, resources, and achievable steps towards the life you want.
Our team also includes psychologists with lived experience of chronic pain, offering an added level of understanding and empathy.
Understanding Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is pain that continues or recurs for longer than the expected time for healing, often lasting for three months or more. Unlike acute pain, which usually has a clear cause and serves as a warning that something is wrong, chronic pain can continue even after an injury or illness has healed.
Chronic pain is common in Australia, affecting around 3.24 million Australians, according to Pain Australia. Living with ongoing pain can be exhausting and may affect almost every part of daily life, from sleep and work to relationships and activities you once enjoyed.
While chronic pain is a physical experience, it can also affect your thoughts, emotions and behaviour. Psychological support can help you better understand the relationship between pain and these experiences, while developing practical strategies to improve your quality of life.
How Chronic Pain
Affects
Your Mental Health
Living with chronic pain can take a significant emotional toll. When pain is persistent, it can affect your sleep, energy, relationships, ability to work, and participation in activities that bring you joy. Over time, this can contribute to feelings of frustration, helplessness, isolation, or uncertainty about the future.
Research shows that people living with chronic pain experience depression and anxiety at rates around four times higher than the general population. This doesn’t mean your pain is caused by your mental health. Rather, pain and emotional wellbeing can influence each other, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break.
Psychological support can help you understand this connection and develop strategies to manage difficult thoughts, emotions, and behaviours while living with chronic pain.
Why choose Reimagine Psychology Melbourne?
You don’t have to navigate chronic pain alone. Book an appointment with our team today and take the first step towards support.
What You Can Expect at
Reimagine Psychology
When you see a chronic pain psychologist at Reimagine Psychology, your support will be tailored to your experiences, needs, and goals. You can expect:
A space to be heard
Talk openly about your pain and how it is affecting your life, without judgement.
Practical strategies
Learn evidence-based tools to manage difficult thoughts, emotions, stress and everyday challenges.
A personalised approach
Work with your psychologist to understand your challenges and identify what may help.
Support for meaningful change
Develop strategies that help you reconnect with the people, activities and values that matter to you.
Meet Our Chronic Pain Psychologists
Our psychologists bring different experiences, therapeutic approaches and areas of expertise to their work with chronic pain. You can explore our team and choose a psychologist who feels like the right fit for you.
Austin Chu
Support for clarity, direction, personal goals, and meaningful growth.
Alec Smith
Practical support for work, life pressure, reflection, and sustainable change.
Jenny Bui
Support for professional growth, leadership, confidence, and wellbeing.
Joseph Yeow
Strengths-based support for resilience, direction, work, and life.
What happens next?
A clear process can make therapy feel less overwhelming.
Here is how we help you move from enquiry to a personalised care plan.
Enquire or book
Get in touch with our friendly team or book an appointment online. We’ll help you find the right psychologist and appointment time.
Your initial session
Your first session is a chance to talk about what’s been happening and what you’d like support with.
Your personalised plan
Ongoing support
Regular sessions provide a safe space to work towards your goals, build practical strategies and track your progress.
You don't need a GP referral to see a psychologist. However, many people with chronic pain are referred by their GP or specialist, and a referral may be needed if you would like to claim a Medicare rebate.
Understanding your fees and rebate options
We aim to make accessing psychological support as straightforward as possible. Medicare rebates may be available if you have an eligible Mental Health Care Plan and GP referral. We also welcome NDIS clients. For current appointment fees, rebates, and available options, please visit our FAQ page or contact our friendly team.
Session fees
Session fees start from $225 for General Psychologists, $235 for Senior Psychologists, and $245 for Principal Psychologists. For ‘after-hours’ appointments, an additional $15 surcharge applies (this includes appointments before 8:30 am and from 4:30 pm on weekdays, and weekends).
Medicare rebate
You can receive a Medicare rebate of $101.55 per appointment with a Mental Health Care Plan, for up to 10 sessions per calendar year.
Funding support
Private health cover will be different for each provider and can depend on your plan. Please check with your private health insurance for the amount you can claim or if you’re unsure whether psychology is covered.
Chronic Pain FAQs
Find answers about our services, fees, referrals, and what to expect when working with a psychologist. Still have a question? We’re happy to help.
How is a chronic pain psychologist different from a pain specialist or physio?
A chronic pain psychologist focuses on the emotional, cognitive, and behavioural aspects of living with persistent pain. A pain specialist may focus on diagnosing and medically managing pain, while a physiotherapist can help with movement, strength and physical rehabilitation. These roles can complement each other. A psychologist can help you develop strategies for coping with pain, managing stress and difficult emotions, adjusting to changes in your abilities, and reconnecting with the activities and relationships that are important to you.
Can therapy actually reduce chronic pain?
Psychological therapy does not mean your pain is “all in your head”, and it isn’t a promise that your pain will disappear. However, psychological approaches can help change how you respond to and cope with pain, which may reduce the distress and disruption it causes. Evidence-based approaches such as CBT and ACT can help with pain-related stress, anxiety, low mood, unhelpful thought patterns and avoidance. For some people, these changes may also contribute to experiencing less pain or improved ability to manage it.
Do I need a referral to see a chronic pain psychologist in Melbourne?
No, you generally don’t need a GP referral to make an appointment with a chronic pain psychologist at Reimagine Psychology. You can contact us directly to arrange an appointment. Many people living with chronic pain do come to us following a referral from their GP or specialist, particularly when psychological support forms part of a broader pain-management plan. If you would like to claim a Medicare rebate, however, you will need to meet the relevant Medicare requirements, which may include a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan and referral.
What's the goal of chronic pain psychology if the pain can't be cured?
The goal isn’t to suggest that you should simply “put up with” your pain or stop seeking medical care. Instead, chronic pain psychology focuses on helping you live a meaningful life alongside pain, while reducing the ways it may be limiting you. This might involve improving your emotional wellbeing, sleep, relationships, confidence or ability to participate in valued activities. Your psychologist can help you develop practical strategies that support greater flexibility, control and quality of life, even when pain remains part of your experience.
Our Other Services
Resources for Your
Mental Health Journey
Book an Appointment
Appointments available by booking only.
Call us or send us a message to make a booking.
Phone: (03) 8330 5588
Email: hello@reimaginepsychology.melbourne
Address: 3 Howard Street, West Melbourne, VIC
Hours: Mon–Fri 9am–6pm · Sat 8am–3pm
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