Course Description

Chronic pain and persistent physical symptoms are leading contributors to disability worldwide and are increasingly understood through biopsychosocial and neurobiological models that emphasize the role of stress, learning, and memory processes. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an integrative, trauma‑informed psychotherapy that has been increasingly explored for its potential application in the treatment of chronic pain conditions.

This presentation examines contemporary conceptualizations of chronic pain, including models that view pain as maintained by maladaptive memory networks and central nervous system processes. Participants will be introduced to relevant neuropsychological and learning‑based mechanisms implicated in chronic pain, as well as research suggesting associations between traumatic stressors and certain persistent pain presentations.

The session will review clinical considerations for applying EMDR in the context of chronic pain, including modifications to standard EMDR procedures, factors that may influence treatment selection, and circumstances in which alternative or adjunctive approaches may be indicated. Case material and clinical illustrations will be used to support discussion of assessment, conceptualization, and treatment planning when working with clients experiencing chronic pain.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to describe a trauma-informed understanding of chronic pain and PPS (Persistent Physical Symptoms)
2. Participants will be able to identify dissociative phenomena in chronic pain and PPS (Persistent Physical Symptoms)
3. Participants will be able to describe key clinical considerations and adaptations to standard EMDR procedures when working with clients experiencing chronic pain and persistent physical symptoms.

Session Level: Intermediate

Presenter(s)

Mark Grant, MA

Mark Grant MA is an Australian clinical psychologist/researcher with over 30 years of clinical experience. He is one of the pioneers of trauma-informed treatment of chronic pain and persistent physical symptoms (PPS) with EMDR and lately, hypnosis. He has published several sets of case studies and co-authored two chapters regarding EMDR treatment of pain for the Oxford University Press Handbook of EMDR (2025). He has authored a treatment manual for EMDR treatment of pain. He has also created numerous self-help resources for sufferers of trauma and pain including the ‘Healing Traumatic Stress’ app series, which were the subject of the first RCT of mobile apps based on EMDR (Grant et al, 2025).