FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Family Therapy Gives Pain an Airing
Airing Pain considers the benefits of family therapy in helping those with chronic pain.
Airing Pain – Pain Concern’s online radio show designed to support those living with chronic pain – is launching its second series on 1st November 2011 on Able Radio.
The first show considers how working with a family therapist can help with the stresses and strains that chronic pain puts on a family unit and other relationships.
Presenter Paul Evans discusses the importance of a family perspective on pain and other chronic illnesses; and how everyone in the family unit is affected by its presence. He talks to Dr Jan Parker, a family therapist working in the NHS; Dr Elaine McWilliams, a consultant clinical psychologist working with cancer patients and palliative care who uses her own experiences with chronic pain; and Dr John Rowlands, the physician and family psychiatrist at the University of Chicago and co-director of Chicago Centre for Family Health.
Dr Barry Mason, Institute of Family Therapy, adds: “While much good work has been done in addressing how the individual patient should manage his or her main, a family therapy perspective has been given little attention until recently.
“We need to explore the impact of pain on relationships and the influence of relationships on the management of the pain. This programme is an important contribution to that need.
“Airing Pain is a clear, coherent and informative programme for patients with chronic pain, family members and clinicians.”
Shows are broadcast fortnightly on www.ableradio.com on Tuesdays and Sundays at 8pm. Previous podcasts are also available for download at: http://www.painconcern.org.uk/category/airing-pain
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NOTES TO EDITOR
Airing Pain provides valuable information on living with chronic pain, the conditions that cause it, and how to manage it. The new series will cover issues such as family therapy, socio-political factors and headaches. Shows include interviews from pain specialists and other medical professionals as well as personal stories from individuals living with pain.
The first series of Airing Pain generated over 5500 listeners.
For more information please visit our website www.painconcern.org.uk
Contact: Laura-Jane Cameron, Publicity Officer media@painconcern.org.uk 0131 669 5951
